These are the absolute best type of videos. Rather than watching a review I much prefer “hanging out” with your audio buddies and checking out the great gear they try.
I said to my wife " want some diamonds and leather for your birthday" before I bought the model before these? Luckily she agreed! The d3 doesn't have leather, lol. Got 3 sets of b&w's, the original 600 bookshelves, 40 years + in the woodshop dm3000's, 36 years old in the dining room, and the 802d2's in the living room! None will ever leave! Their all fantastic in their settings. I somewhat find it amusing, all the comments about harshness of the 800 series. I personally don't think there's many that have wrestled these 200 lb speakers into place and had complaints other than a bad back. Once you get them tuned and synergistic with the rest of the rig, their pretty damn special!
I agree with Thomas, this is how you set up a top B&W speaker, well done with the Mcintosh ma9500 pairing. And yes the spikes will clear up the bass plus if you had a foot extra space to the side walls. Well done!
I have the 802 D3's and use them with the mc901 amps. The biamping definitely achieves a great experience. I think it overcomes some crossover deficiencies relating to the mid and Tweeter drivers. Powerful amplifierS as well as the tube influence on the upper drivers is quite nice.
Definitely enjoy this type of behind the scenes video. I enjoy tagging along with you as you hang out with your Montreal based audio community. I wish I had the same in Toronto. But since COVID I don't want to hang out in strangers houses so it is not going to happen.
So good to see a new video from you Thomas...thanks and keep them rolling in sir! It's kind of shocking the difference in the B&W's high end line to say the least.
Can only dream of gear like that. Have to do it with my 2008 600 serie 5.1 system. For what it is I still get exited with the main speakers after all the years that I own it
Thanks Thomas for a great Video love the BW D3 and for sure as you mentioned in a different league then the mid level speakers. keep up the great reviews 😊
I heard the 802d4 (I think) during a audio show and it was a huge speaker in a small hotel room. But unlike in most rooms where they played music at high volume to showcase the composure and power handling, the 802d4 was playing at moderate volume. I was drawn to those spkrs...definitely a standout during the show for me
You hit the nail on the head! People associate all B&W speakers with the 700 line and below, and the 800 line are totally different animals! They are brighter than say a SF homage series, but then those are dull to me. I personally prefer the Focal Kanta and up lines as they split the difference between the B&Ws and SF's but I could easily live with the 800 series.
I auditioned the first iteration of this speaker when it was released about 8 years ago with NAD electronics. Voices sounded amazing and the sound was very clear but not bright or fatiguing. It is my end game speaker. I just tried to calculate how many instant noodles i must eat and my brain fried lol
THOMAS 🤗 I LOVE ❤️ THESE BEHIND THE SCENES VIDEOS…ESPECIALLY WITH YOUR FRIENDS…WHO HAVE THE MEANS TO EXPERIENCE THE DIFFERENT EQUIPMENT AND SHARE REAL LIFE CUMULATIVE EXPERIENCES 🧐💚💚💚
I have this speaker's little brother...805D3. I first listened to them driven by a Macintosh amp. I didn't like the sound. However, when I got them home, they sounded like different speakers driven by my Hegel H390. I no longer have the Hegel and now power the speakers with a Parasound A31. Both the Hegel and Parasound pair with the 805D3s far better than what I heard with the Macintosh. I don't find the 800 series to be bright either. Beautiful sound!
I have owned a bw801n for 20 years and I love it . before I had the Wilson Watt puppy combo from Watt one to four. when I got my 801 I felt like I was listening to music again not to the speakers
I have the B&W Preference P5 (from 1994 when they we're still made in the UK.) Paired with exposure 3010s2 mono's and they sound wonderful. I used to have them paired with a Marantz pm7200 KI and they where a little bright with some types of music. I think this was because it's an 8 ohm speaker that drops down to 3,7 ohm witch was to much to ask of the Marantz.
I had the p6 great speakers but they need some serious amplification. I heard the newest 700 series but to me those sounded hollow and overly bright with no low end. Could be the amplification though. Although I liked the p6 I always found they lacked a bit of emotion in my system. But for critical listening they were great.
Hi Thomas. How is with presentation of natural sound - timbre of instruments? Compared to Mofi's or Sibelius or even to real instruments? I got a chance to listen to D4 version of floorestanders and interesting and strange -disappointment one experience at the same time. Somehow I can go along, I can partly agree with some your descriptions, but in some aspect my impressions were very different. Also listen to some entry level B&W's... paired with middle tear Marantz Int. amp. Played: Esbjorn Svensson Trio, song: From Gagarin's Point of View. Also I was at EST's studio concert many years ago. Maybe paring D4 with top Michi gear not the optimal matching??
