Are the new B&W 800 Series D3 Diamond Loudspeakers Their Best Effort Yet?

[trEs2b]

the 804D3 are $9,000

 

[KenM10759]

There's an incredible amount of good speakers in that price range. Someone else recently asked bout speakers for a $10,000 budget and it seemed to be a very productive discussion. That was YOU.

So how did you come down to the choice between the two B&W offerings? How many of what was discussed have you auditioned, and what led you to this choice? Just curious.

If this is determined to be the final choice, I'd still go with the bigger speakers and start saving for a subwoofer that's appropriate to those speakers.

 

[trEs2b]

I still have to visit 2 more music stores to demo some stuff, but as of now I'm learning towards the 804D3 (the bonus is i get them from my best buy which gives me huge points and 0% financing for 36 months)
plus they look and sound good
plus audioholics gave the D3 excellent reviews"Gotta Have It!" "However, if your quest in life is achieving sonic bliss, then auditioning the new 800 Series Diamonds is worth your time."

 

[KenM10759]

Good for you. Myself, I go out of my way to support my local dealers who really care about me rather than the big box stores. The primary one I choose visit (in Nashua NH) has those B&W on display in a very good listening room. They are right next to the KEF Reference series, PSB T3, Linn Klimax, Bryston Model T, and some others.

The financing is attractive. I'd never earn "points" because I spend so little in any of the big box stores that I don't bother with their frequent flyer programs of "gathering my spending habits to tailor my experience."

 

[trEs2b]

The financing is nice because I can spend more than I should.. not sure if thats a good thing or bad thing... I always been very frugal with money and spending but seem to throw that all out of the window when it comes to A/V

Honestly I could not afford to buy a 9k speaker right now in cash, i might be able to buy 5k speaker, but i can easily finance 0% 36 months at 9k.... which makes me tempted to take that route

 

[KenM10759]

LOL...I know the feeling. Good thing I'm not in your position, because I'd be doing the same thing. Thank God (for me) that I don't do business there, I'd easily be in over my head due to the addiction.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

The financing is nice because I can spend more than I should.. not sure if thats a good thing or bad thing... I always been very frugal with money and spending but seem to throw that all out of the window when it comes to A/V

Honestly I could not afford to buy a 9k speaker right now in cash, i might be able to buy 5k speaker, but i can easily finance 0% 36 months at 9k.... which makes me tempted to take that route

If you are talking about financing, don't buy anything. Really. It's truly a serious matter.

As much as we love this hobby, there are more important things in life.

 

[trEs2b]

Why not its 0% for 36 months?
I already have a best buy card.... I just slowly pay it off..

I agree there a lot more important things in life, but thankfully those are all free.

It's not like I want to finance something but it lets me get what i want. luckily best buy offers 0% or it wouldn't be worth it

I guess the true smart thing would be to start saving and just buy A/V stuff fin cash = ]

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Why not its 0% for 36 months?
I already have a best buy card.... I just slowly pay it off..

I agree there a lot more important things in life, but thankfully those are all free.

It's not like I want to finance something but it lets me get what i want. luckily best buy offers 0% or it wouldn't be worth it

I guess the true smart thing would be to start saving and just buy A/V stuff fin cash = ]

IMO, just save until you have all the cash.

 

[trEs2b]

IMO, just save until you have all the cash.

Or i just settle for cheaper speakers = ]

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Or i just settle for cheaper speakers = ]

Or you could save up and use this extra time to audition and compare the B&W Diamond to other speakers.

If no other speakers sound as good in all that time, then you know the money will be well spent without reservation.

 

[trEs2b]

You make some good points and i'll to save and audition more....

 

[BWguy]

I currently have 804d's and am considering upgrading. Lots of B&W bashing on this site but I have been happy with them. I am considering the 803d3 but want to consider others. I have to travel 100 miles or so to audition many speakers but am able to listen to Focal, and B&W locally. I listen to a lot of older stuff such as Steely Dan, Dire Straits, Genesis, and Jackson Brown but also a lot of newer alternative rock. I have a medium sized family room that opens up to a fairly large kitchen so I have a good size area to fill. The 804's are nice, just a touch too thin. Currently using the Classe Sigma processor and Classe amp. Classe of course is also owned by B&W. Suggestions?

