Complete 600 HT system or 1 pair of 804S

[mikeymotorcycle]

I am in a predicament. I can get a demo pair of 804s for 2895+tx. Or for a few hundred more get a complete 600 (604s,600center,675 sub, 602 rear) for around 3500+tx. I have listened to both in stereo and of course there is no comparison. The 804s are the best speakers I have heard. Although I can't afford to listen to anything more expensive. If I get the 804s It will be at least a year till I can move towards a Center channel and surrounds. I dont make a lot of money but sacrifice for what I want. If the 804s were not at such a great price I would not consider it at this junction in my life. Any thoughts and advice would be helpful. I'm trying to get my home theater started made the mistake of listening to the 804s. Sorry long post. Mike R.

[shadow]

Having heard the 804s, you are wasting your time buying the 600 system. This scenario is guaranteed buyers remorse. My advice is buy quality at each opportunity and don't look back. The 804s will give you better home theater even in two channel than the 600 full setup IMO.

[mikeymotorcycle]

Thanks for the repley shadow. That is the direction I am leaning towards. I enjoy home theater but I love music too. I just cant get the sound out of my head. I know that not many people here have 804s from what I have read but at the price point I can get them WOW. I will have to be patient getting the rest of my HT together. Thanks. Mike R.

[audioqueso]

I can't completely agree with the comment "The 804s will give you better home theater even in two channel than the 600 full setup". I had a complete 600 setup, and it was awesome for movies. However,hearing just a pair of 805s for movies is very impressive. I haven't watched a movie with a complete 800 setup, but it's easy to imagine just how good it can sound judging just how good a pair of 805s make a movie. Complete different soundstage and effects.

I'd say get the 804s, but what equipment do you have now? And can you afford the upgrades later? The 600 series will run find off of a A/V receiver. The 800s need power and high quality components.

[RebelMan]

Mike, what are your listening preferences audio to video? If you lean towards the musical side plan your setup with the 804S's. If you lean toward home theater, then you can compromise on the 800's by choosing the 805S's (less expensive and you can build your system faster).

The 600 series are very good speakers and with the right equipment backing them up I think you'll be surprised just how good they can sound. They make an affordable option for those people that want a very good balance between music and movies. However, there is one caveat. Most people that start to immerse themselves into this vicious hobby will see their tastes for hi-end audio mature and eventually become insatiable. Knowing this I strongly urge you to take your time and plan your choices very wisely so that you do not regret the decisions you make.

[DClark]

I demoed a pair of 600 series and center channel. I purchased the 804s, just a pair at the moment, and am looking into the HTM3s center.I am driving the pair now with a demo Meridian 568.2 and 4bsst. The Meridian makes me want the center channel desperately to try Tri-field. BUT, the dealer has a pair of 802D's.....lets see, how to I sell the wife on that one? Hmmmmm. LOL

Rebel man is correct. There will always be something to "better" to stretch for. The dilemma is defining better.

[JKalman]

I am in a predicament. I can get a demo pair of 804s for 2895+tx. Or for a few hundred more get a complete 600 (604s,600center,675 sub, 602 rear) for around 3500+tx. I have listened to both in stereo and of course there is no comparison. The 804s are the best speakers I have heard. Although I can't afford to listen to anything more expensive. If I get the 804s It will be at least a year till I can move towards a Center channel and surrounds. I dont make a lot of money but sacrifice for what I want. If the 804s were not at such a great price I would not consider it at this junction in my life. Any thoughts and advice would be helpful. I'm trying to get my home theater started made the mistake of listening to the 804s. Sorry long post. Mike R.

First off, it wasn't a long post. Second, you don't need to apologize, you can post as often and as long as you want, as long as you follow forum rules; take a look at some of the ridiculously long posts I have made. Third Welcome! :W

I would get the 804s having been in a similar predicament. I originally had a 700 series surround setup but my dealer was willing to let me trade it in for the full value after having them for two months to put the money towards a pair of 802D speakers. Surround sound, while definitely entertaining, is not worth sacrificing excellent stereo music. If given the choice of a mediocre surround system or an incredible stereo system, I don't hesitate to recommend the incredible stereo setup. I too am going to have to wait a long time to get surround speakers.

One thing to consider as well, is that you can buy surround speakers next and have surround sound with only four speakers since most processors allow you to turn off the center channel and sub so that you are running a 4.0 surround system instead of a 5.1 system. Thus you can make do with less for a period of time while you fill in the rest of the 5.1 or 7.1 system. That is what I am doing. As long as you sit on the center axis you will still have a great surround sound experience. At worst your system will be a little bass shy till you get a sub. The center channel is used to keep dialogue anchored to the screen for people sitting off axis.

IMO, you should always go for the best stereo speakers possible, you will find yourself listening to all your old albums over and over again, enjoying them immensely for that entire year you save money. :T To do otherwise means you will likely regret the great sound you could have had.