Thank you Thomas. Always dreamt of owning a B&W 8xx. Auditioned 804 D3 at a dealer's with Hegel P20/H20 and a Naim streamer and was extremely disappointed by 804's colored, utterly unnatural midrange. Just another proof of how essential it is to judge with your own ear. Would love to audition 802 though, I keep open mind.
B&W's do need careful pairing with other equipment, when done right they sound wonderful! Love my 804 D4 driven with an Accuphase E5000 integrated, had the 703s2 towers before a tad more cool but still sounded pretty good with Parasound/ PS Audio compnents.
I have listened to B&W 803D3 in a double system basically, one side was based on McIntosh stuff, and the other on Rotel Michi. And the Michi system with it was better to my S my dream system. And I very much prefer the 803 model to the bigger brothers, as I felt they were less balanced with a bit too much base. It was even more noticeable with McIntosh compared to Rotel. I love that speaker, and I love Rotel.
I like to try and own different stand Mount speakers and my B&W n805s are honestly among the smoother ones. However you must pair it with good/the right front end or it can change personality and not in a good way 😅 They are currently delegated to TV speakers duty in the living room and working super well with the modest Rega Elex-r. At the going rate on the used market, the price to performance ratio is very very good IMO.
Thomas, it looks like you have the Aperion Audio V8T speaker behind you... are you going to review those? I have the V6T and would love to see a review from you...
Ok.. the speakers would be so much interesting as u tend to focus on high end. Many folks would like to hear your thoughts on more affordable speakers... thanks
I have the 804 D4s the smallest floorstander and it is a huge improvement over the D3s I had before. The current 800 generation D4s are one of the best bangs for the buck in high end hifi IMO. But people who have never owned 800 series speakers keep telling me they're bright and unbalanced etcetera. No use in arguing about it, people will believe what they want to believe regardless IME.
@@ThomasAndStereo hey FYI I have heard the 802 D4s too but not in my system so I can't speak with any real authority about them, but the dealer was driving them with the same amp I use (Gryphon Diablo 300) and they were mightily impressive especially the bass weight and resolution, something you don't often get from the same speaker. Also there was zero treble glare even with Led Zeppelin's Physical Graffiti (source was Tidal via a Lumin P1). BTW when is your Class A amp going to be available and for how much?
@elonmuskrat2830 yes of course a keyboard warrior with a handle like yours would feel the need to troll. Even if it were true, the need to post the comment simply to get a rise out of the target speaks volumes of you and the cultural moment we are living through.
Thomas if you don't mind throwing in your thoughts here. I am considering changing speakers :) from Sonus Faber Venere 2.5's to: Paradigm Founder 80F's or Audio Vector QR 3's or Q Acoustics Concept 50's. What which way would you lean? Thanks.
I have a pair of the original 705 bookshelf speakers. When they were still made in England. Beautiful wood cabinet. Not bright at all. More natural sounding than the 702 s2s I demoed at my place as well.
Its like your describing first class airlines, theyre all good and exceed expectations. Similar to respectable brands, their high-end offerings are balanced and more transparent to your equipment. Simply like most luxuries, you just need bags of cash, hahaha. Cheers.
I have owned B&W 801FS which was a very nice speaker. I currently own, since 1994, the B&W 801 Matrix series 3 (The grand piano sounds like a grand piano). The 802 Nautilus was a non-starter ---- grand piano sounded like a toy piano. B&W 802 D2 sounded horrible. Maybe I will audition the 802 D4. I have played the piano since I was a child. With 801 Matrix series 3 one can hear the difference between Steinway, Baldwin, Bosendorfer, Kawai Shigeru and Fazioli very clearly. I still say the 801 Matrix series 3 is a better speaker than the D3 series for classical piano music.
@@matthiasbroek8055 That is very true of the 801 Matrix Series 1 but that issue was corrected in the 801 Matrix Series 3. Plus these speakers have to be at least 9" off the floor or they will not come even close to their potential. I see lots of pictures where the speakers are on the floor.
I don’t know man. I’ve heard those and yes they aren’t as bright as the 804 D3 model. Or the 804 D4. Still a bit bright though. Clarity is off the top though and super impressive.
@@ThomasAndStereo yes I think they listened to feedback on the S2 tweeter being too dominant, it has a new upgraded titanium dome which sounds better integrated with the midrange and smoother on top.
B&W speakers have always sounded too bright to me, even the 800 series. I must say however that the latest 801D4s Signature I had the opportunity to demo were an improvement.
I saw the B&W 803 D4 at Hi-Fi Klubben (hifi store in Scandinavia) - with some pretty good front-end gear ($10-15K), and honestly, I was not impressed. They were precise, but too sharp and cold and did not sound very well until I cranked up the volume. I wanted to be blown away, but I was not really.
