Do you remember the first time you heard B&W speakers?

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  • emig5m
    Senior Member
    • Aug 2008
    • 646

    Do you remember the first time you heard B&W speakers?

    I do. It was sometime in the year 2003 when me and a buddy was on a rampage to go all around to every hi-fi store/dealer and hear different speakers and systems. It was the N801s with a HTM1 as a center, Nautilus SCM1s for rears with a flagship Velodyne sub in a dedicated and treated room. And although at that point in time I wasn't really into a more 'neutral' sound, I have to say the sound of that system is still in my head to this very day as the best sounding system I've ever heard. It had a very, and I do mean VERY neutral, natural, and transparent sound to it. Nothing seemed overly emphasized, absolutely no "boominess" AT ALL to the bass, even with the huge Velodyne sub active. The treble wasn't overly bright, didn't stick out at all, but yet still very detailed. The sound just appeared to "be there" out of thin air and extremely natural sounding. If I had any complaint, the top end might of been a little dry/dull sounding for my tastes at that time, but that's probably just because I wasn't used to a more accurate/neutral sound. I think neutral and natural doesn't really impress hi-fi noobs at first because there's nothing that "sticks" out and catches your ear like say having the treble and bass turned up +10dB on their low end ear piercing speakers (I'm guilty!). But then you realize, that's not how a real voice sounds. Then you start to appreciate a more natural and accurate sounding system (that can still remain very detailed).

    The first song I ever heard on B&Ws was the Eagles Hole In The World 5.1 DVD (I think it was just released that year). Since hearing this song for the first time on one of the best surround systems I've ever heard, this DVD has been one of my benchmarks/references for listening to music on a surround system. I love the ultra clear center channel dialog on this DVD and the overall sound quality is top-notch IMO. A lot of surround music I've heard (especially ones matrixed from original 2-channel recordings) alway sound a little gimmicky/unnatural. The Eagles Hole In The World is one of my favorite songs in surround.

    I was actually just talking to my friend about that time back in 03'....



    Like he said, he was more into bass (car stereo/bass boom hobbyist) but I still think he was impressed with the naturalness and accuracy of the system even though when he seen the huge Velodyne powered sub, I'm sure he was expecting some intense "boominess" but it was actually the total opposite. It was very clean and flat. At one point I was standing up during a movie demo and I could feel the joints in my knees vibrating when that sub sank down to subsonic frequencies!

    Anyhow, I remember the salesmen explaining the great lengths they went into treating and setting up the room. He said that they used lasers and mirrors to place the wall treatments for example. Bass traps where also in every corner. Just when I thought I couldn't be any more impressed since we went and listened to their top of the line system right from the start, we wondered into a non dedicated room where they had a wall of receivers and amps on one wall, and speakers and subs all around the room, and I couldn't believe the sound that was coming out of a pair of little B&W bookshelf speakers! I remember going around to every sub in the room just to make sure a sub wasn't helping them out! They sounded like a full tower!

    Sadly, at that time B&W was WAAAAY out of my price range and I really wasn't looking to buy anything anyway. We where just two young audio enthusiasts just driving around checking out different stuff for fun. For the following years I kinda forgot about them and kinda drifted away from my hi-fi hobby. Then one day sometime in august 2008 I was bored and in the mood to re-visit this dealer and bring something home for an in home demo. My max budget I was willing to pay for a stereo set of speakers was around $1000 so I took home a pair of 684s. I told the salesmen I more or less just wanted to try them and had no intentions on keeping them. Boy did this turn into a financially painful mistake, lol! :rofl: I think high end brands like Classe and McIntosh should start producing more cost friendly and stepping stone value products like B&W does with the 600 series. Give Emotiva and Integra a little sucker punch in the gut. :lol: :B Because I definitely would of never bothered with B&W and the 800 series if it wasn't for the more affordable 600 series line to get my feet wet with.
  • Audiophiliac
    Senior Member
    • Apr 2006
    • 346

    #2
    B&W Silver Signature. I was 14 or 15 at the time. I was floored at how good it sounded. One of my top 5 speakers of all time. I ended up working at the store I first heard these in and still do to this day.

