I didn't like the 6 series examples myself, didn't get to try the 700/800 stuff. Many don't seem to care for the B&W "sound", tho.
I don't think the 800 series have much of a sound. I think they are about as transparent as speakers can be. They use very high quality drivers and networks. More importantly they have a "honeycomb" inside the enclosures that make them stiff and quiet. You can normally put your hand on the side of the enclosure and not feel much at all even at strong volume. Check them out. They aren't cheap but they perform very well.
I sold my 802's and my 804's when I walked away from high end audio. I bought EMT towers for my home theater from RBH. They perform quite well but they aren't in the same league (or price category) as the 800 series B&W. I've never heard a 600 or 700 series B&W speaker so I can't comment on them. I do have a relatively ordinary 12" B&W sub that I use in my bedroom. There is nothing special about it. It isn't in the same league as my home brew 15" sub in my home theater which actually cost me less if you ignore the sweat equity.
