YG Acoustics Sonja 2.2 to 2.3

H

HStrand

New member
Joined
Jan 24, 2022
Messages
11
Location
Stockholm
Hi!
Can anyone provide some input regarding the benefits of going from Sonja 2.2i to the Sonja 2.3’s?

I am very content with my Sonja 2.2i which I have had for a bit over a year now. They are very coherent from top to bottom but I do wonder if I could get a bit more energy in the low end without compromising on the rest of the presentation. I have been experimenting with sub-woofers but haven’t been able to make it work fully to my satisfaction.

Best regards

Hans
 
HStrand said:
Hi!
Can anyone provide some input regarding the benefits of going from Sonja 2.2i to the Sonja 2.3’s?

I am very content with my Sonja 2.2i which I have had for a bit over a year now. They are very coherent from top to bottom but I do wonder if I could get a bit more energy in the low end without compromising on the rest of the presentation. I have been experimenting with sub-woofers but haven’t been able to make it work fully to my satisfaction.

Best regards

Hans
Click to expand...

I own YG Sonja XVi speakers, not the juniors or studios, the real ones. My take is that you need the 2.3i if you want to hear what YGs can really do. Or better, just upgrade to XVi. The acid test is acoustic orchestral music, the scale of the music. Adding the bass modules moves the speakers into a totally different league. This applies to all music, it is just more apparent when playing the Beethoven 9th.
 
HStrand said:
Hi!
Can anyone provide some input regarding the benefits of going from Sonja 2.2i to the Sonja 2.3’s?

I am very content with my Sonja 2.2i which I have had for a bit over a year now. They are very coherent from top to bottom but I do wonder if I could get a bit more energy in the low end without compromising on the rest of the presentation. I have been experimenting with sub-woofers but haven’t been able to make it work fully to my satisfaction.

Best regards

Hans
Click to expand...

I do not own YG Acoustics but I really enjoy them and have taken every opportunity to listen to them at my local dealer and audio shows. I would say it very much depends on the size of your room. If you have a medium to large room, stick with the 2.2i. If you have a very large room, then go with the 2.3i. This is not because of excessive bass but because of the sheer height of the 2.3i throwing off your imaging. I only preferred the 2.3i over the 2.2i in a very large room where the speakers could be set way back and the listener could realize their full soundstage.

Ken
 
I had a chance to hear all the models. 2.2i was my favorite.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
Mike said:
I had a chance to hear all the models. 2.2i was my favorite.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Click to expand...

Mine too. I love the cohesiveness and intimacy they deliver. They just step out of the way and let you become totally immersed in the music.

Ken
 
I have heard the 2.2i many times in several systems and it is a great speaker but the 2.3i is IMO much better and the XVi is miles ahead.

My room is 14x20 but has a high ceiling. The listening position is 10'4" from the tweeter. The folks at YG say they were not designed to need a huge room. The YG designers of course knew what they were doing with the height of the tweeter, it was designed to work and it does. Mike, if you are ever in San Diego you are welcome to hear them. Electronics are Boulder 1110/3060. Maybe we'll get you to change your mind about what is the best YG.
 
FastEddy said:
I have heard the 2.2i many times in several systems and it is a great speaker but the 2.3i is IMO much better and the XVi is miles ahead.

My room is 14x20 but has a high ceiling. The listening position is 10'4" from the tweeter. The folks at YG say they were not designed to need a huge room. The YG designers of course knew what they were doing with the height of the tweeter, it was designed to work and it does. Mike, if you are ever in San Diego you are welcome to hear them. Electronics are Boulder 1110/3060. Maybe we'll get you to change your mind about what is the best YG.
Click to expand...

Thank you so much! Love San Diego.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
FastEddy said:
I have heard the 2.2i many times in several systems and it is a great speaker but the 2.3i is IMO much better and the XVi is miles ahead.

My room is 14x20 but has a high ceiling. The listening position is 10'4" from the tweeter. The folks at YG say they were not designed to need a huge room. The YG designers of course knew what they were doing with the height of the tweeter, it was designed to work and it does. Mike, if you are ever in San Diego you are welcome to hear them. Electronics are Boulder 1110/3060. Maybe we'll get you to change your mind about what is the best YG.
Click to expand...