    Comment

    • Relentless
      Senior Member
      • Jul 2007
      • 317

      #3
      I cant remember the first time I listened to B&W. I have been into audio equipment since I was 19, so in the last 20+ years I have listened to many. I can remember the last time I listened to a B&W speaker, it was five minutes ago and I am still in aw at how good of a system I have. My ears are ringing from the levels I was listening to and there was not a hint of fatigue, no harshness, no boomyness(is that even a word?), just the music reproduced as mixed. I learned from competing in car audio competitions that it takes a whole lot of money, research, trial and error to get to that point. It is a dream come true when you finally achieve it but it is also a let down in the sense that the search is over.
      I refuse to tip-toe through life only to arrive safely at death...
      Lou

      Comment

      • nergee
        Junior Member
        • Nov 2009
        • 4

        #4
        It was Christmas time in 2001. Right before New Years. I was building my first home theater when I was 16, and had just bought a pair of MB Quart bookshelfs with a matching 12" sub, a Sony ES receiver, 2nd gen Sony DVD player, and i stumbled into the B&W dealer (never heard of them) to check out an Onkyo CD player. I heard the DM602s2 and DM601s2. Wow. I remember the salesman giving me the 601s for $395, and that was it. Still have the 601's, and I just gave them to my 14 year old cousin, whos starting his first home theater. Gave him the 601s for surround, 602s3, lcr60, Marantz receiver, and he bought his 46" Sony tv and cabling and bluray player shoveling driveways. I'm up the the CT700 series, and 800 series in ceilings now, but I'll always remember llistening to Boston on the old 601's with Rotel gear.

        Comment

        • SoundEngine355
          Senior Member
          • Feb 2008
          • 313

          #5
          ....when I first unwrapped my new 803D's at home! Had never heard any B&W speaker before.
          SoundEngine355

          -------------------
          [Music] B&W 800D | Classe CDP202 +M400s | Velodyne DD15

          Comment

          • emig5m
            Senior Member
            • Aug 2008
            • 646

            #6
            Originally posted by SoundEngine355
            ....when I first unwrapped my new 803D's at home! Had never heard any B&W speaker before.
            Wow... You bought them sound unheard? :E 8O Kind of a pricey leap of faith! :B

            Comment

            • MikeFL52
              Senior Member
              • Oct 2007
              • 118

              #7
              I 1976 when I was at college in the UK I bought myself a pair of DM5 speakers; small but heavy pair of book shelf speakers. Powered them with a Technics integrated amp and the source was a Thorens TD150 turntable, SME arm and sure cartridge.
              They were a significant improvement on the Warfedales that my dad had given me.

              Comment

              • ryan.devry
                Member
                • Apr 2008
                • 60

                #8
                I heard B&W for the first time in the summer of 2002 (I think) at progressive audio in columbus ohio. 801s powered by audio research tube gear..........SWEET!!!!!!!!

                I ended up buying PSB image 6T speakers instead with Yamaha reciever.....lol......I was only in High school at the time.....Sold an old dirt bike to buy them........
                Ryan
                -------------------------

                Comment

                • SoundEngine355
                  Senior Member
                  • Feb 2008
                  • 313

                  #9
                  Originally posted by emig5m
                  Wow... You bought them sound unheard? :E 8O Kind of a pricey leap of faith! :B
                  Yup, I bought the 803D/HTM2D combo unheard and then 805s/HTM4s and then the 800D all unheard...

                  Just the way I roll!
                  SoundEngine355

                  -------------------
                  [Music] B&W 800D | Classe CDP202 +M400s | Velodyne DD15

                  Comment

                  • KyaDawn
                    Senior Member
                    • Mar 2008
                    • 268

                    #10
                    Originally posted by SoundEngine355
                    Yup, I bought the 803D/HTM2D combo unheard and then 805s/HTM4s and then the 800D all unheard...

                    Just the way I roll!
                    What about the Focals?