I would love to have enough money to afford this stuff. But I can still go to my local gramophone and listen and yes it is a beautiful sound and I do wish I could have them 😞
☕️, I believe you hit the nail on the head …they may have the B&W pedigree..but once you get into they’re more “expensive “ line up ..they begin to have a more mature “audiophile “ tuning. Once again a great video . Oh, btw, was he running them with the newer amps along with the Mac ?
I’ve heard these speakers many times paired with McIntosh and they did not impress me. They sounded good but average. Not harsh, not bright, neutral sounding and smooth but just average.
You know I hadn’t thought about that it could be the amp. I am definitely not a fan at all of McIntosh. Very good point my friend. Keep up the good work and comical little jokes!. Happy holidays to you and your family!!!
I rehearsed once this exact model because it was on my shortlist (with Classe amps). I thought it sounded fine until a brass section started to play and it got so ear piercing. Thanks, but no thanks.
I like your channel a lot. I think they are good sounding speakers, however sound is so subjective. Some have described the 800's as bright and fatiguing, to my ears they sound detailed( is detailed the fatiguing bit?). I would not mind owing a pair.
@@ThomasAndStereo🙋♂️JUST FYI,EVERY GENERATION OF THE 800 series has years of experience in IMPROVING the sound and like THOMAS SAID,he and MR JAZZ could hear 👂🏻 the difference 😎
Heard the 801 d4 on some devialet expert 1000 pro duals the other day. Digitaly detailed in a very unnatural way. Sounds like that are impressive but never occur in live music, so it makes no sense to me other than technological demonstrations. Beautiful engineering but the clinical sound is not for me. Perhaps some tubes and vinyl might balance the sound.
Not a fan of the 802's D3, heard/demo with McIntosh MC452/MC462 amps with C52/C53 Preamps, they sound muffled/flat to me, lack excitement/dynamic sounds.
The large 800 series of B&W has always had a ton of cabinet resonance that produces that warm heavy thick sound ( especially with Mc electronics) that their fans love. The diamond tweeter used to be very bright and not too cohesive with the midrange driver. This issue has been resolved with the current generation. However, cabinet resonance that can come across as boomy with tube amps at higher volumes is still a shortfall. I'll take another Brit speaker ( KEF Reference line) any day over B&W 800 series.
I also prefer B&W 805D3 to KEF Ref 1 when i heard them side by side at a friend’s plc. The 805D3 made the ref 1 sound muffled & shut in. My friend himself also preferred the 805D3 & has sold his Ref 1s.
Pff it's hard to believe that a 200 lb speaker with heavy internal metal endoskeleton and the massive metal brace at the back would result in any kind of resonance, I call is a big BS on your part!
To be honest, those wizzer cone speakers are very poor quality. I heard so many at HiFi shows for over 30 years. all sound just ok on rock music, but lacked definition and detail. Put on classical music, they were awful, I really mean very bad. No detail, poor bandwidth - just cloudy.
@@ThomasAndStereo That is the problem, they sound awful on classical music and bad on everything else. Then it is the cost of running those single watt amps. They are so expensive and the valves run in class A. So they wear out far more quickly. 99.999% of people do not listen to jazz or simple band music.
I’d completely disagree. They sound great on large orchestra like Mahler symphonies. It’s got the speed, bass and details to reproduce the large sound stage.
Sounds like the speaker needs Ozempic, no? This is interesting because I am not a fan of the B and TROUBLE YOU sound, lol! Tweeters for bats only. Human ears run away in fear, B & W, lol!
803D3 is also neutral...804D3 isnt it...has a tonality to it. my recom. is b&w speakers, accuphase gear plus all out nordost frey 2 cables! try ist and you will see what i am telling about.
@@ThomasAndStereoas well as the speakers and amplifier combos, most people would be amazed at how bad there hearing is due to the condition of there ears . As a series music dude I get my ears cleaned and flushed by a ear nose throat doc . When your ears are corrupt with wax and other contaminants dust etc, the hairs in your ears that work like reeds to transform acoustic waves into the brain transmission for sound is going to give horrible effects , so everyone that loves there music reproduction systems need to get there ears checked and professionally cleaned and flushed , it is less expensive than changing speakers and other components , our brains are easily tainted by the way we hear .
I put B&W on the short list of the worst sounding speakers currently sold, irrespective of the model! Whoever designed the midrange driver and that nautilus enclosure should have his engineering degree, or elementary school certificate, revoked. The 'honky' sound coming from that enclosure is unbearable. It's ok though that friend of yours changes speakers as frequenty as he changes underwear, these will be gone quickly.🤣
@@ThomasAndStereo B&W comes from a long tradition of British-made speakers that sound like sht but that, somehow, have risen to legend status at some point in the late 70s-80s. You probably were too young back then, but I remember everyone and their grandpa was salivating over the B&W801 and the score of those BBC-crap monitors.. Spendor, Rogers, etc. Magazines were going nuts over super colored, super expensive monitors, with silk dome tweeters that would start crackling after you played the first classical piano piece louder than 80dB. In the case of the B&W I, and all my friends with well endowed hearing, could never get over the constrained, nasal and distorted mids coming from that stupid spherical enclosure. B&W acoustic development stopped in the 80s so other than thicker piano finish, the speakers suffer from the same issue.
