Wife loves the B&W looks

[nkb]

Well after negotiating with my wife some time ago about getting no compromise tower speakers by getting a custom cabinet built that could hide them, the B&W's arrive and she remarks: "Did you know that these would look so good? We don't need to hide these!"

I got 2x802D's, 1xHTM2D, 1xASW825 in rosenut. They still have a place within a cabinet, but the 802D's roll out. But the cabinet fronts, that I was going to cover with acoustic cloth, she now says are not necessary - the speakers are too handsome to cover up.

So, in the end, it turned out better than I could have hoped.

She also loves the McIntosh amps (3x501 monoblocks, 1x252). The piano black, blue light glow of the meters, don't have to cover them up either.

That's the good news. The bad news is the Anthem D2 pre/processor with all its bells and whistles, the video quit after 15 minutes of use, never to return. So I now am in the process of the pursuing a replacement unit.

[RebelMan]

You are a very lucky man nkb. An understanding wife and a great system to boot. Way to go! :T

[bvk_houtx]

You have a great system.... you may want to look at a McIntosh MX-119 as a pre-amp......I'm very envious.

[ShadowZA]

... she remarks: "Did you know that these would look so good? We don't need to hide these!" ...
She also loves the McIntosh amps (3x501 monoblocks, 1x252)...

Treasure your wife, nkb ... she's Gold! :T

[jlr_1304]

I also have 802 and MAC amps. The lights are off though for HT viewing.

Sorry about the D2. Seems to be very buggy for early adopters.

[miner]

To show the love and repsect you have for your wife go out and buy her a beautiful new pre amp or a set of 804 for the rears.

[dknightd]

I wonder how she will feel about the acoutic treatments you might want to start adding to the room. My wife calls them crib mattresses ;-) (my kids are too old for those, and I wouldn't put them on fiberglass mattresses, but I admit that is kind of what they look like. . .)

[earwit]

I was also able to purchase the B&W 802d's based on the wife
approval factor. Of all the speakers I looked at these were the
only ones she thought was more a work of art. Per B&W of all
speakers purcahsed over $10,000 dollars, over 50% are B&W

[audiojunky]

nkb - pictures please!!! Would love to see how your beemers look in & out of the custom built cabinet. Please post a LOT of pictures

earwit - some pics of your system too! Lately the B&W Pictures thread seems to be becoming more of a chat box than a place to post pictures of borgeous B&W speakers.

[Pez]

[QUOTE]all speakers purcahsed over $10,000 dollars, over 50% are B&W[QUOTE]

My dealer mentioned that once to me.

My wife also can "handle" the looks of my 804S's. She wasnt keen on the Def Tech 7001's or Energy C-7's I had for a short while. In fact the only other speaker she liked was Energys Take 5.2 (small sats), no suprise there. The furniture grade look of the BW's is partly why I choose them. I may want top notch sound but they should also look good since they are part of the living room.

[tboooe]

I wonder how she will feel about the acoutic treatments you might want to start adding to the room. My wife calls them crib mattresses ;-) (my kids are too old for those, and I wouldn't put them on fiberglass mattresses, but I admit that is kind of what they look like. . .)

dknight: I am going through this issue right now. I have been struggling to find effective yet good looking treatments. I think I have settled on the GIK Tri corners, ASC Planks, and Real Traps Mini traps. I think I can put these around the house in the location in such a way that the wife will like.

[earwit]

Nkb, wondering what your sonic impressions were of the
Anthem D2, before the video proccessor died.
Since B&W speakers are so revealing, I think the
pre-amp is one of the most critical parts, when using my
basic Oultlaw 990 pre-amp all I use is 5.1 direct, for music
and movies, everything else sounds cloudy. What pre-amps
are you guys using for your B&W speakers ??