                    Also, how do you go from 803D/HTM2D to 685/HTM61? :B

                    Comment

                    • htsteve
                      Super Senior Member
                      • Sep 2004
                      • 1216

                      #11
                      I remember the first time I heard B&W's. It was 1996. I stopped by a dealer who at the time had Paradigm and I believe Boston Acoustics. I was looking for good bookshelf units to get started.

                      I walked into the room where all the book shelf units were. Some 601's were playing. I instantly loved the midrange those B&W's had. I brought my wife back for a listen.

                      We eneded up buying a pair of 601's, matching center channel, a receiver and an M&K sub. Our first system.

                      The dealer also had a really decked out room with 803's and 802's. I of course listended to those, as well as others in the B&W lineup.

                      My mains speakers have been these over the years: 601's, P5's, N804's and the current 802D's.

                      Those 601's? I sold them to my neighbor a couple of years ago. Still sounding very good.

                      Comment

                      • artv4
                        Senior Member
                        • Jun 2007
                        • 277

                        #12
                        2002. sophomore year in college. i was looking for new speakers to upgrade from my polk audio speakers. visited my local hifi shop (digitalsoundva.com) and listened to a pair of b&w 603s3. awesome soundstage and on point dynamics. at the time i was young and on a budget. the 603s3 were out of my budget. ended up picking up a used center channel by nht. 3 years later i purchased the 603s3 from the same shop. been with b&w ever since
                        GO Revel!!!!! (powered by ;x( Anthem)

                        Comment

                        • theblue
                          Senior Member
                          • Dec 2009
                          • 116

                          #13
                          DM602 fronts, DM601 rears. I believe it was 2000 and I made a new friend who owned these and had a little home theater setup. He sold the DM601s to me when he upgraded to some CM series speakers (he later owned totem forests and today Dynaudio special 25s)

                          I still have those first used B&W speakers I heard and today they are my rear channels for surround.
                          Marantz SR5002 (music fed by apple airport express via optical)
                          rotel RB-985 THX (4 channels bipowering fronts, 1 for the center)
                          B&W - 683, CDM-CNT, CDS3 (sides), DM601 (rears)
                          a combo of haveflex and audioquest cables.

                          Comment

                          • leej
                            Member
                            • Feb 2009
                            • 82

                            #14
                            Way back, around 1968, I heard a high-end system and was taken by the sound. I didn’t even know what system it was, but I loved the sound. I was disappointed with everything that I could afford, from that time. I finally bought a pair of used Infinity Kappa 7’s, wishing they were the Kappa 8’s, but was pleased. Then, one day, while shopping for HDTV (very new, at that time), I heard a B&W surround set-up. The CDMnt series was new, at that time and caught my attention. I don’t know the words to describe the sound, but my ears were at peace. I had found the sound that I had been seeking. Wishing that I could afford the 804’s, I settled for 4 CDM1nt’s, CDMCnt and a MK Sub.
                            Lee J

                            Denon 4311ci; Rotel RB-1080; OPPO BDP-83 Universal Disk/Media Player
                            B&W 703 mains; B&W HTM2 Center; B&W CDM SNT-Surr; B&W CDM1nt-back; Pair of Rythmik F15 Subs

                            Comment

                            • SteelyTom
                              Junior Member
                              • Feb 2010
                              • 13

                              #15
                              I first heard B&W at a dealer's in 2009, and it was the now-discontinued, lowest end of the 800 series, the one with the alum. tweeters.

                              Just yesterday, I went looking for it and learned it was unavailable (new).... So looks like I have to settle for the 683s.

                              How disappointed should I be?

                              Comment

                              • ShadowZA
                                Super Senior Member
                                • Jan 2006
                                • 1098

                                #16
                                Some more in a similar thread here:



                                Comment

                                • TitaniumMan
                                  Junior Member
                                  • Oct 2006
                                  • 10

                                  #17
                                  Gee, I don't want to admit this, but the first pair I heard were the DM6. They weren't vintage at the time. Gulp. The sound was incredible. I never knew audio could sound so real.

