Decision before upgrade to B&W805s

[kobestonecold]

1. What year did the B&W 805s come out?

2. Are the new 800 or 900 series coming out soon? I don't want to buy them this year and the new one comimg out next year.

3. Is B&W 705 considering audiophile grade for 2 CH. music?

4. Is B&W 805s considering audiophile grade for 2 CH. music?

5. Can i use B&W 805s with Rotel RC-1090, RB-1080, and RCD 1072?

6. Is it really better than B&W 705?

:T

[Pedro]

1. January 2005
2. There's a speculation of a new Diamond 805 upcoming bookshelf. It didnt have oficialy announced yet, but i think will cost at least USD5K/pair
3. The 705 is the first step in B&W line to music sessions (IMO)
4. Yes for sure for audiophile sessions and for jazz listenings.
5. Yeah. But with an integrated amp like Classe or McIntosh they will perform 100%
6. Yeah no doubt.

:T

[Briz vegas]

Maybe you're are approaching the 12 month upgrade deal limit on those 705.

Funny that you need to ask us if these are audiophile grade speakers - its a bit like asking if a car is a sports car - very arbitrary. You have heard the 805 and 705 based on your previous posts so you know what you get for your extra dollars. I pushed the budget and went from 705 to the 804s.

If 805 is your limit and you are taking advantage of the trade up deal that many dealers offer then there is not too much at risk. You could also improve that system by upgrading other components as well - with or without the 805 speakers.

If you have decent cabling I would probably go with the 805 as the next step in a gradual upgrade program - either that or a good secondhand 804s or 803s - take advantage of someone elses grade bug.

[kobestonecold]

Yeah. I have a good deal that can get 805s around 16% off. I have the money to get 804s as well but i don't want my back acc. balance look low. LOL

How do you like 804s. How do you compare them with 805s?

[AptosJeff]

804 & 805

I've had both 804 and 805 and they are both very good speakers. BTW, I listen mainly to classical & jazz, but when I've tried blues & rock they shine there too, though you may want a sub for the 805. The main difference of course is the 804 is 3 way and covers the low freq range better. It also has a better mid range driver, though they are both good, imo throughout mid & hf ranges.

You will get many opinions on 700 series vs 800, but for me the 800 sounds noticeably cleaner with less distortion. It is a big difference for me, but many like the 700 series also. And I am one who believes the amps (and everything else) make a big difference. So don't try to use a low end amp with the 800 series, you may be disappointed.

Good luck and let us know what you end up with.

[Briz vegas]

:spin:

[Briz vegas]

Sorry about that chief - just been listening to Miles Davis "Kinda Blue" with a new home demo interconnect and new power cable to the CDs power supply - sublime - full bodied, natural detail, utterly convincing double bass, sax etc - yum yum yum! Looks like my dealer is getting a couple more grand out of me. (thats just for the interconnect - I have already paid for the power cord)

Ok got that over with.

I already owned the 705 for a couple of years before I auditioned the 805s and 804s. This tends to colour the comparison because you get to know your own speakers sonic signature pretty well. For that reason the 805 sounded like a well tuned and better behaved 705 to my ears. The 804 did not have the same sonic signature, it was more full bodied and it was more convincing on orchestral pieces. Well set up the 804 does not need a sub. I own a Rel Strata 5 which is designed primarily for music, and it stays OFF for two channel listening (even more so after today).

I would go back and listen to both again before deciding as your time with the 705 will alter what you want out of the upgrade.

I will end where I began. With either 805 or 804 you can spend a fortune upgrading the other parts of your system before you need to touch your speakers again - and those upgrades will keep putting a silly grin on your face. :T

[sikoniko]

I'm not familiar with the Rotel line, but I can give my opinion on the N805 vs the N804, which I believe is safe to say is comparable for the new line.

I was able to push the N805 with a rotel RSX1055. When I upgraded to the N804, I was not. I had to upgrade my amp. So, keep in mind that you might get by with what you have for 805s's, but you may need to upgrade other components if you go for the 804s.

I did find the 804 to be a fuller sound, and one that I preferred, but the 805's are fantastic speakers. In a way, I wish I was satisfied with them. I would have saved a lot of money, that is for sure!

[kobestonecold]

Ummm.. this is real hard. I really want the 805s but financial problem because my wife want to go to Thailand. The ticket to go there for 3 of us cost as much as 805s itself. More questions for you guys.

705 + a subwoofer better than 805s itself?
Is it a big jump from 705 to 805s? Worth the money?
Should i be happy with what the 705 and forget about 805? :M
I really don't care about the bass, all i care is detail crystal clear.
My source is only CD not HDCD or SACD. What do you guys think. :lol:

[kobestonecold]

Ok Folk. No More Deciding For Me. I Will Buy 805s Next Week And Pay The Debt Later. Music Come First Before Money. Yesssssssssssssss

[Tommy]

Congrats! This speaker will last you quite a while. Be sure to let it burn in for >100 hours. Then sit back and enjoy.
I have a pair and it's awesome for a monitor!

[wgriel]

Ok Folk. No More Deciding For Me. I Will Buy 805s Next Week And Pay The Debt Later. Music Come First Before Money. Yesssssssssssssss

I can relate! And like you, my wife loves to travel and it makes it tough to balance those trips with my audio spending. I have, on occasion, gone into debt to finance audio purchases as well

[kobestonecold]

Just ordered them and should be here by Friday. I hope i made the right choice. :T

[scanido]

Excellent choice! Those were the first speakers i lusted after. Remember to change that profile pic!

[kobestonecold]

Now i need to make a speaker cover soft protection bag or some sort when i am not at home

I don't trust my wife and my kid anymore..............

[kobestonecold]

What is the recommended crossover for 805s to subwoofer? 80?

[Blindamood]

I use 80Hz with 805S, HTM4S, and SCMS, and I think it works quite well. I'm not sure you can tell a huge difference between 80 and 100, but I just went with the THX standard, which my DVD player used as well (not changeable) for its multi-channel analog outputs.