[dknightd]

tboooe,
I think my problem was I went with a cheap easy solution to see how it would work. It works great. Doesn't look so pretty, yet.
I bought a bunch of rigid fiberglass, then had to cover it to protect the family from stray fibers. I encouraged my wife to help me pick out fabrics, but she wanted nothing to do with it, so, I picked cheap breathable fabric (basically looks like cheap, single color, bed sheets). That was probably a mistake on my part. Eventually when I figure out what works, and where it needs to go, I'll pretty things up a bit. . . It is easy enough to recover these things, the problem is that I find that adding more seems to keep helping - even I would like our living room to start look like a living room again.
I could try disguising the bass absorbers as furniture, but, the wife doesn't like furniture arranged around the walls and corners (and that is where bass trapping needs to go). Oh well, for now she tolerates, and eventually I may be able to make into something that makes us both happy.
I'll tell you what, if I brought home 802d's, which we cannot afford, she might like them until she saw the bill - Maybe I need more money and less wifes.

[tboooe]

Maybe I need more money and less wifes.

dknight:

LOL! Less wife necessarily leads to more money! My wife doesnt appreciate or really understands the price of my 802D, but she accepts it. In return I had to buy her a minivan this weekend. So to get $12K speakers, I had to buy her a $40K minivan...that is some messed up economics but i guess that is what being married is all about....

[dknightd]

Getting a little OT here. Hope that is OK.
It is all about comprimise. I've been with my wife more than half my life. I don't think I'd kick her out, but, if she wanted to leave I wouldn't stop her. I only plan to get married once. So this is it. I do like the idea of growing old together - I think. I understand you can pay people to help take care of you if the need arises, but I digress.

So, does your car/truck cost more than your speakers? How about compared to the cost her minivan? I can't really enjoy my stereo unless the wife is out of the house - I enjoy music, and I like at reasonably loud levels. She lets me play with my crib matresses (as long as I don't turn it up too loud). So I guess that works out.

The other day I was depressed, felt like joining the gypsies. No doubt in my mind, I'd take my music collection with me, and leave the speakers behind.

We talk alot about WAF here, I wonder where the other half talks about HAF?
I don't understand why men seem to like music more than women.
Alpina can you help us out here?

Anyway, it is Friday, so, Cheers
David

[JKalman]

Well after negotiating with my wife some time ago about getting no compromise tower speakers by getting a custom cabinet built that could hide them, the B&W's arrive and she remarks: "Did you know that these would look so good? We don't need to hide these!"

I got 2x802D's, 1xHTM2D, 1xASW825 in rosenut. They still have a place within a cabinet, but the 802D's roll out. But the cabinet fronts, that I was going to cover with acoustic cloth, she now says are not necessary - the speakers are too handsome to cover up.

So, in the end, it turned out better than I could have hoped.

She also loves the McIntosh amps (3x501 monoblocks, 1x252). The piano black, blue light glow of the meters, don't have to cover them up either.

That's the good news. The bad news is the Anthem D2 pre/processor with all its bells and whistles, the video quit after 15 minutes of use, never to return. So I now am in the process of the pursuing a replacement unit.

There is something about the rounded shape of that Marlin head balanced on top of that long wooden shaft that drives women crazy, either in adoration or revulsion. Freud used an analytical term for this based on the Greek tragedy of Orestes, Electra, Agamemnon, Clytemnestra and Aegisthus.

[lvhung]

Don't buy it just beacause is beatiful
Loud speakers is to listen not to look
If you want to look , please marry Latetia Casta

[LikeCoiledSteel]

Nkb, wondering what your sonic impressions were of the
Anthem D2, before the video proccessor died.
Since B&W speakers are so revealing, I think the
pre-amp is one of the most critical parts, when using my
basic Oultlaw 990 pre-amp all I use is 5.1 direct, for music
and movies, everything else sounds cloudy. What pre-amps
are you guys using for your B&W speakers ??

I use an Outlaw 950 for HT and a Krell Kav 250 for 2 channel. Do you use the balanced connections on the 990? What amp/s are you using?
Steel

[theMaximus]

If guys convince their wives listen to some crappy speakers like Bose and then let them listen to B&Ws, I think a lot of wives will understand your desire for B&Ws. I guess important thing is to actually getting them to listen, not just look. I think B&Ws, Martin Logans, and Focals (except for something like Grand Utopia) seemed to have better WAF for their beautiful and/or intriguing looks.