                                  You youngsters get off my lawn!

                                  Anyone for a rousing game of Bingo?

                                  Comment

                                  • Olavi
                                    Junior Member
                                    • Feb 2010
                                    • 5

                                    #18
                                    It was a pair of DM110 driven by integrated Onkyo in the late 90's at my friends house. I was probably 11 or 12. At that time I thought hifi meant those sony systems sold at every department store. I remember being amazed by the bass and just stared at woofers moving (we probably listened to some rap back then). That's about all I can remember from the sound, I think bass was just THE thing back then. Maybe that left some kind of subconscious mark on me since I have now a B&W/Onkyo system myself.

                                    Comment

                                    • KRC
                                      Senior Member
                                      • Aug 2004
                                      • 166

                                      #19
                                      Oh my God .... It must have been in the late 80's or early 90's, a store in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They were playing a pair of 802's, but it was the version that looked like a square robot. Electronics were a British company, cannot recall which, sorry it was twenty odd years ago. All I remember was how good ... read different .... as I was using Mirage at the time and friends were into Cerwin Vega ... so big difference. I played a CD that I loved (Glen Miller, In the digital mood from GRP), it must have been good, I remember the salesman writing down the disc info and going over to a music store to buy/order a copy for demo purposes.

                                      Kevin

                                      Comment

                                      • JustinGN
                                        Senior Member
                                        • May 2009
                                        • 105

                                        #20
                                        Oh yeah, I remember quite clearly. I worked at Game Crazy at the time, and there was this ratty looking building a block down from my store. On a whim, I headed in one day, just to see if it was even open (there were never any cars in the parking lot aside from a silver minivan, and the pavement had more potholes than parking spaces). Name was Specialized Sound, if I recall. Anyways, I was content with a Denon AVR-1803 and some itty-bitty Sony Satellites I bought on clearance at Circuit City, and everything was in MP3 or AAC format on my PC; no CDs, nothing.

                                        Before going to the store, I had bought the Paul Van Dyk Reflections & Ocean's Thirteen CDs at my local CD shop, since I couldn't find them to buy online in MP3 format. Anyways, I went in the shop around January, February of 2008, and the interior was a stark contrast from the exterior. The whole store smelled of new electronics, wood, plastic and silicon. I had always been skeptical of high end audio though, but I was open to at least giving it a fair shot. I talked with one of the owners, told him my skepticism, and he offered to give me a demo. I shrugged and asked to hear the cheapest stuff he has, since I had no doubt that the expensive stuff would sound good anyways. He fired up the gear on the back wall, popped in my PvD CD, and had me sit down in the middle of the room, asking me to try and pick out which speakers were actually playing. The thing is, it sounded like -every- speaker was firing on that wall, each cone and tweeter responsible for a different part of the music. The plane taking off at the start of one of the tracks seemlessly moved left to right along the wall, even starting a bit behind me (with no surround speakers and from a CD, no less!). I was blown away, and after going speaker to speaker, finally picked out the B&W 684 speakers as the culprits behind this mesmerizing sound field.

                                        He and I chatted for a while, and while it took me about six months of saving to afford it, I returned later that year (June, I believe) to purchase them, the very same Black Ash Floor Models I had heard back in January (he didn't carry them in stock regularly, and I was moving soon). Since then, I've been a proud owner of B&W speakers, and while they don't sound nearly as good all clustered together like they are now, I know that when I've got a proper living room to put them in, they'll sound fantastic. Now I've got 684s for my fronts, 685s for the surround, an HTM61 for the Center, and a Marantz SR6003 AVR to drive everything.

                                        Actually, the story isn't quite done. Since the PvD was the CD that helped get me into High-End audio, I've been trying to track down the SACD version of it in order to enjoy the surround sound mix of it. Unfortunately, even B&W themselves couldn't help me track it down (though I'm flattered they even tried), so I'm not holding much hope of finding it. Still, having a fantastic sounding system is worth every cent, and I'm already eyeing the new 800 Diamond Series for upgradeitis.