That is very strange. My experience with the diomand B&W was VERY different and very disappointing. I was testing Lina DAC with the Master Clock and the salsman thought that the closest tweeters to my Sopra 3 at home would be the diomand B&W.🫣 In comparison to smooth, beautifully decaying, natural sound of beryllium...the diomand tweeter sounded cold, even hush and lacking "finesse" of beryllium in my opinion. Despite that B&W being in a professionally treated room, bass sounded deep yes, but boomy and like in your face a lot, also lacking ANY softness. Amplification for B&W was Electrocompaniet 300W mono class A, so no nonsense amps in my opinion. At home I have Pass Labs XA30.8 with xp-12 and 2x 812S Rels. Smaller space, but much better controlled bass. I preferred my Sopra with my two Rel subs, than just the B&W bass. I'm hoping to upgrade eventually to xa60.8 mono despite the XA30.8 is already doing an amazing job with 92db sensitivity. When I eventually heard that Lina DAC with MC on my system, I had to buy it.😄 That Lina combo is one of the most expensive upgrades, but also one of the best upgrades to my system... especially to the 3d soundstage and how smooth but extremely precise those beryllium tweeters are now. 🤘🥰
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
Thomas is such an honest and interesting guy for audiophiles, someone you can trust.
These are the absolute best type of videos. Rather than watching a review I much prefer “hanging out” with your audio buddies and checking out the great gear they try.
Glad you enjoyed!
I said to my wife " want some diamonds and leather for your birthday" before I bought the model before these? Luckily she agreed! The d3 doesn't have leather, lol.
Got 3 sets of b&w's, the original 600 bookshelves, 40 years + in the woodshop dm3000's, 36 years old in the dining room, and the 802d2's in the living room! None will ever leave! Their all fantastic in their settings.
I somewhat find it amusing, all the comments about harshness of the 800 series. I personally don't think there's many that have wrestled these 200 lb speakers into place and had complaints other than a bad back.
Once you get them tuned and synergistic with the rest of the rig, their pretty damn special!
I run my 802 D3’s with a Krell K-300i . The sound is amazing. Smooth, balanced, deep soundstage, clarity & punchy bass that you can feel. Unbelievable
I agree with Thomas, this is how you set up a top B&W speaker, well done with the Mcintosh ma9500 pairing. And yes the spikes will clear up the bass plus if you had a foot extra space to the side walls. Well done!
I have the 802 D3's and use them with the mc901 amps. The biamping definitely achieves a great experience. I think it overcomes some crossover deficiencies relating to the mid and Tweeter drivers. Powerful amplifierS as well as the tube influence on the upper drivers is quite nice.
Thanks for sharing!
Totally enjoyed it Thomas....keep em coming.
More to come!
Definitely enjoy this type of behind the scenes video. I enjoy tagging along with you as you hang out with your Montreal based audio community. I wish I had the same in Toronto. But since COVID I don't want to hang out in strangers houses so it is not going to happen.
Awesome, I will film more this kind of videos in the future. Not just product review.
So good to see a new video from you Thomas...thanks and keep them rolling in sir!
It's kind of shocking the difference in the B&W's high end line to say the least.
More to come!
like these high end b&w models
Can only dream of gear like that. Have to do it with my 2008 600 serie 5.1 system. For what it is I still get exited with the main speakers after all the years that I own it
Yes, me too.
I heard them at a best buy running mcntosh gear and 2 750 w power amps and it was one of the best systems I heard
Thanks Thomas for a great Video love the BW D3 and for sure as you mentioned in a different league then the mid level speakers. keep up the great reviews 😊
Glad you enjoyed it
I heard the 802d4 (I think) during a audio show and it was a huge speaker in a small hotel room.
But unlike in most rooms where they played music at high volume to showcase the composure and power handling, the 802d4 was playing at moderate volume. I was drawn to those spkrs...definitely a standout during the show for me
Find a big difference between the D3 and the D4, I prefer the D4.
Grtz Phil
Good job, again Thomas….
Thanks for watching.
Story time!! Love these presentations!
Glad you like them!
You hit the nail on the head! People associate all B&W speakers with the 700 line and below, and the 800 line are totally different animals! They are brighter than say a SF homage series, but then those are dull to me. I personally prefer the Focal Kanta and up lines as they split the difference between the B&Ws and SF's but I could easily live with the 800 series.
Yup, the 800 series is definitely different.
