Classe and B&W loudspeakers

[Calum]

I will shortly have a home demo of the B&W 802 diamond speakers and I noticed that a good many of the forum members are using this combo. I'd sure appreciate any hints or tips from the forum especially on bi-wiring, cables, positioning.

My system is CP800 into CA2300 and Linn Isobariks (a 30+ year old loudspeaker).

Calum

[RebelMan]

I highly recommend bi-wiring with a shotgun pair of high purity C10100 (99.99% OF), 12 gauge, copper conductors, preferably 10 feet or less (give or take). Quality connectors are even more important so don't skimp. Use a dedicated (20A) circuit if you can and do NOT use any UPSes, line conditioners or equipment surge protectors, Classé doesn't need them. If you have dirty AC mains get a qualified electrician to diagnose the problem. You may seek a quality power regenerator but there are caveats to that as well.

Positioning can only be tuned by ear. I suggested using the B&W 802 Diamond manual diagram as a starting point for speaker placement. If your room allows, start from the furthest point out and then work your way in to define sound-staging. Then incrementally toe-in as necessary to sharpen the focus on imaging. Bass response is impacted by the proximity of the speaker to the wall behind it. The 802D2 need little assistance in this area so maintaining proper separation will benefit most, again if your domestic considerations will allow. One final note, keep the area between the speakers clear of any obstructions. This is by far the most challenging tip because an equipment rack or speaker is invariably going to take up residence there. But it's necessary to get the best sound out of the speaker, any speaker.