                                        Comment

                                        • SoundEngine355
                                          Senior Member
                                          • Feb 2008
                                          • 313

                                          #21
                                          Originally posted by KyaDawn
                                          What about the Focals?

                                          Also, how do you go from 803D/HTM2D to 685/HTM61? :B
                                          Evolution: Started with the 803D/HTM2D then downgraded to the 805s/HTM4s as I was travelling 40 weeks a year overseas, then downgraded again to the 685/HTM61 because I was building my new house and everything was in storage for 8 months then upgraded to the Focal Electra 1007Be/CC1000Be, but after 3 months I was not happy with the sound so I upgraded to the B&W 800D which was fantastic, but I knew the 800 Diamond Series was coming out and decided to sell them for a tidy profit before they were discontinued then moved to the Sonus Faber Auditor M/Cremona M Centre which after owning for 3 weeks I sold for a profit and now moving back to the B&W 803D's and also adding a seperate home theatre system from the Paradigm Signature Series, just waiting for them to be delivered!

                                          Don't get me started on electronics! I've done them all!
                                          SoundEngine355

                                          -------------------
                                          [Music] B&W 800D | Classe CDP202 +M400s | Velodyne DD15

                                          Comment

                                          • joetama
                                            Senior Member
                                            • May 2006
                                            • 786

                                            #22
                                            Some time around 1988ish I think. I was 3-4 at the time. I don't remember the speakers exactly but I do remember driving 4 hours with my parents and waiting outside an audio shop in the car so my dad could pick up his Kyocera R-851 Receiver.

                                            The speakers were DM330i, they are still in my parents basement after all those years. Survived a flood and my freshman and sophomore years of college. (Would have kept them but I got a pair of 703) They still work and still sound great. The R-851 has some issues but its on my repair list once I'm graduated from school.
                                            -Joe

                                            Comment

                                            • MikeFL52
                                              Senior Member
                                              • Oct 2007
                                              • 118

                                              #23
                                              Originally posted by TitaniumMan
                                              Gee, I don't want to admit this, but the first pair I heard were the DM6. They weren't vintage at the time. Gulp. The sound was incredible. I never knew audio could sound so real.

                                              You youngsters get off my lawn!

                                              Anyone for a rousing game of Bingo?
                                              DM6 were the floor standers, correct? I had the bookshelves (DM5), couldn't afford the floor standers!

                                              Comment

                                              • Old Sparkey
                                                Junior Member
                                                • Jan 2010
                                                • 4

                                                #24
                                                Originally posted by MikeFL52
                                                DM6 were the floor standers, correct? I had the bookshelves (DM5), couldn't afford the floor standers!
                                                Yes, the DM6 was a floor standing stepped baffle (time aligned driver) design, affectionately known as the "pregnant penguin".

                                                I got my first "proper" hi-fi back in 1976 when I was a poor student. Could only afford bottom-of-the-range stuff : B&W D5 speakers, 15 watt Pioneer SX-450 reciever, Trio KD-1033 record deck. Sound quality was a massive step up from the Philips music centre I had previously.

                                                Upgraded as rapidly as finances permitted, speakers progressed through Celestion UL8, B&W DM2/II, to the original B&W 802 series 80. The latter I've now had for nearly 30 years!! :E

                                                Anyway, as the current 800 series are being replaced with the much more expensive 800 Diamond series, I thought it was now or never if I wanted to get something a bit more modern. About 3 weeks ago I got a pair of 803s at a good discount as my local dealer was clearing his old demo stock to make way for the new models. And the thing is, it's still the same family owned store that I got my original B&W D5 speakers from all those 34 years ago.

                                                Richard B.

                                                Comment

                                                • Johnny802D
                                                  Junior Member
                                                  • Feb 2010
                                                  • 2

                                                  #25
                                                  Oh ya!

                                                  Picture it - 1993, recent college grad, living in Madison, WI with a long history of seeking the ultimate audio high. I went into Specialized Sound in Madison, my first trip to a real hi-fi store.

