Listened to B&W 805S speakers today

[Lady Phoenix]

my wife? are you talking about this one?
http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18396&highlight=805

Actually, I meant gus6464's wife, but sounds like your wife can hear the same subtle differences I'm talking about, too.

are you really a girl? (wimmin are rare around here)

I sure am!

is Pheaton your husband?

He is. You can read more about our speaker search over at the thread he started here:

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31095

 

[mazersteven]

So far I have found dealers in my area that sell Dynaudio, Energy, KEF, Aerial Acoustics and NHT. Could anyone tell me which are the specific models of these brands that would compete with the 805.

Also look for a Focal, Usher dealer.

Also I'll add these

Sonus Faber Concertino Domus, Sonus Faber Concerto Domus, Sonus Faber Grand Piano Domus.

http://www.sonusfaber.com/index.html

 

[gus6464]

I just talked to the Aerial Acoustics dealer for my region but he said they don't actually have a listening room for me to listen to them. But the great thing is that he said he sells them below what the website stipulates. I can get a pair of Model 6 towers for $2100 or some Model 5B's for $1300. He invited me to his house to check out his setup with some 5B's but he does not have the Model 6's. Has anyone listened the Model 6's? I think this is just too awesome of a deal to pass up.

 

[mazersteven]

I just talked to the Aerial Acoustics dealer for my region but he said they don't actually have a listening room for me to listen to them. But the great thing is that he said he sells them below what the website stipulates. I can get a pair of Model 6 towers for $2100 or some Model 5B's for $1300. He invited me to his house to check out his setup with some 5B's but he does not have the Model 6's. Has anyone listened the Model 6's? I think this is just too awesome of a deal to pass up.

I am a firm believer that cost should never be the determining factor when purchasing anything.

A good deal is a state of mind.

 

[gus6464]

I am a firm believer that cost should never be the determining factor when purchasing anything.

A good deal is a state of mind.

Yeah specially when spending that much money on 2 speakers. But I am going to his house to check out the Model 5B's in action. I guess I will have to wait and see how it turns out.

 

[Tomorrow]

I just talked to the Aerial Acoustics dealer for my region but he said they don't actually have a listening room for me to listen to them. But the great thing is that he said he sells them below what the website stipulates. I can get a pair of Model 6 towers for $2100 or some Model 5B's for $1300. He invited me to his house to check out his setup with some 5B's but he does not have the Model 6's. Has anyone listened the Model 6's? I think this is just too awesome of a deal to pass up.

At the very least, you owe it to yourself to go give the dealer's setup a listen! Even the 5B's (Aerial's lowest priced model) should whip the B&W's for dynamics and staging. You'll also hear equivalent clarity and (unless his setup is less than optimal) neutrality across the FR that you heard with the B&W's.

As others have suggested, as you build your system, you could always allocate a pair of 5B's (no slouch) the the surround position when you get the bucks to upgrade the fronts with something like the 7B's. (There are a few 7B's on Audiogon right now, btw....causing me to want to scratch my own itch. )

Happy hunting.

 

[Joe Schmoe]

My question is did the receiver make the difference with the B&W's or are they just that good?

They are just that good. (For about $1000 less, the 705s will get you most of the way there. I would say 98-99%.)

 

[gus6464]

They are just that good. (For about $1000 less, the 705s will get you most of the way there. I would say 98-99%.)

Ohh wow I didn't know that, I will have to give those a try as well. From all of the speakers I have auditioned so far what I love about the B&W's is their neutral sound.

 

[mazersteven]

http://www.salksound.com/ht3.html

 

[PENG]

Ohh wow I didn't know that, I will have to give those a try as well. From all of the speakers I have auditioned so far what I love about the B&W's is their neutral sound.

That was exactly my point. People use all kinds of adjectives to describe the 'voice' of speakers such as sweet, hard, harsh, bright, warm, brassy, airy, grainy, thin, tight etc., so what is good or bad? To me, speakers should not have its own voice, i.e. should be neutral.

 

[emorphien]

Ah I'd take Aerials over B&W any day as well. Give them an audition, very enjoyable speakers!

 

[Warpdrv]

Ah I'd take Aerials over B&W any day as well. Give them an audition, very enjoyable speakers!

My dream speakers are the Aerial 9's.... I heard the 7B's, didn't have the oppertunity to get any real time with them, but they are gorgeous. I am dying to get a good listen but I have to drive 100 miles for that.... Next time Im in chicago, it on the list of things to do... I mean just look at that beautiful work of art... http://www.aerialacoustics.com/Products/9/model9mpl.jpg

I like the looks of B&W, but I didn't think that they were all that...
IMO I had to go up to the 803s's for the sound I was looking for, and at that price, factoring in a minimum 5.1 setup it wasn't worth it for me...

 

[emorphien]

I agree, Aerials are gorgeous cabinets. Very simple, but very well made.

 

[eddie200]

Go back to the original shop and have them hook up the Studio's with Mac amp. If you are going to drop the change, they should be happy to give you a full audition. You can get a better direct A/B comparision and that would help in your quest for audio bliss. As the other holics stated, keep on auditioning speakers for what you think sounds great now, might sound lifeless with another set of speakers you demo. Ever consider gently pampered stuff on Gon and other sites where guys pamper the equipment? Your budget possibilities will have expanded exponentially.

 

[gus6464]

I listened to some Dynaudio Focus 220, 140, Contour S 1.4, and Audience 82 speakers today. They were hooked up to a Rotel RSX-1057 receiver. The ones that best resembled the neutral sound of the B&W 805S were the Contour S 1.4 (according to my wife). Tomorrow I am going back to the B&W store to listen to the same 805S speakers and the 705, and 703 connected to the same Rotel RSX-1057. The Energy, NHT, and KEF dealer does not have a listening room to try out the speakers so I am out of luck in auditioning those in my area. Although there is a store in San Antonio that carries KEF speakers as well as B&W so we will be trying to go this weekend for a direct comparison. The Contour S 1.4 sounded amazing but their price was $500 more than the 805S. The only thing is that my wife has now become obsessed with the 805S so I no longer think she is giving me unbiased opinions. It's gotten to the point that she is now talking about saving so that when we get a new house we make one of the rooms a home theater room and upgrade the 805S to 802D's.

 

[mazersteven]

How about those Dynaudio Focus 220, and 140?

 

[gus6464]

How about those Dynaudio Focus 220, and 140?

The clarity in the midrange just didn't seem to be there compared to the Contour and B&W. Also my wife likes the vocals front and center (its how she explains it) and the Focus had some trouble in that aspect. The contour's sound was impeccable in the sense that no part of the sound took over another. I guess it goes back to the neutral sound that we like. I don't know if we are just being too picky or what but that is mostly how she explains it to me. She has been rating all the speakers we have heard on the vocals aspect, which seems to be the most important thing for her.

 

[mazersteven]

IMO

My advise would be to find a Sonus Faber & Usher dealer right away and audition these being the Dynaudio's are fresh in your mind.

 

[gus6464]

I have to call Sumiko in california in order to see if there are any Sonus Faber dealers in my area so I will be doing that tomorrow. But there is an Usher dealer where we are going for the KEF. For Usher I guess I should audition the X and 6 series right?

 

[mazersteven]

For Usher I guess I should audition the X and 6 series right?

Just go right for the Dancers and stop messing around. LOL