Custom B&W finishes

[Nolan B]

Is it possible to get B&W to make past or custom finishes? I really like the birds eye finish. I want to buy fro 805s and an HTM4, but really want to get a different finish then the standard options. Can they do a special order?

[PavelL]

Until recently all you could hear from B&W regarding custom finishes was a flat "no"... B&W goes i-pod and "sound bars" So forget it! Sorry for having to say this but B&W is a no frills mass produced cheap **it. :cry:

[PavelL]

Sorry if my post sounded harsh! One satisfied customer here ))) Anyway NO SUCH thing as "Custom B&W finishes"!!!

[KyaDawn]

Sorry if my post sounded harsh! One satisfied customer here ))) Anyway NO SUCH thing as "Custom B&W finishes"!!!

Not unless you buy the Nautilus, then you can have any color you can imagine! :B

[Nolan B]

what makes them come out with special finishes like the one called Birds Eye?

[PavelL]

Not unless you buy the Nautilus, then you can have any color you can imagine! :B

And it makes sense! But not with cheap sh..goods they've flooded our markets with...

[sikoniko]

And it makes sense! But not with cheap sh..goods they've flooded our markets with...

I don't know... I'd put the 800D's against ANY speaker that is priced the same or substantially more. When comparing the value, against say Wilson, (who really is just an assembler, not a builder) the 800D blows away the Maxx3's. I've not heard the Alexandria to comment.

[dknightd]

I think the birds eye was a "special edition" finish. If you want it you'll probably have to buy used.

[PavelL]

I don't know... I'd put the 800D's against ANY speaker that is priced the same or substantially more. When comparing the value, against say Wilson, (who really is just an assembler, not a builder) the 800D blows away the Maxx3's. I've not heard the Alexandria to comment.

Are we discussing finishes or sonics?! Anyway good point! With B&W you often (but not always :nono: ) end up paying less for the same performance... With other true "hi-end" (by this I mean customer-oriented) companies you often get to choose the color you like, etc. With B&W it is always - "go eat what you are given!" and "next one, please!" It is the customer service that IMHO is missing... or gone wrong... I've owned quite a few B&W-made plywood boxes... htm7, 703, nautilus 802, nautilus htm 2, and now 802D. And that's a lots of $$$ worth of plywood boxes... Offered B&W more cash for yet another pair asking that it only be a little special this time - in black piano lacquer or grey bird's eye... Of course I offered MORE $$$ for a special finish! B&W said NO to a customer (this I understand) And NO to more $$$ :lol: (hard to understand) Weird attitude. And one more thing - when making this inquiry I also noted that one of my speakers' metal "base" is slightly loose... (A fine English lad must have received a phone call from his boyfriend during assembly or something :lol: ) Asked what I should do to have it fixed... IGNORED by B&W altogether!!! They were so busy saying NO to a customer! LOL

P.S. Bryston is a great example of what customer service is all about... But no custom finishes, me thinks :W

[beden1]

And it makes sense! But not with cheap sh..goods they've flooded our markets with...

I heard that Russia was B&W's largest market for the past several years. Somebody must have liked their products?

I wonder though, where their market is going to be with today's failing global economies?

[KyaDawn]

And it makes sense! But not with cheap sh..goods they've flooded our markets with...

I have the "Zeppelin" actually. Not "cheap" for what it is, and not "sh.." either! :B An excellent product that is the best on the market for its type.

I wouldn't call the Panorama soundbar "cheap" either. I haven't heard it, but it's priced way more than most of its competitors, and enough to drop me from considering it, even though I have a use for one for one of my flatscreens in a room where there isn't space for bookshelf monitors or 5.1 HTiB (don't want HTiB either :W).

But if you want custom colors, then Wilson is the way to go. From what I understand, you can custom most of their line with any Ferrari red or Hello Kitty pink color that you want. Me, I'll stick with cherrywood.

[dknightd]

Maybe buy the veneer you want, perhaps from some place like

http://www.veneersupplies.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=Eye&page=1&sort=2d

then visit a custom cabinet maker to have installed?