                                                  I entered the store a skeptic, thinking my JVC Zero 5s and Zero 6s (yes, JVC at one time made serious high-end audio products) were about as good as it can get, short of spending way more than is rational on sound reproduction. I was interested in this new surround sound thing and just wanted to learn more.

                                                  I told the salesman I was looking for surround sound, he asked what I had for fronts - I told him, he asked me to give a listen to the B&W line, starting with the bookshelf speaker. Of course, with an appetite for high-fi, I moved right up to the DM640s, having not heard mids and highs sound so good before! I'm sure I drove this guy crazy, as I went and auditioned everything in the Madison market in that price range, following his instructions on how to listen critically, Peter Gabriel 'Us' leading my way. It was down to the Linns at the time and the 640s. The 640s beat the Linns in everyway but perhaps the low end, which wasn't important to me then. I even brought in my JVC Zero 6's to compare and utimately broke the bank buying the 640's, some Boston Acoustics bookshelf as surrounds, matching B&W center and Rotel electronics.

                                                  The 640's live on as surround speakers after my recent upgrade to 802Ds. Next up is a HTM-2D, but that will have to wait until next year's bonus!
                                                  {Main system} B&W - 802D fronts, DM640 surrounds, LCR6 S2 center w/Paradigm PS1000 sub. Bryston 4B-SST2 driving the 802s, Rotel RB-976 bridged for center/surrounds, Rotel RSP-1076 pre/pro w/old Marantz DVD player.

                                                  {Other system}: Paradigm Studio Monitor 11 v3 fronts, ADP-350 surrounds, B&W center (cheap & old), 2 Rotel RB-850 bridged for fronts, Marantz old surround receiver for S/P and powering center & surrounds, and an even older Marantz DVD player.

                                                  {Cans} Koss ESP-350 electrostatic

                                                  Comment

                                                  • JustinGN
                                                    Senior Member
                                                    • May 2009
                                                    • 105

                                                    #26
                                                    Originally posted by Johnny802D
                                                    Picture it - 1993, recent college grad, living in Madison, WI with a long history of seeking the ultimate audio high. I went into Specialized Sound in Madison, my first trip to a real hi-fi store.

                                                    I entered the store a skeptic, thinking my JVC Zero 5s and Zero 6s (yes, JVC at one time made serious high-end audio products) were about as good as it can get, short of spending way more than is rational on sound reproduction. I was interested in this new surround sound thing and just wanted to learn more.

                                                    I told the salesman I was looking for surround sound, he asked what I had for fronts - I told him, he asked me to give a listen to the B&W line, starting with the bookshelf speaker. Of course, with an appetite for high-fi, I moved right up to the DM640s, having not heard mids and highs sound so good before! I'm sure I drove this guy crazy, as I went and auditioned everything in the Madison market in that price range, following his instructions on how to listen critically, Peter Gabriel 'Us' leading my way. It was down to the Linns at the time and the 640s. The 640s beat the Linns in everyway but perhaps the low end, which wasn't important to me then. I even brought in my JVC Zero 6's to compare and utimately broke the bank buying the 640's, some Boston Acoustics bookshelf as surrounds, matching B&W center and Rotel electronics.

                                                    The 640's live on as surround speakers after my recent upgrade to 802Ds. Next up is a HTM-2D, but that will have to wait until next year's bonus!
                                                    Holy crap! Another Specialized Sound customer! And here I thought I'd be the only one on this forum.

                                                    Any idea if they're still in business? Their website is offline, and I'm hoping the recession didn't force them to close up shop.

