803D Reference Thread

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  • Mark_NZ
    Member
    • Apr 2007
    • 51

    803D Reference Thread

    Hi,

    The purpose of this thread is to pull together a number of disparate magazine reviews and user experiences with the Bowers & Wilkins 803D loudspeaker.

    Please add your personal feedback on the 803D, and in particular comparisons with other loudspeakers, experience with amplifiers, room positioning, and room acoustics.

    Note that the reviews are not a substitute for personal audition and sympathetic system matching. I have provided quotes from the various reviews I have found – but do read the whole review for context.

    Regards
    Mark
  • Mark_NZ
    Member
    • Apr 2007
    • 51

    #2
    803D Review: Hifi News – Oct 2007

    Hi-Fi News covers everything in audio electronics. Disc players, streamers, amplifiers, headphones, turntables, speakers, and more.


    Super System Review: 803D, Musical Fidelity A1008 CD Player and A1008 Integrated Amplifier

    “The 803D sounds genuinely seamless.”

    “The bottom end really is clean and powerful”

    “The midrange is neutral, clear and free of any significant character coloration”

    “The treble combines extreme purity and freedom from any hardness”

    “This is a true full-range monitor quality loudspeaker”

    Comment

    • Mark_NZ
      Member
      • Apr 2007
      • 51

      #3
      803D Review: The Absolute Sound – Buyers Guide 09 and Oct/Nov 2005

      www.theabsolutesound.com

      The 803D was selected as one of the top recommended floor standers in the 2009 Buyers Guide that references the original review from the October/November 2005 issue.

      “While the midrange of the B&W’s slim 803D retains the company’s hallmark clarity and transient speed, the new diamond Nautilus-loaded tweeter is far smoother and less sibilant, yet also airier and more detailed than previous designs.”

      "And while the bass of the earlier Nautilus-series speakers was generally on the dry side, and always “enough” but not copious, the reconfigured 7” woofer array of the 803Ds delivers bass that’s considerably faster and more accurate, and the degree and extension is now ‘enough plus some’.”

      “The overall integration of drivers is even better than in the Nautilus series. If anything stands out, it is the occasional harder transient and very mild chestiness of the midrange.”

      “The real upside to the harder transients is the clarity and distinctiveness of the vocals – this is one articulate midrange”

      Comment

      • Mark_NZ
        Member
        • Apr 2007
        • 51

        #4
        803D Review: Home Theater Magazine – October 2005



        Review of 803D, HTM2, DS8S, ASW825 system

        “Right out of the gate, with two channel music, the 803Ds grabbed me with a deep, wide soundstage and excellent imaging.”

        “This tweeter is as agile and pure sounding as any I’ve ever heard, no matter what material I gave it.”

        “This system is easily one of the most enveloping, exciting, and enjoyable speaker systems I’ve ever heard”

        Comment

        • Mark_NZ
          Member
          • Apr 2007
          • 51

          #5
          803D Review: HiFi Plus – April 2005

          hi-fi+ is the world’s preeminent source of expert reviews, features, and commentary on high-performance audio and music.


          “For starters, the 803D costs less that 70 percent the price of the 802D, and I reckon (with the caveat that such a guesstimate shouldn’t be taken too seriously) it delivers something like 80 percent of the performance.”

          “superb out-of-the boxes imaging”

          “Dynamic range is exceptionally wide”

          “The bass is even, smooth, and drives the music along well”

          “most serious criticism lies in the lack of strict neutrality through the mid-band”

          “The 803D might fall a little short of the 802D in mid-band smoothness and all round dynamic expression, but it remains an excellent loudspeaker nonetheless”

          Comment

          • Mark_NZ
            Member
            • Apr 2007
            • 51

            #6
            803D Review: Audio – 3/2003

            Tests, Ratgeber und News zu den Bereichen HiFi, Surround, High End und Musik.


            Concluding remarks translation from the original German:

            “excellent 97 points of sound and a further point for the best sound performance at the price”

            Attached Files

            Comment

            • Mark_NZ
              Member
              • Apr 2007
              • 51

              #7
              803D Review: Stereoplay – 2/2005

              Das Test- und Technik-Magazin für HiFi- und Surround-Enthusiasten. Die Stereoplay Redaktion testet für Sie.


              Concluding remarks translation from the original German:

              “Comparison with the Nautilus 802 (the 803 D has no direct predecessor) shows, what thing is: The [802] had 3 sound points less and were 1000 euros more expensive. The careful Advancement of the Design is smarter: Thus one wins new customers”

              Attached Files

              Comment

              • Mark_NZ
                Member
                • Apr 2007
                • 51

                #8
                Comparison of 803D vs 804S

                I owned the 804S for almost a year before replacing them with the 803D which I now owned for almost two years.

                I always liked the aesthetic design of the 803/804 since it was introduced as the Nautilus series. While I also like the distinctive avant-garde 800 and 802 designs, the 803/804 represents to me the most elegant timeless design of any floor-stander loudspeaker today.

                The 804S is a remarkable loudspeaker given its diminutive dimensions. Imaging is precise and stable; and in comparison to the other loudspeakers I owned, unique in allowing the decay of high frequency sounds to be followed easily into the music's background ambient noise. The midrange is smooth, non-fatiguing and open, if slightly laid back - it doesn't draw attention to itself. The bass is accurate, with good articulation of the mid-bass and surprisingly deep bass for its size.

                But one key limitation for me was that the 804S sounded lean and lacked impact and fullness in the bass in a large open plan lounge/dining area.

                The 803D is overall smoother and surprisingly, noticeably better integrated across the drivers than the 804S. Most significantly it provides both the bass quality & quantity I crave that I did not get with the 804S.

                The 804S has a flatter frequency response through the presence zone than 803D and as a result sounded slightly more open, but not more detailed.

                The one minor flaw of the 803D is that the midrange sometimes displays a bit of chestiness on male vocals. Also I think the 804/3 FST midrange causes a curious (slight) dulling of micro-dynamics (only noticeable in comparison to a more conventional well-designed midrange), but on the other hand does track macro-dynamics very well.

                For my ears the diamond tweeter has transformed my ability to relax and enjoy music from what is ultimately a data limited source – CDs.

                When used with good front-end gear, the 803D never fatigues, sounds tonally balanced at very low listening levels (less than 1Watt!) and distortion free at very high volumes.

                In conclusion the 803D is the most musically satisfying loudspeaker that I have owned, possessing a well judged balance between detail and listen-ability.

                Comment

                • beden1
                  Super Senior Member
                  • Oct 2006
                  • 1676

                  #9
                  I had started a post regarding the 803D versus the 802D about a year ago, which turned out to be a good discussion.

                  Here is the link: http://www.htguide.com/forum/showthread.php4?t=31568

                  Comment

                  • sg2
                    Member
                    • Sep 2006
                    • 56

                    #10
                    Hello,

                    I've had the luck to discover the 80xD series (powered by Classé amps and a Lexicon pre which I listened to in full direct, non-equalized mode) in this wonderfully designed and executed room :



                    After a couple hours of listening with my own records (which I was invited to bring by the DSR people), blasted by the incredibly seamless and silky sound, crystal highs yet unfatiguing even at VERY high levels, I was game and bought a pair of 802D (which was later complimented by an HTM2D).
                    Regards,
                    --
                    Stéphane

                    Comment

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