[mikeymotorcycle]

Thanks for all the replys. I plan on a 50/50 mix of stereo and H/T. My equipment is a Denon 4800 for an AV reciever and a Denon 1920 DVD. I know it does not have the power to push the 800 series but plan an upgrade down the road. I do enjoy music and that is what has kept me coming back to the 804s. If HT was it I feel the 600 series would be an excellent system for the money invoved. I feel that I can say the 600s perform as well as some other speakers I have demoed that cost a 1000$ more a pair IMO. Love the B&W sound. I just dont want to turn down an excellent deal and regret it 2 months later. Well I have to go to work thanks everyone. Mike R.

[goe2112]

I was in your shoes 4 years ago and I opted for the N804's. Now I ( to a certain degree ) wished I would have went with the 600 series for the folowing reasons: Kids braces, new car, job, relocation, ex wife wants more money and numerous other things that are part of life. Unfortunately, I have not completed a whole 800 series HT setup and still have outdated and underpowered equipment. Nor do I believe it will happen in the next 2-3 years. I do enjoy my N804's very much but I do not have the HT I planned on. I believe that if you cannot afford a complete speaker set-up or close to it from the start you might regret it. The 800 series speakers are expensive and then there is the equipment to power them. If you truely believe that you can purchase an 800 series HT set-up and equipment in a short time than go for it. Myself, I've thought about selling my N804's and use the money towards a 600 series HT set-up but just can't do it, I just love my N804's to much, they are great speakers. But if I had to do it all over again then I would have gone with the 600 series and have both a great stereo system and an outstanding HT system. I just wanted to share my insight to your situation.
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

[shades]

I had the 600 s3 and they were awesome. With the right equipment they will do just fine. I had 602's Front, lcr 600, and 601's rear, paradigm 2100 sub with a rotel rsx 1056 power. The 602's are one of the best speakers out there price and sound wise. With better amplification they sound even better. With 50/50 split between HT and music, your going to miss a great deal in the Ht department if you go with 804s.

Focus on getting the best amp, pre/pro you can afford and then when you get the upgrade bug you won't need to upgrade your whole system but rather just the speakers. I heard the 602's in just stereo with a classe amp ( CA 201 i think) and they blew me away.

Now with that being said, if your leaning more towards the music, the 804's are awesome and with out a doubt some of the best speakers i ever heard but then again you need the power to drive them.

I'm now running the 805s fronts, htm4s center, and still got the 601's for surround duty. But i'm very big on music over ht. ( still looking for a good amp to run the 805)

[JKalman]

I'm now running the 805s fronts, htm4s center, and still got the 601's for surround duty. But i'm very big on music over ht. ( still looking for a good amp to run the 805)

If you have the opportunity, try out some Bryston amps. The 9B SST is 5 channel, they also have three and two channel amps as well, and, of course, monoblocks. I'm currently using the 9B SST to bi-amp my 802Ds while I save up for some monoblocks, and they are an excellent pairing.

Bryston's Website
Stereophile Review of the 9B SST (rated A class in their yearly equipment rating edition)

[shades]

thx, jkalman.

I was going to use the rb 1080 although it's a very good amp from what i hear, i think i really want to concentrate on my 2 channel maybe 3 and get the best amp for the 805s. I was looking at classe, krell, and bryston.

[JKalman]

I'm definitely enjoyed my Bryston, though I'm considering going with an Ayre amplifier for my 802Ds. I'm considering saving up for the Ayre K-1xe and V-1xe pre/power combo for my 802Ds. I heard these two pieces of equipment hooked up to some Wilson Watt Puppies playing SACD and CD through the Ayre C-5xe and have never been the same since... It spoiled me for good.

After I buy that gear, if my 802Ds don't sound close in quality to what I heard at the store that day, I'll probably look to sell my 802Ds and demo the 800Ds with the Ayre equipment. If the 800Ds don't come close to that sound, I may have to buy some Wilsons. :evil: Of course, before I fly off the handle, I'll have someone come to my house and do some professional room treatments. This will ensure my system isn't being stifled by the space I am stuck with using. I should probably do that right away.

[JKalman]

thx, jkalman.

I was going to use the rb 1080 although it's a very good amp from what i hear, i think i really want to concentrate on my 2 channel maybe 3 and get the best amp for the 805s. I was looking at classe, krell, and bryston.

I plan on demo-ing Classe amps with my system after I get the Ayre C-5xe which I ordered. First things first though, for all I know the Ayre C-5xe might open up my whole system, including the Bryston 9B SST. If that is the case, I may end up buying the 14B SST. All in good time. I haven't spent any time looking into Krell. From what a dealer told me, Bryston and Krell have a lot in common amplifier wise, in terms of neutrality and transparency, etc.

[george_k]

mikeymotorcycle,

I don't know if you've made your decision just yet but I hope you do realize just how much more your total system will cost if it's built around the 800 series, not just in speaker costs but also component costs (high quality amps, dvd players ... etc) as well.