                                                    Comment

                                                    • emig5m
                                                      Senior Member
                                                      • Aug 2008
                                                      • 646

                                                      #27
                                                      Originally posted by SoundEngine355
                                                      Evolution: Started with the 803D/HTM2D then downgraded to the 805s/HTM4s as I was travelling 40 weeks a year overseas, then downgraded again to the 685/HTM61 because I was building my new house and everything was in storage for 8 months then upgraded to the Focal Electra 1007Be/CC1000Be, but after 3 months I was not happy with the sound so I upgraded to the B&W 800D which was fantastic, but I knew the 800 Diamond Series was coming out and decided to sell them for a tidy profit before they were discontinued then moved to the Sonus Faber Auditor M/Cremona M Centre which after owning for 3 weeks I sold for a profit and now moving back to the B&W 803D's and also adding a seperate home theatre system from the Paradigm Signature Series, just waiting for them to be delivered!

                                                      Don't get me started on electronics! I've done them all!
                                                      Damned... Sounds like fun to be able to compare so many different speakers! I'd love it if you made a post giving a review on all those speaker and how they compared to each other.

                                                      Originally posted by JustinGN
                                                      Holy crap! Another Specialized Sound customer! And here I thought I'd be the only one on this forum.

                                                      Any idea if they're still in business? Their website is offline, and I'm hoping the recession didn't force them to close up shop.
                                                      Next up: Do you remember the "last" time you heard B&W speakers?
                                                      Yea, I remember B&W speakers back in the day, back before mp3, compressed audio, cheap ear-buds, and soundbars totally took over...now it's all about portability and compression. Nobody sells or owns hi-performance/hi-fidelity systems anymore here in the future. But yea, I do still remember that hi-fidelity speaker company from back in the day. Too bad the global economy tanked and audio standards of the general public also tanked at the same time. :E

                                                      Man I really hope we don't have that discussion in the future!

                                                      Comment

                                                      • Johnny802D
                                                        Junior Member
                                                        • Feb 2010
                                                        • 2

                                                        #28
                                                        Holy crap! Another Specialized Sound customer! And here I thought I'd be the only one on this forum.

                                                        Originally posted by JustinGN
                                                        Any idea if they're still in business? Their website is offline, and I'm hoping the recession didn't force them to close up shop.
                                                        Justin - I saw that their website was offline, called their phone, which was disconnected and noted University Audio in Madison is now a B&W dealer - I think they are gone
                                                        {Main system} B&W - 802D fronts, DM640 surrounds, LCR6 S2 center w/Paradigm PS1000 sub. Bryston 4B-SST2 driving the 802s, Rotel RB-976 bridged for center/surrounds, Rotel RSP-1076 pre/pro w/old Marantz DVD player.

                                                        {Other system}: Paradigm Studio Monitor 11 v3 fronts, ADP-350 surrounds, B&W center (cheap & old), 2 Rotel RB-850 bridged for fronts, Marantz old surround receiver for S/P and powering center & surrounds, and an even older Marantz DVD player.

                                                        {Cans} Koss ESP-350 electrostatic

                                                        Comment

                                                        • Dmantis
                                                          Moderator Emeritus
                                                          • Jun 2004
                                                          • 1036

                                                          #29
                                                          Back in the 90's when the Matrix series was going out and N series where brand new. I heard both versions of the 801 and thought " is it possible to own or build a better sounding speaker?

                                                          Comment

                                                          • stantheman2
                                                            Senior Member
                                                            • Apr 2004
                                                            • 124

                                                            #30
                                                            I'm hereby dating myself, but it was back when the original 801s came out. I had been frequenting the same store for several years, and when I went that time, the sales guy I worked with simply said I had to hear the new speakers he just got in. It took all of about one minute to get hooked - and this from a guy that had Dahlquist DQ 10s at that time - not too shabby in their own right. It was '85 before I could afford my own (DM 3000s), but ever since then, I have owned B&W speakers in my main setup. They just sound the most like music to me.

