Where are all the B&W 803/802/801/800 owners out there?
What are their sides of the story?
And I would like to know what TLS Guy has to say about it.
AcuDefTechGuy has sent me a PM insisting I give my thought. So I will give an opinion.
I don't know all the range by any means.
My view of the 600 series, though not terrible speakers by a long shot, could be better for the money, and to be perfectly honest I think B & W know how.
I have heard some of the CM series and there is very definite improvement.
The 800 series are the best of the bunch and the ones I know best are the 800 D and the 802.
These are expensive speakers and you should expect a lot.
I know the 800D best and as a good friend has them.
They are beautifully made and the cabinets highly non resonant.
On the whole they are well balanced. Voices are full natural and stable.
Since I don't want this post to go on fer ever, I will list what I think are the negatives.
The bass I find one of the problem areas, I understand the new 800 Diamond addresses that somewhat, but there is not one in the Twin Cities.
What I notice is port lick in. No chuff from the ports. But I just can't forget the bass is reproduced. These speakers are pretty large and yet they still need a sub. I know I'm fussy, as I have worked with TLs for a very long time. But on my rig here the bass strings, tymps, bass piano strings etc, do reproduce faithfully and sound like the true deal, and others agree.
In fairness I get this to some degree with almost all QB 4 boxes. However I'm very aware with the 800 Ds where the port takes over from the drivers.
The next issue is that I perceive a problem with the crossover from the mid range to the tweeter. There is a definite lobing issue and change of balance and perspective with listening position and height.
Depth of sound stage is good but I feel could be better.
I would like to hear more space around instruments. Its there alright, but I don't get that feeling of instruments really being totally in their natural space.
The problem is I am yet to hear a commercial speaker of the cone type, that I like better than the 800 Ds. Now there obviously are vast number of speakers I have never heard, so that by no means means there isn't one, I just have not heard it. These days it is very hard to hear the high end speakers. At least round here dealers do not stock them and will only order them after a deposit. So the dealer has to arrange for the audition in a customers home. So it is difficult to really evaluate things.
In short I prefer my speakers here by quite a wide margin and so does the owner of the 800 Ds.
The major advantages are a deep realistic bass. A more natural softer sound, especially on the strings.
A much better sense of space especially around solo instruments. This is combined with an improved sense of space. This is nowhere more evident than listening to cathedral music where the gentle stops often accompanying the choir can really be heard as floating round the cathedral, with the organ high above the voices. Its uncanny and in my experience rare, and in all honesty I could not tell you exactly why. So in all endeavors involving science, craftsmanship, art experience and judgment, there is still that element of luck.
So I guess to summarize, if the 800 Ds were my design, I would still consider them under development which I guess they are as B & W have just introduced a new model.
And my speakers have also been under development with a number of revisions. An extensive revision was done to one of the active crossover a few months ago. So that is the nature of the beast. Its an area were DIY is huge advantage. The builder, like the organ builder, is building for one space. Upgrades and changes can be made without the hassle of selling the speakers and putting up ante for new ones. I just feel very fortunate not to have to enter the jungle of speaker shopping especially at the high end.