[JKalman]

mikeymotorcycle,

I don't know if you've made your decision just yet but I hope you do realize just how much more your total system will cost if it's built around the 800 series, not just in speaker costs but also component costs (high quality amps, dvd players ... etc) as well.

He can find great used equipment at fractional costs to new equipment that will run the 800 series very well. Speakers on the other hand, evolve much quicker, so buying them second hand as opposed to the newer technologies causes a huge drop off in sound quality, e.g. - you can buy great classe monoblocks or bryston monoblocks used that are very cheap to run high end speakers like the B&W 800 series very efficiently. I would buy some great stereo amps, since they are cheaper than monoblocks, and the good ones from a few years ago are more than sufficient for the 800 series speakers besides the 801D and the 800D. It should be easy to find a great used amp on Audiogon or here for the 804. Like perhaps a high end stereo amp from 5-6 years ago.

[mikeymotorcycle]

Unfortunately I have not made my decision yet. I go back and forth a few times a day. My concern of wanting imediate component upgrade bothers me. I will admit that I am probally not as critical as most people on here but my ears know the differance. I was all set to go and get the 804s and my wife threw a wrench into it making me second guess my decision. At this point I have no idea if the 804s are still there at that great price. As far a equipment goes I will probally use my Denon as preamp to start and ad quality amps as needed and finally full separates. In my opinion getting the speakers will not be a waste due to the fact the stereo listening is much more critical than HT sound. Of course there will be differences between 800 series and 700 but some thing is better than none. I would buy the matching center for the 804s but I feel I could live with the 750 sub and ds7 surrounds which will save quite a bit of money. It would be a long process I know. If I could sell my last toy; an ATV this all would not be an issue. So the saga continues, but I know this. No matter what; my speakers will be B&W I just love their sound. I have demoed others Martin Logan, Polk, Klipsch, Focal, and Paradigm. Paradigm is the only other I would consider but the dealer is an hour from here with limeted hours. Well enough rambling for now. Thanks. Mike R.

[Bluespower]

mikeymotorcycle

I just noticed that you live in Lancaster. I'm located just outside of Harrisburg. I've got the 603s, a 600, & DS6s (all S3s) powered by a Rotel 1068/1095 combo. If you'd like to stop by for a listen and a coffee, you're welcome. I can share some tales of my upgrade path and turn you on to another dealer in the area that has treated me very well.

P.S. I do lust after the 800 series and will get there some day. PM me if you like.

[JKalman]

Unfortunately I have not made my decision yet. I go back and forth a few times a day. My concern of wanting imediate component upgrade bothers me. I will admit that I am probally not as critical as most people on here but my ears know the differance. I was all set to go and get the 804s and my wife threw a wrench into it making me second guess my decision. At this point I have no idea if the 804s are still there at that great price. As far a equipment goes I will probally use my Denon as preamp to start and ad quality amps as needed and finally full separates. In my opinion getting the speakers will not be a waste due to the fact the stereo listening is much more critical than HT sound. Of course there will be differences between 800 series and 700 but some thing is better than none. I would buy the matching center for the 804s but I feel I could live with the 750 sub and ds7 surrounds which will save quite a bit of money. It would be a long process I know. If I could sell my last toy; an ATV this all would not be an issue. So the saga continues, but I know this. No matter what; my speakers will be B&W I just love their sound. I have demoed others Martin Logan, Polk, Klipsch, Focal, and Paradigm. Paradigm is the only other I would consider but the dealer is an hour from here with limeted hours. Well enough rambling for now. Thanks. Mike R.

I think full separates for 804s is a waste of money. You don't need anything that dedicated for 804s. Just a really good quality two channel amp, between 140 and 200 somewhere would be more than enough. Watts aren't as important as the build quality (quality of the parts and the separation of electronics within the amplifier). I don't even need full separates to run my 802D. Perhaps if you were running an 801D or 800D, then you would want to go with some monoblocks, but otherwise it is an extravagant waste of money.

Take it from someone who owns a pair of 802Ds, don't let people fool you into thinking you need crazy gear with 250+ watts per channel, when you don't. The 804s are efficient enough, their sensitivity is high enough to use 140 wpc with no problems. If you get 200 wpc at the most later on, you will never have a problem, and I don't think you even need that. Classe makes some great wpc gear that wouldn't be senseless overkill if you upgraded to that down the road. Or even the Bryston 9B SST which I bi-amp on my 802Ds would be fine for your 804S, using one channel per speaker, which would leave you with enough channels for a full 5.1 setup.

Easiest way to learn about this stuff is to research how speaker sensitivity and WPC work right off the B&W website, it flies in the face of what most people think and ramble off about amps and speakers. Definitely do some research and take what most people say with a grain of salt, especially dealers. :T

[rav934]

I owned 704 fronts and 601 rears. Traded fronts for 804s...really happy with this setup...even my wife agrees!