Finalizing my purchase!

[fauzigarib]

Hello all,

First of all, I'm really grateful for advice that you forum member have been passing onto me to get me to the stage where I'm finalizing my purchase and finally buying B&W.

Ok, now to the nitty gritty! I'm actually getting a FANTASTIC deal on a brand new pair of Nautilus 801's (yes, yes, the same ones that I called ugly in my earlier thread... got enough grief about that from dm3000 owner!)... By fantastic deal, I mean right under us$ 5000, and I'm getting to trade in my Klipschorns for a little over the price that I bought them for.

Currently, I'm letting him sweat it out a little because I got my information straight. The guy REALLY needs to sell them, and I'm sure that I can knock off maybe 6-700 bucks more off the price. I hate doing stuff like that, but hey! I work hard for my money!

But I have a couple questions for you all, which might end up nullifying my purchase completely.

If you've been reading my threads, you'd know that I have a Mac SS integrated, which i've been wondering would work with the 800 series or not. I've got mixed reviews, but at the end of the day, the best advice I got was just try it, with an open mind that I might have to spring for expensive electronics later on. I'm being offered a pair of Bryston 7bst monoblocks, but the price is not really right. He's offering them to for about $3,600, which ebay-wise is pretty decent... but don't want to do it right now. Is that alright?

The other, and more important concern is my room. I plan to put them in the annexe to my bedroom... It's not big by any stretch. 14' on the front wall, and 18 or 19' deep. I hear repeatedly that the 801's need huge rooms to do them justice... any tips?

I know that I'm getting a pretty good deal, but I don't want to get them JUST because of that. I can also put them in my HT room cause that's a much bigger room. But a) the dimensions to that room are very awkward (12' x 32'), and b) I can't STAND the idea of not having my best speakers in my dedicated 2 channel setup. I don't think I'd be doing them justice there.

Look forward to hearing from you!

-Fauzi

[boss]

Fauzi

Excuse me for my ignorance.

Is Nautilus 801 the same as 801D?

[Eliav]

Hello all,

First of all, I'm really grateful for advice that you forum member have been passing onto me to get me to the stage where I'm finalizing my purchase and finally buying B&W.

Ok, now to the nitty gritty! I'm actually getting a FANTASTIC deal on a brand new pair of Nautilus 801's (yes, yes, the same ones that I called ugly in my earlier thread... got enough grief about that from dm3000 owner!)... By fantastic deal, I mean right under us$ 5000, and I'm getting to trade in my Klipschorns for a little over the price that I bought them for.

Currently, I'm letting him sweat it out a little because I got my information straight. The guy REALLY needs to sell them, and I'm sure that I can knock off maybe 6-700 bucks more off the price. I hate doing stuff like that, but hey! I work hard for my money!

But I have a couple questions for you all, which might end up nullifying my purchase completely.

If you've been reading my threads, you'd know that I have a Mac SS integrated, which i've been wondering would work with the 800 series or not. I've got mixed reviews, but at the end of the day, the best advice I got was just try it, with an open mind that I might have to spring for expensive electronics later on. I'm being offered a pair of Bryston 7bst monoblocks, but the price is not really right. He's offering them to for about $3,600, which ebay-wise is pretty decent... but don't want to do it right now. Is that alright?

The other, and more important concern is my room. I plan to put them in the annexe to my bedroom... It's not big by any stretch. 14' on the front wall, and 18 or 19' deep. I hear repeatedly that the 801's need huge rooms to do them justice... any tips?

I know that I'm getting a pretty good deal, but I don't want to get them JUST because of that. I can also put them in my HT room cause that's a much bigger room. But a) the dimensions to that room are very awkward (12' x 32'), and b) I can't STAND the idea of not having my best speakers in my dedicated 2 channel setup. I don't think I'd be doing them justice there.

Look forward to hearing from you!

-Fauzi

Fauzi

I think your 2 channel listening room should be fine for the speakers.
My experience is that although the size of the room directly influence acoustics, proper electronic gear setting behind your speakers and room acoustics treatment should make your speakers perform well in this particular listening room.
This bring us back to electronics. if injustice to the 801 is the issue , IMHO it is to come from your electronics ( amp/pre/etc.), rather than from your actual room size.
If in your position, I would get the speakers, enjoy listening to them with what you currently got, upgrade your amps.when you can/want.
Good Luck
Elav

[ShadowZA]

Fauzi

I agree with Eliav. The Nautilus 801's are magnificant beasts & there is a lot which you can do to bring out the best in them such as room treatments, etc. Similarly, I have been at odds with myself in deciding whether to buy the Velodyne DD12 or DD15 sub. The DD15 being quite a beast for a smallish room (my room is not that big either) ... however, the DD15 can go slightly lower + the intention is to use it for music and movies.

