Introduction:
My brother needed a subwoofer for his audio system, so I volunteered to help him out. We chose to make our way to Barrett's HiFi and made a deal that we weren't going to spend more than 30 minutes at the store. Our intent was to make it a quick and short audition of the various subwoofers that they had and make it back home for lunch. Not surprisingly, this was one of those days when things just don't go as planned.
We walked into the store and made our way to the subwoofer section. We were pretty determined not to be distracted by anything or anyone. We quickly brushed through the pushy salesmen and got to the sub display. While we perused the several subs they carried including stuff from BW and Klipsch, I noticed that the room had some nice tunes playing. I looked behind me and I realized that they had the 802D running in the room.
This is not my first time hearing the 802D in action, it's probably my 6th time being face to face with these little monsters. Yet, I can't help but size these guys up for the 6th time. It's just one of those classic benchmark speakers that anyone (pro or anti-BW) remotely interested in audio would take the time to survey, inspect, and appreciate the delicate yet powerful design that is embodies the 802D.
Enough with the intro, we know why you're reading this little review - it's about the sound.
Prologue:
First and foremost, you have to know that I do not own a pair of 802Ds, instead I own electrostatic Martin Logan Summit speakers. Yes, I am a very avid ML Summit fan and yes I will be biased - though this should not be a problem because none of us are not. I like the panel sound, I like the panel presentation, I like the coherence that an almost crossover-less speaker begets.
The Sound:
This was an interesting audition. Most of the time, I go to the dealer with the intent to listen to a particular system with a particular set of songs. This was the first time that I was drawn to the system for an audition, a complete polar opposite of the routine I'm used to.
The system just sounded so musical, so inviting, and so artistically correct that I could not help but to sit down and take notice. I rearranged the chair placement and moved it right to the sweetspot. I took a seat and began to bob my head with the music, tap my feet to rhythm, and take in the audio landscape as presented. It's very rare that I sit down and become engaged with the music outside of my own system.... it's even rarer for me to enjoy a system just a bit more than even my own.
The tweeter was well extended and had sufficient detail without being overbearing, hard, or brittle. I liked the fact that the music felt like it was not sloughed off at the top end nor was it overly accentuated. The highs just felt right. Cymbals still had shimmer and that steely bite to it, but not moreso than my ears can handle. The 802D's treble shimmered when it had to, but not at the cost of distracting the listener from suspended belief.
My experience has shown to me that the midrange is something that has the most "leeway". Many listeners would critique a speaker's treble response and bass reponse first... and once sufficient, the midrange is usually assessed to see if it is "passable". Usually, if the midrange does not do anything wrong, the speaker is deemed "good".
With the 802D, I found that the midrange was truly special. Though it may not be as seductive as those on the Sonus Faber Amati Anniversario nor may it be as grossly dynamic as that presented by a Wilson MaxxII, the BW802D's midrange does more than enough to deem it more than just "good". The 802D may not have the analytical presence of the Wilson Watt Puppy 8 or a Vivid Audio, but from my experience, the midrange presented were just about as good within the range as my panels did with perhaps slightly more dynamic slam. My opinion is that the FST is just about as important a technological step in the right direction as the Diamond Tweeter resting above it.
The foundation of a music piece is in the infrasonics and the pulse of the music is directly correlated by ability of a speaker to correctly reproduce the seemingly cave-man, neanderthal-like waves of bass with the delicate artistry of a Da Vinci or a MichaelAngelo.
The midbass had definite kick. I felt that the various songs I listened to had a certain spark in the midbass that I feel may be somewhat missing from my ML Summits. There was just a proper midbass punch to music that just pulsated and allowed for a heightened musical experience. I just felt more connected to the musical pieces as I tapped my fingers on the chair's arm to the tune of the bass drum or the pluck of a guitar's fundamentals. It was truly enjoyable experience, something that I find missing with a lot of systems (even a Linn Artikulat system I heard the previous week).
Yet, though I thoroughly enjoyed the midbass, I felt that the lowest registers had some impovement to be had. I've read several reviews and posts online that talked about a very slight "boominess" to the bass and I can definitely detect a slight drone in some of the bass heavy passages. Though not distracting, I felt that the bass was not a strength of the 802D. I won't criticize that the 802D does not plum to the depths of human hearing, dropping off rapidly at about 30-34hz, but I felt that the bass could have been just a tad more accurate. Yet, fear not, the Sonus Faber Cremona has a larger problem in this area than do the BW 802D, and I cannot help that I may have been a bit spoiled from the 4 ten inch woofers (in sealed cabinets) that my panels possess.