I auditioned the first iteration of this speaker when it was released about 8 years ago with NAD electronics. Voices sounded amazing and the sound was very clear but not bright or fatiguing. It is my end game speaker. I just tried to calculate how many instant noodles i must eat and my brain fried lol
And make sure you get the cheapest instant noodles to speed things up!
NAD isn't a good matching, sounds lifeless on any speakers.
THOMAS 🤗 I LOVE ❤️ THESE BEHIND THE SCENES VIDEOS…ESPECIALLY WITH YOUR FRIENDS…WHO HAVE THE MEANS TO EXPERIENCE THE DIFFERENT EQUIPMENT AND SHARE REAL LIFE CUMULATIVE EXPERIENCES 🧐💚💚💚
Enjoyed this video. A lot of insight.
Glad to hear it!
I have this speaker's little brother...805D3. I first listened to them driven by a Macintosh amp. I didn't like the sound. However, when I got them home, they sounded like different speakers driven by my Hegel H390. I no longer have the Hegel and now power the speakers with a Parasound A31. Both the Hegel and Parasound pair with the 805D3s far better than what I heard with the Macintosh.
I don't find the 800 series to be bright either. Beautiful sound!
Thanks for sharing
So why don't you like it? Is it cuz they lack air for the pairing?
Love the video. Thanks for sharing your experiences.
Thanks for watching!
I have owned a bw801n for 20 years and I love it . before I had the Wilson Watt puppy combo from Watt one to four. when I got my 801 I felt like I was listening to music again not to the speakers
Yeah, I like the N series too.
I think they are bright, but with the right amp (A mac) they are nice speakers.
Perfect bass.
Grtz Phil
I have the B&W Preference P5 (from 1994 when they we're still made in the UK.) Paired with exposure 3010s2 mono's and they sound wonderful. I used to have them paired with a Marantz pm7200 KI and they where a little bright with some types of music. I think this was because it's an 8 ohm speaker that drops down to 3,7 ohm witch was to much to ask of the Marantz.
I had the p6 great speakers but they need some serious amplification. I heard the newest 700 series but to me those sounded hollow and overly bright with no low end. Could be the amplification though. Although I liked the p6 I always found they lacked a bit of emotion in my system. But for critical listening they were great.
Hi Thomas. How is with presentation of natural sound - timbre of instruments? Compared to Mofi's or Sibelius or even to real instruments? I got a chance to listen to D4 version of floorestanders and interesting and strange -disappointment one experience at the same time. Somehow I can go along, I can partly agree with some your descriptions, but in some aspect my impressions were very different.
Also listen to some entry level B&W's... paired with middle tear Marantz Int. amp.
Played: Esbjorn Svensson Trio, song: From Gagarin's Point of View.
Also I was at EST's studio concert many years ago.
Maybe paring D4 with top Michi gear not the optimal matching??
Thank you Thomas.
Always dreamt of owning a B&W 8xx. Auditioned 804 D3 at a dealer's with Hegel P20/H20 and a Naim streamer and was extremely disappointed by 804's colored, utterly unnatural midrange. Just another proof of how essential it is to judge with your own ear.
Would love to audition 802 though, I keep open mind.
Yes, some people I met love the color of the sound while others hate it.
I wish u played an audio clip of them. Even if through a phone mic.
The pre Diamond 800s are still a little harsh, but yes, I agree the higher end 800 is better balanced.
They still use B&W in Abbey Road in fact they use whole bunch of them.
This change seems to have occurred with the generation 3 which were at Axpona 2022.
B&W's do need careful pairing with other equipment, when done right they sound wonderful!
Love my 804 D4 driven with an Accuphase E5000 integrated, had the 703s2 towers before a tad more cool but still sounded pretty good with Parasound/ PS Audio compnents.
Yup totally agree
I heard the 800 with some classe amp back in the day and that combo sounded great.
I have listened to B&W 803D3 in a double system basically, one side was based on McIntosh stuff, and the other on Rotel Michi. And the Michi system with it was better to my S my dream system. And I very much prefer the 803 model to the bigger brothers, as I felt they were less balanced with a bit too much base. It was even more noticeable with McIntosh compared to Rotel. I love that speaker, and I love Rotel.
I like to try and own different stand Mount speakers and my B&W n805s are honestly among the smoother ones. However you must pair it with good/the right front end or it can change personality and not in a good way 😅 They are currently delegated to TV speakers duty in the living room and working super well with the modest Rega Elex-r. At the going rate on the used market, the price to performance ratio is very very good IMO.
Thomas, it looks like you have the Aperion Audio V8T speaker behind you... are you going to review those? I have the V6T and would love to see a review from you...
I will review their super tweeter, not sure about the speakers.
Ok.. the speakers would be so much interesting as u tend to focus on high end. Many folks would like to hear your thoughts on more affordable speakers... thanks
I was waiting for a comparative review with FOCAL... ;) too.