My advice: Go for it but don't forget to also invest in a very comfortable chair (unless you have one already). You're probably not going to want to leave the room.

Good luck :T

[WI Rotel]

Fauzi

Excuse me for my ignorance.

Is Nautilus 801 the same as 801D?

The D is the new model 8 series with diamond coated tweeter.

[boss]

WI Rotel

Thanks. I am contemplating on a pair of new 803D. For the same level of damage, perhaps I can source for a set of used N801, no? Are they as easy to drive as the newer series?

[DM3000 Owner]

Hello all,

First of all, I'm really grateful for advice that you forum member have been passing onto me to get me to the stage where I'm finalizing my purchase and finally buying B&W.

Ok, now to the nitty gritty! I'm actually getting a FANTASTIC deal on a brand new pair of Nautilus 801's (yes, yes, the same ones that I called ugly in my earlier thread... got enough grief about that from dm3000 owner!)... By fantastic deal, I mean right under us$ 5000, and I'm getting to trade in my Klipschorns for a little over the price that I bought them for.

Currently, I'm letting him sweat it out a little because I got my information straight. The guy REALLY needs to sell them, and I'm sure that I can knock off maybe 6-700 bucks more off the price. I hate doing stuff like that, but hey! I work hard for my money!

But I have a couple questions for you all, which might end up nullifying my purchase completely.

If you've been reading my threads, you'd know that I have a Mac SS integrated, which i've been wondering would work with the 800 series or not. I've got mixed reviews, but at the end of the day, the best advice I got was just try it, with an open mind that I might have to spring for expensive electronics later on. I'm being offered a pair of Bryston 7bst monoblocks, but the price is not really right. He's offering them to for about $3,600, which ebay-wise is pretty decent... but don't want to do it right now. Is that alright?

The other, and more important concern is my room. I plan to put them in the annexe to my bedroom... It's not big by any stretch. 14' on the front wall, and 18 or 19' deep. I hear repeatedly that the 801's need huge rooms to do them justice... any tips?

I know that I'm getting a pretty good deal, but I don't want to get them JUST because of that. I can also put them in my HT room cause that's a much bigger room. But a) the dimensions to that room are very awkward (12' x 32'), and b) I can't STAND the idea of not having my best speakers in my dedicated 2 channel setup. I don't think I'd be doing them justice there.

Look forward to hearing from you!

-Fauzi

Fauzi,

That is a great price, especially if you can get more than your investment out of the K Horns. I was concerned about the room size but it really is not an issue. The guy that I bought from had them in a room that was about 15 x 16 or so. He loved them in there. If it makes you feel better, K Horns require a big room too. Do they sound good in the room?

As far as amps goes it depends on listening volume. I bought 7B St's and they barely get hot at all. I listen at about 65 to 75 db most of the time. I could have easily gotten by with 4B's.

You should be able to pick up 7B ST's in the mid $2K range, of 7b's in the mid teens. But just wait and enjoy.

The guty that I bought my Brystons from went to ice power amps. His friend tried them on his 802D's and loved them. I have no personal experience but they are only about $1,000 each new.

http://www.acoustic-reality.com/ear1001refrear.htm

Anyway, just buy them and enjoy. What finish are they?

Chris

[sg2]

Hi,

Congrats !

I've finally gotten myself a pair of 802D's, after litterally years of staring at the high end stuff (from B&W & others), hearing here and there (mostly in real living room conditions at customer's houses), reading, pondering, saving etc.

Not only are those speakers absolutely mind blowing, but the years i've been waiting for something like that makes hearing them even better

A word on what I had before :

- 20 years ago, my wife & I had a setup with a pair of KEF Coda 2 bookshelf speakers and an "entry level" (for that time) Luxman LV111 stereo amp in a very small room, with enough carpets and dampening material, this was a good setup, sounded natural, warm, never tiring, almost perfect, with admittedly limited bass and volume capacity, but enough for the room and the way it was set up.