As far as the overall coherence goes, the BW 802D at 8 feet away from listening position does not have the single-tapestry feel that an almost crossover-less speaker like a Soundlab or ML Summit has. There is a very slight sense of discontinuity to some parts of the sound. I felt that I had to close my eyes to truly visualize the soundstage as I was not able to suficiently do it to the level that I'm accustomed to when open. However, the 802D was just about as coherent as many other conventional speakers - and yes, even the highly touted phase and time coherent Wilson Watt Puppy 8.
The Conclusion:
The BW 802D/Mcintosh system was just about as good a system as I've heard at any price. My quibbles are minor compared to the overall enjoyment the system gave me for those 2 hours. The treble was presented in a manner that did not distract, the midrange had a presence that adds just that much more realism to the meat of the music, and a midbass reproduction that got me to tap my feet, tap my fingers, and bob my head. And though the 802D may not be the last word in bass nor in total coherence, it has been a VERY long time when I was drawn to the music.
There was something about this particular set up of BW and Mcintosh that just spelled "magic" moreso than any other set up I have heard in a while. There was just a sense of musicality that is increasingly harder to find in our era of high fidelity instruments. In a time where everything audio seems to be skyrocketing in price, a time in which monitors are beginning to approach $30,000 and speaker companies are routinely releasing speakers with price tags that eclipse luxury cars, I feel that the 802D is a definite value. The system I heard today stands as one of my favorite systems of all time regardless of price.
Treble = 4.5/5
Midrange = 4.5/5
Midbass = 5/5
Bass = 4/5
Coherence = 4/5
Musicality = 4.5/5
The System:
Mcintosh MS750 Music Server
Mcintosh C46 Preamp
Mcintosh 501 Monoblocks
BW 802D
The Music:
Eagles - Hotel California
Norah Jones - Cold Cold Heart, Don't Know Why
Jack Johnson - Upside Down, etc...
Sublime - Santeria
John Mayer - Your Body's a Wonderland
Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams
Johnny Coltrane - Various tracks
My brother needed a subwoofer for his audio system, so I volunteered to help him out. We chose to make our way to Barrett's HiFi and made a deal that we weren't going to spend more than 30 minutes at the store. Our intent was to make it a quick and short audition of the various subwoofers that they had and make it back home for lunch. Not surprisingly, this was one of those days when things just don't go as planned.
We walked into the store and made our way to the subwoofer section. We were pretty determined not to be distracted by anything or anyone. We quickly brushed through the pushy salesmen and got to the sub display. While we perused the several subs they carried including stuff from BW and Klipsch, I noticed that the room had some nice tunes playing. I looked behind me and I realized that they had the 802D running in the room.
This is not my first time hearing the 802D in action, it's probably my 6th time being face to face with these little monsters. Yet, I can't help but size these guys up for the 6th time. It's just one of those classic benchmark speakers that anyone (pro or anti-BW) remotely interested in audio would take the time to survey, inspect, and appreciate the delicate yet powerful design that is embodies the 802D.
Enough with the intro, we know why you're reading this little review - it's about the sound.
Prologue:
First and foremost, you have to know that I do not own a pair of 802Ds, instead I own electrostatic Martin Logan Summit speakers. Yes, I am a very avid ML Summit fan and yes I will be biased - though this should not be a problem because none of us are not. I like the panel sound, I like the panel presentation, I like the coherence that an almost crossover-less speaker begets.
The Sound:
This was an interesting audition. Most of the time, I go to the dealer with the intent to listen to a particular system with a particular set of songs. This was the first time that I was drawn to the system for an audition, a complete polar opposite of the routine I'm used to.
The system just sounded so musical, so inviting, and so artistically correct that I could not help but to sit down and take notice. I rearranged the chair placement and moved it right to the sweetspot. I took a seat and began to bob my head with the music, tap my feet to rhythm, and take in the audio landscape as presented. It's very rare that I sit down and become engaged with the music outside of my own system.... it's even rarer for me to enjoy a system just a bit more than even my own.
The tweeter was well extended and had sufficient detail without being overbearing, hard, or brittle. I liked the fact that the music felt like it was not sloughed off at the top end nor was it overly accentuated. The highs just felt right. Cymbals still had shimmer and that steely bite to it, but not moreso than my ears can handle. The 802D's treble shimmered when it had to, but not at the cost of distracting the listener from suspended belief.