I need to bring one in to do that! Another 150lb + speaker.
@@ThomasAndStereo didnt you say you had some back problems before? i would not risk lifting heavy objects either way.
I have the 804 D4s the smallest floorstander and it is a huge improvement over the D3s I had before. The current 800 generation D4s are one of the best bangs for the buck in high end hifi IMO. But people who have never owned 800 series speakers keep telling me they're bright and unbalanced etcetera. No use in arguing about it, people will believe what they want to believe regardless IME.
Yeah, it seems I need to check out D4.
@@ThomasAndStereo hey FYI I have heard the 802 D4s too but not in my system so I can't speak with any real authority about them, but the dealer was driving them with the same amp I use (Gryphon Diablo 300) and they were mightily impressive especially the bass weight and resolution, something you don't often get from the same speaker. Also there was zero treble glare even with Led Zeppelin's Physical Graffiti (source was Tidal via a Lumin P1). BTW when is your Class A amp going to be available and for how much?
@@michaelmityok1001wow you have a great amp already! The class A amp around Feb 2024. $3750 usd, made in Canada.
804 D4 worst sounding speaker I've ever heard.
@elonmuskrat2830 yes of course a keyboard warrior with a handle like yours would feel the need to troll. Even if it were true, the need to post the comment simply to get a rise out of the target speaks volumes of you and the cultural moment we are living through.
They sound a lot better after being broken in. They improve with age 😅
Thomas if you don't mind throwing in your thoughts here. I am considering changing speakers :) from Sonus Faber Venere 2.5's to: Paradigm Founder 80F's or Audio Vector QR 3's or Q Acoustics Concept 50's. What which way would you lean? Thanks.
I have not heard any of those but I like Audio vector arrete 3
I have a pair of the original 705 bookshelf speakers. When they were still made in England. Beautiful wood cabinet. Not bright at all. More natural sounding than the 702 s2s I demoed at my place as well.
Perhaps the older B&W, like older kef were not bright?
@@ThomasAndStereo Maybe being burned in for 20 years helps!
Its like your describing first class airlines, theyre all good and exceed expectations. Similar to respectable brands, their high-end offerings are balanced and more transparent to your equipment. Simply like most luxuries, you just need bags of cash, hahaha. Cheers.
Ah, good way you put it, first class.
Why does your outlet on the wall have a block of wood underneath the outlets? Looks very interesting why does it look that way?
I did not notice. Let me pay attention to that the next time I am there.
Is this Adrian who explains how to setup the speakers?
Lol
do you think they pair well with low wattage tube amps like leben for example 35 watt per channel ?
@blade823-u9y No I don't.
I have owned B&W 801FS which was a very nice speaker. I currently own, since 1994, the B&W 801 Matrix series 3 (The grand piano sounds like a grand piano). The 802 Nautilus was a non-starter ---- grand piano sounded like a toy piano. B&W 802 D2 sounded horrible. Maybe I will audition the 802 D4. I have played the piano since I was a child. With 801 Matrix series 3 one can hear the difference between Steinway, Baldwin, Bosendorfer, Kawai Shigeru and Fazioli very clearly. I still say the 801 Matrix series 3 is a better speaker than the D3 series for classical piano music.
Wow, thanks for sharing.
The matrix series is still a very nice series. Although the highs can be a bit on the hot side. But for classic that shouldn’t be much of an issue.
@@matthiasbroek8055 That is very true of the 801 Matrix Series 1 but that issue was corrected in the 801 Matrix Series 3. Plus these speakers have to be at least 9" off the floor or they will not come even close to their potential. I see lots of pictures where the speakers are on the floor.
How long was the burn in time before testing with the amps? :) Such a beautiful speaker!
The amps? They have a lot of time on them, but I would say a week is enough to have a good idea.
I'm curious on your opinion vs Focal Sopras
Yeah, I was thinking about that and not an easy anwser.
@ThomasAndStereo 😅. Ya me too. Went to the store and heard them both. They are both amazing even with my bias towards my sopras.
Thanks Thomas galions look like beast !
I don’t know man. I’ve heard those and yes they aren’t as bright as the 804 D3 model. Or the 804 D4.
Still a bit bright though.
Clarity is off the top though and super impressive.
Yeah, if they are dark, it would not be a B&W. Clarity is what all audiophiles today seem to be chasing after.
it would be very epic if the one behind you was a new Magico S3 😅
Thomas is that 22K canadian?
How do they compare to Canton reference?
I used the price from stereophile, it was $22k USD at one point. Today, we are at D4.
@@ThomasAndStereo very cool and how do they compare with canton ref speakers?
@@vicg5323Bass is more predictable with the B&W and way less bright.
Is Canada officially metric?
Only on Thomas and Stereo.