- Since then we have kept moving to bigger flats (children, etc with less adequate rooms, to the point where my KEF's were way too small to actually produce any emotion in the living room. Then, largely motivated by the advent of surround in DVD's, we changed for a 5.1 system based on a Denon AV amp and a set of Triangle speakers (Antal 202, Sextan 202, Titus 202). They sounded good, but there is some coloration in the medium and high that makes them appealing in the shop but not so desirable at home, and the bass from the Antals does what it can in a large room... and if there is enough level, there is not enough control.

First comments from my (9 & 11) children when we heard our first CD's w/ the 802D's : "Waah ! How natural !" and that was also my feeling. Those speakers have a really flat response, with control, which extends way down, and the tweeters yield a very airy, clear, crystal sharp highs, while never tiring even at high volume... exactly like I remembered hearing the 802D's last year at a customer house, an emotion shot that I can still remember.

On top of that, those speakers are a work of art ! (which eases wife adoption)

For the record (and not for the criticismn after all one listens to what he likes :-), some of the CD's we listened to and which gave us the most pleasant hearings are:

- all the 70's Pink Floyd's (Dark side of the moon, Animals, Wish you were here etc) <- sounds fabulous, makes you wonder how we lost the recording mastery of those times

- many older Dire Straits records (Communiqué, Making movies) <- more compression, but really good still

- Kari Bremnes's 1st LP : ah that voice ! and the recording mastering is very good too

- Supertramp's crime of the century ("School" <- shivering spine, "Bloody well right" intro is a serious heart kick, and "Crime of the Century" is... well, no words)

We also listened to some vinyl's, with equivalent pleasure (special mention to Steeve Winwood's "Steeve Winwood", his 1st solo LP, which is soooo sweet).

As one can see, we are into the 70's and 80's, but we also listen to some jazz

Those are just a couple samples, but in fact most everything of what we threw at the 802D's delivered equivalent pleasure, something we had almost forgotten over the last years.

PS: pardon my broken English, I'm not english native.

Regards,
--
Stéphane

[chinets]

Congrats Fauzi on your system!! Good Luck!!
Stephane: Loved your comments, and all the Music you commented about ,when you tested them on your speakers, and by the way, you write English better than some home growns!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cheers.

[Jesse111]

Don't forget to show them beauties off with a few pics for us.

[RebelMan]

Similarly, I have been at odds with myself in deciding whether to buy the Velodyne DD12 or DD15 sub. The DD15 being quite a beast for a smallish room (my room is not that big either) ... however, the DD15 can go slightly lower + the intention is to use it for music and movies.

Let me see if I can help (confuse) you further. Buy two DD12's to pair with your B&W's. What you loose in "some" bass depth you'll more than make up for in balancing the resonant modal patterns in your room. And if you plan to integrate them for two-channel playback, two-subs in my opinion are a must. If you want to "feel" the bass when watching movies, strap a TST on your backside ( of your chair ), its the only way to enjoy the best of both worlds! LOL :B

[ShadowZA]

Let me see if I can help (confuse) you further. Buy two DD12's to pair with your B&W's. What you loose in "some" bass depth you'll more than make up for in balancing the resonant modal patterns in your room. And if you plan to integrate them for two-channel playback, two-subs in my opinion are a must. If you want to "feel" the bass when watching movies, strap a TST on your backside ( of your chair ), its the only way to enjoy the best of both worlds! LOL :B

Well, as things go, I've placed my order for a DD15. Greed for lowness came a knockin' & I obliged (or rather succumbed). Having done that ... yes, there exists an unmeasurable ('cause I'm too scared to measure it) urge to have two subs in order to have a balanced sonic pattern. The future? Two DD15's? Aaaaarrrrggghhhhh. When will it end? Answer: Never! I love my toys. :lol:

[RebelMan]

Well, as things go, I've placed my order for a DD15. Greed for lowness came a knockin' & I obliged (or rather succumbed). Having done that ... yes, there exists an unmeasurable ('cause I'm too scared to measure it) urge to have two subs in order to have a balanced sonic pattern. The future? Two DD15's? Aaaaarrrrggghhhhh. When will it end? Answer: Never! I love my toys. :lol:

Way to go Shadow, being able to make a decision is half of the battle. The other half is the satisfaction of enjoying that decision and the toy! Sweeeet choice! BTW, you couldn't have make a wrong decision my friend. Any DD is a nice DD. I was too reluctant to tempt you with twin DD15's for fear you may never come back to visit us! LOL

[fauzigarib]

Fauzi,

That is a great price, especially if you can get more than your investment out of the K Horns. I was concerned about the room size but it really is not an issue. The guy that I bought from had them in a room that was about 15 x 16 or so. He loved them in there. If it makes you feel better, K Horns require a big room too. Do they sound good in the room?