My experience has shown to me that the midrange is something that has the most "leeway". Many listeners would critique a speaker's treble response and bass reponse first... and once sufficient, the midrange is usually assessed to see if it is "passable". Usually, if the midrange does not do anything wrong, the speaker is deemed "good".
With the 802D, I found that the midrange was truly special. Though it may not be as seductive as those on the Sonus Faber Amati Anniversario nor may it be as grossly dynamic as that presented by a Wilson MaxxII, the BW802D's midrange does more than enough to deem it more than just "good". The 802D may not have the analytical presence of the Wilson Watt Puppy 8 or a Vivid Audio, but from my experience, the midrange presented were just about as good within the range as my panels did with perhaps slightly more dynamic slam. My opinion is that the FST is just about as important a technological step in the right direction as the Diamond Tweeter resting above it.
The foundation of a music piece is in the infrasonics and the pulse of the music is directly correlated by ability of a speaker to correctly reproduce the seemingly cave-man, neanderthal-like waves of bass with the delicate artistry of a Da Vinci or a MichaelAngelo.
The midbass had definite kick. I felt that the various songs I listened to had a certain spark in the midbass that I feel may be somewhat missing from my ML Summits. There was just a proper midbass punch to music that just pulsated and allowed for a heightened musical experience. I just felt more connected to the musical pieces as I tapped my fingers on the chair's arm to the tune of the bass drum or the pluck of a guitar's fundamentals. It was truly enjoyable experience, something that I find missing with a lot of systems (even a Linn Artikulat system I heard the previous week).
Yet, though I thoroughly enjoyed the midbass, I felt that the lowest registers had some impovement to be had. I've read several reviews and posts online that talked about a very slight "boominess" to the bass and I can definitely detect a slight drone in some of the bass heavy passages. Though not distracting, I felt that the bass was not a strength of the 802D. I won't criticize that the 802D does not plum to the depths of human hearing, dropping off rapidly at about 30-34hz, but I felt that the bass could have been just a tad more accurate. Yet, fear not, the Sonus Faber Cremona has a larger problem in this area than do the BW 802D, and I cannot help that I may have been a bit spoiled from the 4 ten inch woofers (in sealed cabinets) that my panels possess.
As far as the overall coherence goes, the BW 802D at 8 feet away from listening position does not have the single-tapestry feel that an almost crossover-less speaker like a Soundlab or ML Summit has. There is a very slight sense of discontinuity to some parts of the sound. I felt that I had to close my eyes to truly visualize the soundstage as I was not able to suficiently do it to the level that I'm accustomed to when open. However, the 802D was just about as coherent as many other conventional speakers - and yes, even the highly touted phase and time coherent Wilson Watt Puppy 8.
The Conclusion:
The BW 802D/Mcintosh system was just about as good a system as I've heard at any price. My quibbles are minor compared to the overall enjoyment the system gave me for those 2 hours. The treble was presented in a manner that did not distract, the midrange had a presence that adds just that much more realism to the meat of the music, and a midbass reproduction that got me to tap my feet, tap my fingers, and bob my head. And though the 802D may not be the last word in bass nor in total coherence, it has been a VERY long time when I was drawn to the music.
There was something about this particular set up of BW and Mcintosh that just spelled "magic" moreso than any other set up I have heard in a while. There was just a sense of musicality that is increasingly harder to find in our era of high fidelity instruments. In a time where everything audio seems to be skyrocketing in price, a time in which monitors are beginning to approach $30,000 and speaker companies are routinely releasing speakers with price tags that eclipse luxury cars, I feel that the 802D is a definite value. The system I heard today stands as one of my favorite systems of all time regardless of price.
Treble = 4.5/5
Midrange = 4.5/5
Midbass = 5/5
Bass = 4/5
Coherence = 4/5
Musicality = 4.5/5
The System:
Mcintosh MS750 Music Server
Mcintosh C46 Preamp
Mcintosh 501 Monoblocks
BW 802D
The Music:
Eagles - Hotel California
Norah Jones - Cold Cold Heart, Don't Know Why
Jack Johnson - Upside Down, etc...
Sublime - Santeria
John Mayer - Your Body's a Wonderland
Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams
Johnny Coltrane - Various tracks
Comment