@@ThomasAndStereo😂😬
Looks better from the back.
Yeah, the back is pretty cool
Did you try it for home theater?
I have the new 606 S3 and they sound more balanced and smoother than the S2.
Oh, I have the S1 and the S2 sounds similar.
@@ThomasAndStereo yes I think they listened to feedback on the S2 tweeter being too dominant, it has a new upgraded titanium dome which sounds better integrated with the midrange and smoother on top.
B&W speakers have always sounded too bright to me, even the 800 series. I must say however that the latest 801D4s Signature I had the opportunity to demo were an improvement.
Ah, I need to go check out the D4 then.
The lower end B&W don’t have that human head shaped midrange housing…. That puts them Head and shoulders about the lower range:)
Lol
I saw the B&W 803 D4 at Hi-Fi Klubben (hifi store in Scandinavia) - with some pretty good front-end gear ($10-15K), and honestly, I was not impressed. They were precise, but too sharp and cold and did not sound very well until I cranked up the volume. I wanted to be blown away, but I was not really.
Ah, not your cup of tea.
Pairing is crucial for the 700 and 800 series
I would love to have enough money to afford this stuff. But I can still go to my local gramophone and listen and yes it is a beautiful sound and I do wish I could have them 😞
Me too, I cannot afford all this.
GM ☕️
Listening
Good morning.
☕️, I believe you hit the nail on the head …they may have the B&W pedigree..but once you get into they’re more “expensive “ line up ..they begin to have a more mature “audiophile “ tuning.
Once again a great video .
Oh, btw, was he running them with the newer amps along with the Mac ?
@@carminedesanto6746yes, using the preamp section of the Mcintosh and the power section of the TS A75 and TS A20
I like this type of video, but your editing produced some very noticeable audio artifacts at some of the video cuts.
Yeah, the software does that from time to time.
I’ve heard these speakers many times paired with McIntosh and they did not impress me. They sounded good but average. Not harsh, not bright, neutral sounding and smooth but just average.
Could it be it is the Mcintosh sound that does not impress you?
You know I hadn’t thought about that it could be the amp. I am definitely not a fan at all of McIntosh. Very good point my friend. Keep up the good work and comical little jokes!. Happy holidays to you and your family!!!
@Prometheus1979 Happy holidays to you and your family too:)
I rehearsed once this exact model because it was on my shortlist (with Classe amps). I thought it sounded fine until a brass section started to play and it got so ear piercing. Thanks, but no thanks.
Ah, maybe a different amp would make a difference.
I like your channel a lot. I think they are good sounding speakers, however sound is so subjective. Some have described the 800's as bright and fatiguing, to my ears they sound detailed( is detailed the fatiguing bit?). I would not mind owing a pair.
Maybe also I listened to them in a treated room so it was not bright.
@@ThomasAndStereo🙋♂️JUST FYI,EVERY GENERATION OF THE 800 series has years of experience in IMPROVING the sound and like THOMAS SAID,he and MR JAZZ could hear 👂🏻 the difference 😎
Heard the 801 d4 on some devialet expert 1000 pro duals the other day. Digitaly detailed in a very unnatural way. Sounds like that are impressive but never occur in live music, so it makes no sense to me other than technological demonstrations. Beautiful engineering but the clinical sound is not for me. Perhaps some tubes and vinyl might balance the sound.
I wonder if it is the speaker or the amp the issue.
@@ThomasAndStereo yes some tubes over this 800 series makes me curious
I would propose to my significant other with that diamond tweeter, but I'm afraid she would want them 8-inch instead 😔
LOL, you need a Raidho speaker then, the woofers are coated in diamond!
Not a fan of the 802's D3, heard/demo with McIntosh MC452/MC462 amps with C52/C53 Preamps, they sound muffled/flat to me, lack excitement/dynamic sounds.
Sure, not everyone's cup of tea.
I dont know about you but I have other things to do with $22k.
Like buy a Focal instead?
But once you're done with that....
Always bright and fatiguing speakers... finally it's smooth!but with a price too high
Yeah
The large 800 series of B&W has always had a ton of cabinet resonance that produces that warm heavy thick sound ( especially with Mc electronics) that their fans love. The diamond tweeter used to be very bright and not too cohesive with the midrange driver. This issue has been resolved with the current generation. However, cabinet resonance that can come across as boomy with tube amps at higher volumes is still a shortfall. I'll take another Brit speaker ( KEF Reference line) any day over B&W 800 series.
Ah I see, Mr Jazz, interestingly did not like his Kef reference 5 because he found them too neutral.
I also prefer B&W 805D3 to KEF Ref 1 when i heard them side by side at a friend’s plc. The 805D3 made the ref 1 sound muffled & shut in. My friend himself also preferred the 805D3 & has sold his Ref 1s.