Different strokes I guess. I listened at the dealer to the YG Anniversary XV with 4 Audionet Heisenberg amps and Stern preamp for several hours. Great system. Tremendous speed, dynamics, scale and soundstage. But I have to say for the type of music I listen to: acoustic, small jazz combos, jazz vocals and jazz piano, I just prefer the 2.2i. Less drivers and more transparent in my opinion.

Ken
 
Alpinist said:
Different strokes I guess. I listened at the dealer to the YG Anniversary XV with 4 Audionet Heisenberg amps and Stern preamp for several hours. Great system. Tremendous speed, dynamics, scale and soundstage. But I have to say for the type of music I listen to: acoustic, small jazz combos, jazz vocals and jazz piano, I just prefer the 2.2i. Less drivers and more transparent in my opinion.

Ken
Click to expand...

GTT Audio? If so, on your next visit ask Bill to demonstrate the XVi chops on all jazz music, different league altogether.
 
Thanks for all the input. The disparity of views does make it difficult to decide on a way forward.

Hans
 
Mike said:
I had a chance to hear all the models. 2.2i was my favorite.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Click to expand...

That does not match my experience. My first high end speakers were B&W 802D, I had three of them and two 804S in a 5.1 HT with a projector, copying a set up by Kal Rubinson. Playing a BluRay of a symphony orchestra performing Beethoven's 9th the speakers could not match what was on the screen. I wanted to know if there was anything that did. No similarly sized speaker I have ever heard could. Then I heard Wilson Alexandria X2.2s at the local dealer. It took a while but eventually I traded the B&Ws and got Wilson X2.2s. The late great Dave Wilson designed them to sound like 12th row center at the Vienna Phil. They were three times the size of the 802Ds. I once had the chance to ask Dave Wilson how/why and he spent 30 minutes explaining it. The speaker size is dictated by the music, not room size. In YG speakers, the designed needed size is the 2.3i (or XVi) and in Wilsons, currently it is the XVX. I have a second system with Paradigm 30th Anniversary Tributes, which most people think are big speakers. They sound great but are in comparison basically at best a "scale model" of the music from the Wilson X2.2 and XLFs or YG XVi.

If I am incorrect, I would like to hear your view. Why was the 2.2i your favorite? Why would you pick 2.2i over 2.3i? Would you pick Wilson Alexia 2 over XVX?
 
Thanks FastEddy for your input. Unfortunatly I don’t think I will be able to accomodate the XVi or Studio.

What do yo think more specifically I am missing with the 2.2s in comparison to the 2.3s; what would I gain with the upgrade? Or would the 2,3 still fall short?
Another question is if set-up becomes more difficult with the bigger models. If I upgrade I will set then additional bass units beside, not below, the existing speakers.

Also, are you willing share what the rest of your system is and any thoughts of good matches?

Best regards

Hans
 
FastEddy said:
That does not match my experience. My first high end speakers were B&W 802D, I had three of them and two 804S in a 5.1 HT with a projector, copying a set up by Kal Rubinson. Playing a BluRay of a symphony orchestra performing Beethoven's 9th the speakers could not match what was on the screen. I wanted to know if there was anything that did. No similarly sized speaker I have ever heard could. Then I heard Wilson Alexandria X2.2s at the local dealer. It took a while but eventually I traded the B&Ws and got Wilson X2.2s. The late great Dave Wilson designed them to sound like 12th row center at the Vienna Phil. They were three times the size of the 802Ds. I once had the chance to ask Dave Wilson how/why and he spent 30 minutes explaining it. The speaker size is dictated by the music, not room size. In YG speakers, the designed needed size is the 2.3i (or XVi) and in Wilsons, currently it is the XVX. I have a second system with Paradigm 30th Anniversary Tributes, which most people think are big speakers. They sound great but are in comparison basically at best a "scale model" of the music from the Wilson X2.2 and XLFs or YG XVi.

If I am incorrect, I would like to hear your view. Why was the 2.2i your favorite? Why would you pick 2.2i over 2.3i? Would you pick Wilson Alexia 2 over XVX?
Click to expand...

very cool speaker you got there eddy.
the thing is that lot of thouse top speakers are difficult to let them shine. the smaller speaker with less drivers are more simple to set up. (more potential = more risk). so yes it happens periodically that people prefere the lower model in the line up.
my dealer has both the xvx and the alexia2. and preferes the alexia2 and the alexxV over the xvx. not because they are better per se, but because they performs in his room. a xvx needs subwoofers in all 4 corners to flatten the standing waves.
 
