Scared to go hear a pair of B&W 802 D4’s

Lol

have to go get my iPhone battery changed at Best Buy.
Went last week and there tech wasn’t there. Safe to say I carved them a new one….that’s another story. Lol.

I figured while I was there let me to hear the new B&W 800 series.

their rooms ain’t bad at the magnolia center there.
Heard first heard the KEF Q950’s. Blah. Total blah.

Then I heard the 804 D4’s. Quite nice. Great clarity , a tad small sounding tho. More clarity than my Proac DT8’s. The snare on the tune I heard was really good sounding.

today I’m going back to get the battery changed and might try out the 802 D4’s.

kinda scared they will make me not like my Proacs as much for a few days.
Lol

I mean they are a $26k pair of speakers….

haven’t heard anything really since covid so it might be a bit fun.

 

Be interested to hear how you get on. I have the same DT8s as you and looking for a new set of speakers. ATC is at the head of the race at the moment but the 802/803 D4s are a consideration.

 

Oh boy they didn’t have the personnel to fix my batter for my iPhone.
Yeah I carved them a new one. Gave me a voucher for the battery for free.
Was livid.

anyhow….


I heard the 802 D2’s.

After asking to initially hear some classical…….I was like, “ why are the strings coming through the right and cellos on the left?
No orchestra is set up that way.
I’m like “ you guys have the speakers the wrong way around “

put on Take Five, Drums on the left , horn in the middle , piano middle right, bass middle right etc.

Puts it on. It’s on the right again. Oh boy. Flips the connections around.
Ok all is well
He’s like thanks man.

dude those are $26k. Wired the wrong way around.
Facepalm.
Lol

they didn’t impress me that much.
Weren’t sibilant like other B&Ws tho.

good depth, good immediate response.
Pretty good timbre.

i would say the mids didn’t impress me much. That’s my go to.
They weren’t lush and majestic as I’m used to with my Proacs. Which of course are a lesser speaker.

Nah. Not for me.
For $26k I want to be mesmerized.

of course a proper setup may change all that.

 

You seem to have very high expectations of Best Buy. Don’t be too harsh on those guys, those speakers probably cost close to a years salary for some of them.

 

Our local Best Buy has the 805 D4 on display. I shouldn't be looking at such things!

 

Ouch!

 

Ha yeah.

 

That’s a bit disappointing. The local hifi shop staff were raving about these. Serious money for sure and at the price expectation is high. Do you know what the set up was on the other end of the speaker cables?

 

All McIntosh gear.

McIntosh pre and monoblocks.

but quite honestly man I wouldn’t take into account my experience because they rob weren’t set up well.

go listen for yourself.

 

That”s the plan…will have a listen in store and then if they’re to my liking have a listen at home. Recently had the ATC 50s for a home demo and they were great although fugly boxes. The B&Ws have to be good to better the ATCs for sound. There’s also KEF Reference/Blade in the mix too.

 

Actually, sometimes orchestras ARE set up that way, more often in Europe than in the US. In the European configuration, the violins are on both sides of the stage, and the cellos and basses are closer to stage right (audience (speaker) left). Stokowski is usually credited with the shift that Americans think of as "normal" today--with the violas in the middle, the cellos at stage left (audience (and speaker) right) and the basses behind them and further to the left (further audience (speaker) right).

And, just last night at a concert the strings were positioned in a way I've never seen before, for a performance of Scheherazade--with the violas where I usually see the cellos and the cellos in the middle where Americans are used to seeing the violas. So, there are many variations.

 

You could not give me a pair of B&W's.

Different strokes for different folks.

 

Well yeah but the way you said.
Done in layers.

the most common is violins on the right , cellos to the left, percussion in the back, flutes oboes in the center, French horns to the middle left etc.

Second most common are layered.

but they did have the speakers hooked up in reverse.

fools

 

Well, they may well have had the speakers backwards.

But I think you have it backwards, too--unless you mean STAGE Right and STAGE left here. Facing the stage, as a spectator, in the US the violins are usually placed on the left, the violas in the middle, celli and basses on the right. Percussion in the back, yes. Woodwinds in the center, yes. But French horns and brass to the RIGHT at the back from the audience's perspective. So, I'm assuming you mean stage right and stage left here. In which case, we agree.

 

I heard the 805 D3s a few times, loved the clarity, did not love the dominating peak / one note bass.
The 805 D3 I could have been happily ever after. Takes a smooth amp to make it work, e.g. Mac.

 

The D4 range doesn’t have that peak. Good to see they got rid of it.

really good speakers.

and yeah the clarity is pretty amazing

 

I should as well add that the midrange didn’t make me go wow.
Again maybe they weren’t set up well enough.

I love the entire freq spectrum. However I want my next set of speakers to make me crap my pants, especially in the midrange. I’m gonna spend a pretty penny on my next set of speakers.

What did you think of the mids in the D3 range?

 

A touch recessed, most likely because of the amplification (McIntosh).

 

Same here as well.

wasn’t big and majestic. Lush

 

How do you compare the mids from the B&Ws to the mids on your spendors?

 

Yesterday, I stopped by a Best Buy because I wanted to hear their 803D4, but the sales guy said that system was not working. So, I instead listened to the 802D4 they also had in there. The 802D4 just didn't do that much for me. They produced a pretty big sound stage and separation of instruments. But the sound was not as open and dynamic as I would hope. I didn't think cymbals sounded all that natural. Perhaps the McIntosh electronics were not doing them any favors.

 

There’s a chap at work who often says he’s going home to drink wine until he ****s himself. Good job my speakers don’t make me do that - although if I told people what I was going to spend on them they would without doubt. B&W, KEF Blade - serious money, but worth it. Especially if they lead to soiling.....

 

I have Harbeths and the mids are among the best I have heard. The B&Ws have higher resolution and better bass, but they are dual woofer towers.

 

Ah thought you still had those Spendors.

yeah the mids didn’t do it for me. Bass is tight etc as you say. But lack in the ‘ majestic mids ‘ area

I actually like the mids on my way cheaper Proacs if that makes sense

 

Gotta make you crap yer pants for that money. Lol.