I find it hard to believe that a company like B & W with their research department would design an expensive speaker cabinet that had resonance issues
Pff it's hard to believe that a 200 lb speaker with heavy internal metal endoskeleton and the massive metal brace at the back would result in any kind of resonance, I call is a big BS on your part!
To be honest, those wizzer cone speakers are very poor quality. I heard so many at HiFi shows for over 30 years. all sound just ok on rock music, but lacked definition and detail. Put on classical music, they were awful, I really mean very bad. No detail, poor bandwidth - just cloudy.
I would not disagree except for the Sibelius, but I do find some of them excellent for voice and simple band music.
@@ThomasAndStereo That is the problem, they sound awful on classical music and bad on everything else. Then it is the cost of running those single watt amps. They are so expensive and the valves run in class A. So they wear out far more quickly.
99.999% of people do not listen to jazz or simple band music.
I’d completely disagree. They sound great on large orchestra like Mahler symphonies. It’s got the speed, bass and details to reproduce the large sound stage.
Sounds like the speaker needs Ozempic, no? This is interesting because I am not a fan of the B and TROUBLE YOU sound, lol! Tweeters for bats only. Human ears run away in fear, B & W, lol!
803D3 is also neutral...804D3 isnt it...has a tonality to it.
my recom. is b&w speakers, accuphase gear plus all out nordost frey 2 cables! try ist and you will see what i am telling about.
I never hear a good sounding b&w speaker, and i hear some of them. Cant understand why people still buy em.
I guess their sound does not appeal to you, nothing wrong with that as we all have different taste.
@@ThomasAndStereoas well as the speakers and amplifier combos, most people would be amazed at how bad there hearing is due to the condition of there ears . As a series music dude I get my ears cleaned and flushed by a ear nose throat doc . When your ears are corrupt with wax and other contaminants dust etc, the hairs in your ears that work like reeds to transform acoustic waves into the brain transmission for sound is going to give horrible effects , so everyone that loves there music reproduction systems need to get there ears checked and professionally cleaned and flushed , it is less expensive than changing speakers and other components , our brains are easily tainted by the way we hear .
Not easy to be a highend audiophine. Besides rich, have a big house, must be musculas
Or have a lot of friends with muscle.
I dunno the speakers remind me of Dr. Who. Imagine seeing them move on their own, 0 O.
Haha, yes it does.
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I put B&W on the short list of the worst sounding speakers currently sold, irrespective of the model! Whoever designed the midrange driver and that nautilus enclosure should have his engineering degree, or elementary school certificate, revoked. The 'honky' sound coming from that enclosure is unbearable. It's ok though that friend of yours changes speakers as frequenty as he changes underwear, these will be gone quickly.🤣
You should try biamping speaker much better this way.
I guess it is not type of sound.
@@ThomasAndStereo B&W comes from a long tradition of British-made speakers that sound like sht but that, somehow, have risen to legend status at some point in the late 70s-80s. You probably were too young back then, but I remember everyone and their grandpa was salivating over the B&W801 and the score of those BBC-crap monitors.. Spendor, Rogers, etc. Magazines were going nuts over super colored, super expensive monitors, with silk dome tweeters that would start crackling after you played the first classical piano piece louder than 80dB. In the case of the B&W I, and all my friends with well endowed hearing, could never get over the constrained, nasal and distorted mids coming from that stupid spherical enclosure. B&W acoustic development stopped in the 80s so other than thicker piano finish, the speakers suffer from the same issue.
That is very strange.
My experience with the diomand B&W was VERY different and very disappointing. I was testing Lina DAC with the Master Clock and the salsman thought that the closest tweeters to my Sopra 3 at home would be the diomand B&W.🫣
In comparison to smooth, beautifully decaying, natural sound of beryllium...the diomand tweeter sounded cold, even hush and lacking "finesse" of beryllium in my opinion.
Despite that B&W being in a professionally treated room, bass sounded deep yes, but boomy and like in your face a lot, also lacking ANY softness. Amplification for B&W was Electrocompaniet 300W mono class A, so no nonsense amps in my opinion. At home I have Pass Labs XA30.8 with xp-12 and 2x 812S Rels. Smaller space, but much better controlled bass. I preferred my Sopra with my two Rel subs, than just the B&W bass.
I'm hoping to upgrade eventually to xa60.8 mono despite the XA30.8 is already doing an amazing job with 92db sensitivity. When I eventually heard that Lina DAC with MC on my system, I had to buy it.😄 That Lina combo is one of the most expensive upgrades, but also one of the best upgrades to my system... especially to the 3d soundstage and how smooth but extremely precise those beryllium tweeters are now. 🤘🥰
Not made with one wholepiece oak, tree but severally layers off cheap garbage mdf. T
Well if you want real wood, check out the Sibelius speaker which strangely, people complaining about it costing $4k for a pair.