HStrand said:
Thanks FastEddy for your input. Unfortunatly I don’t think I will be able to accomodate the XVi or Studio.

What do yo think more specifically I am missing with the 2.2s in comparison to the 2.3s; what would I gain with the upgrade? Or would the 2,3 still fall short?
Another question is if set-up becomes more difficult with the bigger models. If I upgrade I will set then additional bass units beside, not below, the existing speakers.

Also, are you willing share what the rest of your system is and any thoughts of good matches?

Best regards

Hans
Click to expand...

No point in upgrading, then. It is the height that makes the difference.

The rest of the system is Boulder 1110 pre, 3060 amp, Playback Designs MPT8 and MPD8. WireWorld Platinum Eclipse 8 speaker cables. Also have a vinyl rig but mostly use the Playback Designs.
 
Hello,

I am Alex . I am a bit in the same situation. It has been ~2 years I am enjoying very much my Sonja 2.2 ( not i) with a pair of REL 212 subs on top.
My local dealer is proposing me an interesting trade-in offer to upgrade to the Sonja XVi Studio model.

2 questions :
1) is.there a "massive" difference between the 2.2 and the XVi Studio in absolute and if yes in which areas ?

2) my room is not wide ( 4M) and so I am a bit limited in terms of speakers placement.
Currently, the REL subs are relatively close from the main speakers and from the side walls. But as the subs are active, I can fine tune with the crossovers and volume outputs and get a pretty good result.
With the YG, I won't have this flexibility and so I am a bit worried that I won't be able to find a good balance.
Unfortunately the XVi is not available for listening / demo so I would have to take my decision "blind"...

Any advice pls ?

Thanks and regards
Alex

Sent from my SM-N9860 using Tapatalk
 
moby1977 said:
Hello,

I am Alex . I am a bit in the same situation. It has been ~2 years I am enjoying very much my Sonja 2.2 ( not i) with a pair of REL 212 subs on top.
My local dealer is proposing me an interesting trade-in offer to upgrade to the Sonja XVi Studio model.

2 questions :
1) is.there a "massive" difference between the 2.2 and the XVi Studio in absolute and if yes in which areas ?

2) my room is not wide ( 4M) and so I am a bit limited in terms of speakers placement.
Currently, the REL subs are relatively close from the main speakers and from the side walls. But as the subs are active, I can fine tune with the crossovers and volume outputs and get a pretty good result.
With the YG, I won't have this flexibility and so I am a bit worried that I won't be able to find a good balance.
Unfortunately the XVi is not available for listening / demo so I would have to take my decision "blind"...

Any advice pls ?

Thanks and regards
Alex

Sent from my SM-N9860 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

The XV speakers should be in their own line instead of grouped with YG'a other speakers -- they are in a different league.
 
FastEddy said:
The XV speakers should be in their own line instead of grouped with YG'a other speakers -- they are in a different league.
Click to expand...

In terms of sheer dynamics and price, yes. In terms of transparency, no. In my opinion, the 2.2i is the most transparent speaker in the YG line. That’s because they don’t have the phase issues of multiple drivers. Sometimes less is more. Mike listened to their entire line at their facility in Colorado and I think he would back me up on this point.

Ken
 
Alpinist said:
In terms of sheer dynamics and price, yes. In terms of transparency, no. In my opinion, the 2.2i is the most transparent speaker in the YG line. That’s because they don’t have the phase issues of multiple drivers. Sometimes less is more. Mike listened to their entire line at their facility in Colorado and I think he would back me up on this point.

Ken
Click to expand...

Yes, 2.2i was a clear winner.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
 
Alpinist said:
In terms of sheer dynamics and price, yes. In terms of transparency, no. In my opinion, the 2.2i is the most transparent speaker in the YG line. That’s because they don’t have the phase issues of multiple drivers. Sometimes less is more. Mike listened to their entire line at their facility in Colorado and I think he would back me up on this point.

Ken
Click to expand...

Interesting point. Not really sure what you mean by phase issues as I thought YG's proprietary crossover technology was world class even before the Sonja "i" updates. Which, supposedly increase it's superiority even further.

I remember listening to the big XVs when they first came out and I thought that they shared similar "Point Source" characteristics of their "smallest" at the time speaker, the 2 way Carmel.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top