                                                            Comment

                                                            • wettou
                                                              Ultra Senior Member
                                                              • May 2006
                                                              • 3389

                                                              #31
                                                              Originally posted by stantheman2
                                                              I'm hereby dating myself, but it was back when the original 801s came out. I had been frequenting the same store for several years, and when I went that time, the sales guy I worked with simply said I had to hear the new speakers he just got in. It took all of about one minute to get hooked - and this from a guy that had Dahlquist DQ 10s at that time - not too shabby in their own right. It was '85 before I could afford my own (DM 3000s), but ever since then, I have owned B&W speakers in my main setup. They just sound the most like music to me.
                                                              Back in 1990 I bought them and have owned B&W ever since upgrading regularly, but I might stay put for now :B
                                                              Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil, and you're a thousand miles from the corn field."Dwight D. Eisenhower

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                                                              • HedgeHog
                                                                Senior Member
                                                                • Dec 2008
                                                                • 241

                                                                #32
                                                                First time was back in 82/83/84/can't remember exactly. Brother bought a set of 801 (big squarish ones) and put them in my room (I had the whole basement). Immediately, it was very open sounding compared to what I was used to. We played the Telarc 1812 Overture LP to see if we can make the cartridge jump off the record (as so many has claimed). So I guess that's when I was introduced to the "British sound". My first speakers were the CM2 back in 89. The long skinny things. I compared them to Linn Kabers and while both were amazing back them, I felt the introduction of the Matrix eliminated more resonance and provided a cleaner sound.

                                                                I think my favourite set was still the Dick Sequerra Metronome 7, 9, Line Driver, combo played through a Sonic Frontier tube amp (he swapped his 801 for the Sequerras). But the 801's still left an impression on me that B&W are a go-to speaker brand.
                                                                Pioneer Kuro Elite PRO-151FD / Oppo BDP-105 / Apple TV G2 / QNAP Turbo NAS TS-210
                                                                Classe Audio SSP-800 / Classe Audio CA-M400 (x2) + CA-5200
                                                                B&W 802D2 / B&W HTM2D2 / B&W CCM-818 / JL Audio Fathom 113
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                                                                • DM3000 Owner
                                                                  Senior Member
                                                                  • Jun 2006
                                                                  • 475

                                                                  #33
                                                                  This is a hard core story, and I do not buy things on impulse.

                                                                  I have been into audio for decades and never hear B&W's until around 2005. I was heavily into horn speakers and had Klipschorns, Belles and Heresys. I kept hearign on the Klipsch forum that B&W's were not that great, etc. so I figured they must be something special.

                                                                  A pair of DM3000's were for sale locally and I went to hear them not expecting anything that great. The guy had them hooked up to an old Rotel system and just kind of thrown together for a quick demo.

                                                                  I was shocked by the midrange. It was so much better than the old horn speakers I could not believe it. I bought them the next day. Then I started reading about B&W's on the internet and read about these N802's.

                                                                  Literally one week later, on a Saturday night when we were having a party, I found a pair of N801's for sale in California on Audiogon. I sent and email and made a deal the next morning, then with a hangover I jumped in my truck and drove to LA to pick them up. Got home at 11:30 that night.

                                                                  The part that I did not know was that I woudl then replace every component in my system for these new speakers. What a ride. The transition to Signature 800's a few years later was much easier.

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                                                                  • madisonears
                                                                    Junior Member
                                                                    • Nov 2008
                                                                    • 14

                                                                    #34
                                                                    I'm also in Madison, WI, and a former Specialized Sound customer. I recently noticed their number is no longer listed in Yellow Pages and I wondered about their status. Must be gone, a sad sign of current economy/status of audio world.

                                                                    I first heard and bought B&W's in 1976. I bought one of the first 50 pairs of DM6's imported to the USA. I had been shopping for speakers for more than a year and I finally settled for a pair of Yamaha NS-1000M's. They were very nice, but I knew there were better. One day my local audiophle store (not Specialized Sound, but Audiophile, long since defunct) called me to announce that they had the speakers I had been seeking. I stopped at the store the next day, listened to the speakers for about 30 minutes, and bought them for $1400. (I sold the Yammies several months later.) I owned them and listened to them almost every day for more than 20 years and never grew tired of their sound until I got the upgrade bug and bought a pair of Matrix 802's. I sold my DM6's for $700 to a good friend and he still uses them. I hear them occasionally and believe they are still very good speakers.

                                                                    Peace,
                                                                    Tom E

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