WHich reviewer has my ears

[seanpat50]

Everytime I think I'm out, they pull me back in....

I have read every audio forum, review and realize I can't audition all my speaker selections, and am finding that some of these reviews confuse more than enlighten me. The only thing I do know is that I love the B&w 803d for their sound. However the price scares me away. I have not listened to but have read about Paradigm s8, onix rockets, axiom m80's etc. in the 3000k pair spectrum but for every positive, I then find a negative review (too shrill etc ) . I know all of you will say you have to audition, but that is becoming difficult if not impossible. Is there any speaker out there that compares to the 803d in sound for the mentioned price point? HD Movies and Jazz music will be my main need.Who has my ears? I had them yesterday! And I can't wait until I get to the NAD, Outlaw issue, for amps etc this is starting to be like a job

 

[Adam]

I have your ears. Buy the Axioms. They'll be perfect for you. Just kidding. (BTW, I've never heard any Axiom speakers.)

Yes, people recommend that you audition because it really does come down to how you like the sound of the speakers, not how any of us like it. A lot of internet-direct companies will let you audition their speakers in your home and give you at least 30 days to return them. Most will probably make you pay the shipping costs, though, but that'll be stated before you buy. Places like Crutchfield offer 30-day returns (with free shipping if over $250 and free return shipping), and they have the same brands that you'd find in stores.

What one person likes another might hate, so I don't recommend that you buy speakers based upon what someone writes in a forum. Sure, you can get a feel for how reputable a company is and how good their product quality is, but you won't be able to tell if someone else has the same "ears" as you.

 

[seanpat50]

My point exactly LOL

The only way I found them was in my exhaustive search but the AXIOMS did get a pretty good review at this link. ANd of course they have the cult following. LOL

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/axiom/axiom.html

Somewhere I read something that compared them to the sound of the B&w Nautilus which I believe is where the 803d design evolved. Believe it or not I preferred the 803d to the higher end group of b&w.

 

[Gimpy Ric]

If I was going to spend 3k on speakers, I'd darn sure hear them first. And that would be in MY listening room. Heck yeah, make the dealer bring them to your house. I would. I've been treated that way before, and that store got my repeat business.

 

[gus6464]

I have listened to the 803D's and you seem to have my ears. I am guessing you like your sound to be as neutral as possible so that it resembles the original recording. If you are looking for towers that match the 803D's I would check out the Dali Mentor 6 tower. They sell for around $3500 and are very comparable to the 803D's. In the case of paradigm I listened to the Signature S2's and S6's and the sound wasn't very comparable. Another speaker to look at is the PSB Platinum T6, for the most part the sound is very neutral like the Dali and B&W but the low end has more kick so you might like that. In terms of mids and highs I found the PSB identical to the Dali and B&W. I have listened to a ton of different speakers in the last 2 weeks (Paradigm, Martin Logan, Mirage, Definitive, Dynaudio, KEF) and the first speaker I listened to was the 805S. We were very close to buying the B&W before we heard the Dali's.

 

[Tomorrow]

If auditioning is becoming burdensome, AND you really like the 803D's, my advice is to just go ahead and buy them. Extensive auditioning is truly the only way of maximizing your audio taste vis a vis your budget, though.

I have an additional suggestion for you that will draw lots of snickers around here...(a pause for Majorloser's laughing )...but probably from people who have not done this and/or are not on a tight budget. Arrange for an audition of the B&W's in your home, in your listening environment, with your receiver or amp/pre-pro, and A/B compare them to a pair of the new JBL Studio L-890 floorstanders (for 1/10 the price). Then come tell us which you decided to buy.

Are the JBL's as 'pretty' as the B&W's? Probably not. Are they as refined sounding? Not quite. Are the B&W's worth 10 times the JBL's? Absolutely NOT. In fact, in terms of audio performance, I'll promise you that there are more amazing similarities than differences between the two models. But one thing you get with the B&W's is elite bragging rights to having spent a lot of money. But if you have it and it's not a big deal...go for it! They're fine speakers.