Trading Up?

[Jnorth1178]

I am considering changing speakers. I now have 805s and am looking at 804s. I am well pleased with the 805s but thought the 904s would give me a broader stage presence, more depth and realism. My setting is a study, 12x15x14 My system is stereo with Prima Luna preamp and amp. I would appreciate hearing from you guys who have much more experience than I have. Especially would like to hear from someone who has done an AB comparison of the two speakers. Thanks. JNorth1178

[jack667]

Have you thought about adding a sub to the 805?

Never done a direct comparison between the 805 and 804 but I do know the 805s are a steal for the dosh!

[Jnorth1178]

Jack667: Forgot to mention I do have a sub. Wasn't sure what you meant in your comment about the 805s. The word 'dosh' baffled me. JNorth1178

[jack667]

Sorry, I'm from England - Dosh is money! Cockney!

[Briz vegas]

I AB compared about 18 months ago on Meridian G08, Electrocompaniet ECI5 with Transparent cables. To me the 804s was worth the dollars for added realism but a lesser system may have reduced the improvement. 805 sounded like a better 705 - it had a similar sonic signature. The 804 went a bit further with the FST. Many folks say you need to go further up the model range to get worthwhile benefits, but this assumes you have the cash to throw around. That being said I think if you are going to upgrade you should go as far as your budget will allow.

One important point. I am running my 804s with an amp rated at 185w (8ohm) / 300w (4ohm). You may find that the 805S is more tube amp friendly that the 804S, particularly if it has modest output. You may get more bang for your buck looking at your other components (source, cables etc)