Help finding the right new speakers for me

Did you get a good handle on how they sounded before pulling the trigger? Make sure you post some pics of the setup when you're settled in!

- Buck

 

Oh yeah...I brought plenty of reference material and played them in two different rooms

 

Naturally you and your dealer are entitled to your opinions regarding B&W speakers, but if you guys think that the 800 Diamond series is "going down hill", then I feel sorry for your ability to enjoy great sound reproduction. As a proud owner of B&W 805D's, powered by McIntosh, I find all of that "crazy" talk!

 

That's OK man, I'm not mad or upset about it. Everybody likes what they like no right or wrong just taste. Enjoy your Diamonds

 

It's interesting, I've been seeing this opinion in more and more places, but really don't understand the point of reference for the people who trash B&W. Now, I will say that their lower priced models are not quite up the standards of the original matrix series, the P series (I still own my rosenut P6s in my home theater), and the 600 series, but I would have no reservations on the Nautilus Diamonds. They sound incredible, maybe just not the tastes of certain listeners. I know that a lot of people had quite a few problems in the bass from the first generation Nautilus 802s (the one's with the B&W logo on the front, not the Bowers and Wilkins logo), they tended to sound bloated and flabby in many rooms, but that was corrected in the version 2 Diamonds. I think they're still awesome, and you have to remember, they're not at the same price point as some of their "comparison" speakers, so you have to compare apples to apples.

- Buck

 

Congratulations! What is/was the first Dylan album you decided to put on to once you got them set up?

 

We will find out today. Crashed at 2 AM and they are waiting in my room for me after breakfast....for Dylan probably one of the new MoFi vinyl releases. They are all very well done

Too bad I have to actually work tomorrow

 

I think I mentioned earlier that I'm personally not a B&W fan, but I do think they make a great speaker. It's just that the sound isn't tailored to my taste; nothing wrong with that. But what surprised me is that last week, my dealer tried to equate B&W with Bose, which is really pretty harsh, I think. I guess he was commenting on the ubiquity of the brand and that when the unwashed masses are looking to spend a lot of money on "high end" equipment, they frequently turn to B&W because they know the name and not because they've done any kind of research or comparison between loudspeakers.

 

The other thing to consider that I have found is that some dealers just don't know wtf they are talking about and are concerned with shoving the product down your throat that yields the highest margins, bonuses whatever. No different than anything else

 

yeah, that's ridiculous.

- Buck

 

That would be the last time i ever went to that shop. I can't stand that type of salesmanship. It's either blatantly missleading or hopelessly ignorent.

 

Four months later now, what do you think of them?

 

I love my speakers! I feel like I got a tremendous deal on them as well. For what I paid, I don't think there is much to compete with. I have been very happy

 

In general its smart to buy used.Even if you want to just audition an item.
If you decide you dont like the item you can resell it for what you paid.

 

I definitely would agree...I mean speakers do not really wear down like a car or something. They were unpacked, barely touched and sat there in a room then I got them HALF OFF. So worth it. Plus all original packaging, boxes, docs, spikes and warranty. No brainer.