As far as amps goes it depends on listening volume. I bought 7B St's and they barely get hot at all. I listen at about 65 to 75 db most of the time. I could have easily gotten by with 4B's.

You should be able to pick up 7B ST's in the mid $2K range, of 7b's in the mid teens. But just wait and enjoy.

The guty that I bought my Brystons from went to ice power amps. His friend tried them on his 802D's and loved them. I have no personal experience but they are only about $1,000 each new.

http://www.acoustic-reality.com/ear1001refrear.htm

Anyway, just buy them and enjoy. What finish are they?

Chris

Hello all,

Thanks for the replies. I've been out of town on work, and didn't get a chance to get back to you all.

Chris - Yes, the KHorns sound majestic in that room. However, they end up sounding much, errr.. more "free" in the larger room. In fact, it's a totally different sound from the same speaker, but I prefer how they sound in my smaller room. So that's a good point.

I'm this close to closing the deal, but I'm now negotiating on the amps as well. If the 7b's can be had for as low as $2k, then I may as well get them now. Of course, this guy is offering the pair for 3,800, and he's said that if you can find me ANY sale on this pair for less than 4,000, I can take them for free! Of course, I wouldn't NOT pay for them (though the temptation is certainly there), I would like to be able to show him something. Any ideas?

I have checked out the ICE power amps, I believe the Digital amp itself is a B&O design. They sound pretty good from what I hear, and the amps in teh link you sent might be worth checking out. I'm pretty sure that my Mac Integrated has pre outs, so I might actually be able to use that for my pre as well... That way, I can (kind of) stick to the mac sound I like so much, and still get the power to handle these ugly (yes, there! I said it!) beasts!

Oh, the finish I believe is a Cherry colored (he said bird's eye, but I'm not sure if that came in the N801.)

Hey, not to confuse things further, but any ideas about how the N800 Signatures compare to the new D series? I just ran across a demo pair of those and the guy is giving over 50% off new. Worth considering?

I should just stop shopping around!!! I'm losing sleep at night thinking of the many options!

Thanks,

Fauzi

[fauzigarib]

Fauzi


My advice: Go for it but don't forget to also invest in a very comfortable chair (unless you have one already). You're probably not going to want to leave the room.

Good luck :T

Shadow,

He he.. After this, I don't think I can justify the cost of another comfortable t-shirt, let alone an entire chair!!!



Let's see what happens... thanks for the tip, though.

Fauzi

[DM3000 Owner]

Hello all,

Thanks for the replies. I've been out of town on work, and didn't get a chance to get back to you all.

Chris - Yes, the KHorns sound majestic in that room. However, they end up sounding much, errr.. more "free" in the larger room. In fact, it's a totally different sound from the same speaker, but I prefer how they sound in my smaller room. So that's a good point.

I'm this close to closing the deal, but I'm now negotiating on the amps as well. If the 7b's can be had for as low as $2k, then I may as well get them now. Of course, this guy is offering the pair for 3,800, and he's said that if you can find me ANY sale on this pair for less than 4,000, I can take them for free! Of course, I wouldn't NOT pay for them (though the temptation is certainly there), I would like to be able to show him something. Any ideas?

I have checked out the ICE power amps, I believe the Digital amp itself is a B&O design. They sound pretty good from what I hear, and the amps in teh link you sent might be worth checking out. I'm pretty sure that my Mac Integrated has pre outs, so I might actually be able to use that for my pre as well... That way, I can (kind of) stick to the mac sound I like so much, and still get the power to handle these ugly (yes, there! I said it!) beasts!

Oh, the finish I believe is a Cherry colored (he said bird's eye, but I'm not sure if that came in the N801.)

Hey, not to confuse things further, but any ideas about how the N800 Signatures compare to the new D series? I just ran across a demo pair of those and the guy is giving over 50% off new. Worth considering?

I should just stop shopping around!!! I'm losing sleep at night thinking of the many options!

Thanks,

Fauzi

I will gladly sell my 7B ST's for $4,000. Check AudioGON. There are always 7B ST's for sale in the mid $2,000 range. When I bought mine there was a pair of 7B SST's for sale for $3200. They only lasted a few days.