 

[KenM10759]

As a KEF owner...I try not to bash other brands (Bose may be excepted) and especially B&W after hearing a pair of 802D3's. VERY nice.

I don't know if bumping up one step would have as much impact as saving up to go higher up in the line. I also don't know what space you have and what you mean by "a touch too thin." The Focal Sopra line is really quite nice too though.

 

[BWguy]

Family room is 15x15 and opens up to a 22x15 kitchen. By thin I mean I would like a little wider sound stage with a touch more bass. From what I have read, the 803d3 is superior to the 802d2.

 

[KenM10759]

It probably is in everything but bass but I was suggesting saving up for the new 802D3, not the older 802D2.

 

[BWguy]

Yes, definitely the new 3 series.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

From what I have read, the 803d3 is superior to the 802d2.

I doubt that.

I would take the 802D1 over the 803D3 or 803D200 any day.

I am sure almost every single manufacturer would like you to believe that the latest is greatest. I don't blame them. They want to sell speakers. If they said that the D3 sound just like the D2 and D1, people might not want to spend more money. Just like in 3 or 4 years, they will say the D4 is better than the D3.

When I bought the 802D2 at my dealer, they actually had both 802D1 (open box) & 802D2 to audition. Yes, the dealer swears up and down that all the D2 sounded better than all the D1. So I did compare them. And my opinion after 2 different auditions was that they sounded exactly the same. And the speaker measurements confirmed my opinion. The reason I bought the 802D2, instead of 802D1, was because I wanted piano gloss black, not satin red rosewood (or whatever red was). If the 802D1 were piano gloss back and cost $2K less, I would have gotten the D1.

Stereophile measured the 802D1 & 800D2 and the FR's measured almost the same.

http://www.stereophile.com/content/bw-802d-loudspeaker-measurements#ou3y8hoLgWimbu5M.97

http://www.stereophile.com/content/bampw-800-diamond-loudspeaker-measurements#oFYpFJ38cEHWxw4X.97

So when Stereophile measures the 802D3 or 800D3, we will see how much better it is.

However, the key is taking the time and audition on many visits and compare to other speakers. Don't just take people's word for it when they claim that the latest is greatest.

If after you have auditioned many times and the conclusion is still the same - that the D3 is actually better than D2 and D1 - then you won't have any regrets.

 

[KenM10759]

I'd not been a fan of the looks of the D2 but for some reason the D3 is growing on me and there's not a lot of difference other than the color of the midrange driver. Looks alone, if that were the only difference, is hardly reason to spend for the big price increase in the new versions of the otherwise same models. I would hope there's a marked improved difference in the sound for that coin!

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I'd not been a fan of the looks of the D2 but for some reason the D3 is growing on me and there's not a lot of difference other than the color of the midrange driver. Looks alone, if that were the only difference, is hardly reason to spend for the big price increase in the new versions of the otherwise same models. I would hope there's a marked improved difference in the sound for that coin!

That's why I would wait for Stereophile to measure the D3. Considering how the 800D2's on-axis & off-axis FR look remarkably similar to the 802D1, it makes me wonder if the D3 is any different.

I just noticed that B&W lists the 802D3's FR as 17Hz-28kHz +/-3dB (1" tweeter, 6" midrange, 8" woofers x 2).

I have one word to say:

R...................I................G...................H....................T

That seems more like what DefTech and Golden Ear would say regarding the FR. How can they get 17Hz @ -3dB from two little 8" woofers in that cabinet?

Frequency "range" is 14Hz-35kHz!

http://www.bowers-wilkins.com/Speakers/Home_Audio/800_Series_Diamond/802-D3.html



The 803D3 has two 7" woofers and the FR is 19Hz-28kHz +/-3dB.

How can they get 19Hz @ -3dB from two 7" woofers in that cabinet?

Frequency "range" is 16Hz-35kHz!

http://www.bowers-wilkins.com/Speakers/Home_Audio/800_Series_Diamond/803-D3.html