[PavelL]

I heard that Russia was B&W's largest market for the past several years. Somebody must have liked their products?

I really doubt it was THE largest. If only the second largest.. after the US. By the way Mr Medvedev is often shown on TV with a pair of black 805s behind him... Should have used some in-walls or Cabasse or Focal JM instead. Mr Putin had black B cubes So we have a different prezzy now in case you did not know.

I wonder though, where their market is going to be with today's failing global economies?

Dunno. Tough times ahead. Welcome Nokia phone as a source :lol:
Do you by any chance know how to hook a Nokia phone to my McIntosh C500 preamp? Or shall I sell my system now while I can?!?

[beden1]

I really doubt it was THE largest. If only the second largest.. after the US. By the way Mr Medvedev is often shown on TV with a pair of black 805s behind him... Should have used some in-walls or Cabasse or Focal JM instead. Mr Putin had black B cubes So we have a different prezzy now in case you did not know.

You're right, but Russia was the #1 market, California #2, and Florida #3, according to what I was told.


Dunno. Tough times ahead. Welcome Nokia phone as a source :lol:
Do you by any chance know how to hook a Nokia phone to my McIntosh C500 preamp? Or shall I sell my system now while I can?!?

No more materialistic pleasures for you Comrade. Get ready for the coming of the second red revolution.

Unfortunately, the USA will probably have their own revolution with the way Obama is declaring himself a dictator.

Where is John Lennon when you need him?

[PavelL]

No more materialistic pleasures for you Comrade. Get ready for the coming of the second red revolution.

Unfortunately, the USA will probably have their own revolution with the way Obama is declaring himself a dictator.

Where is John Lennon when you need him?

Yeah yeah comrade my *** Now it is your turn to get a taste of revolutions. :lol: My Russia has had enough no more thank you! Now's your turn :W

P.S. I like it when you use smilies the thread was originally about finishes of B&W-made coffins was it not?

[dknightd]

\
Do you by any chance know how to hook a Nokia phone to my McIntosh C500 preamp?

Here you go

http://www.panuworld.net/nuukiaworld/hardware/hifiset/index.htm

[PavelL]

Here you go

http://www.panuworld.net/nuukiaworld...iset/index.htm

Thank yoooou, sir! ;x( Come what may I am well prepared now

[audioqueso]

Aside from the special 800 signature series, the only time I've seen them do any custom finishes were on two special edition 600 S3 speakers. If I recall, it was after some rock band, but I don't remember who.

[garak]

No more materialistic pleasures for you Comrade. Get ready for the coming of the second red revolution.

Unfortunately, the USA will probably have their own revolution with the way Obama is declaring himself a dictator.

Where is John Lennon when you need him?

Obama's just cleaning up the mess left by the previous administration. Mess is an understatement - colossal disaster is more accurate.

[RobP]

alright guys, enough of the political banter, lets get back on track.

[PavelL]

Aside from the special 800 signature series, the only time I've seen them do any custom finishes were on two special edition 600 S3 speakers. If I recall, it was after some rock band, but I don't remember who.

I think it was the Fatboy Slim

[Nolan B]

Does anyone know if they made HTM4s in the birds eye finish at one point? or the SCMS?

I think i am going to have a near impossible time tracking down a 5.1 system in this finish.

[johan]

Does anyone know if they made HTM4s in the birds eye finish at one point? or the SCMS?

I think i am going to have a near impossible time tracking down a 5.1 system in this finish.

No, but they did make the previous HTM1 and SCM1 in signature finishes.

[Blindamood]

Does anyone know if they made HTM4s in the birds eye finish at one point? or the SCMS?

I think i am going to have a near impossible time tracking down a 5.1 system in this finish.

Neither of the two you mention come in the special finishes. The Signature series (somewhere between the Nautilus series and the newer 'S' series) did come in Bird's Eye and other unique finishes. So, there are Signature 805s in those finishes, but the HTM4S didn't exist then, nor did the SCMS. I've seen the SCM1's (predecessor to the SCMS) available in the Signature finishes as well, but not the HTM2 (predecessor to the HTM4S).

Here's a pair of Sig 805s currently on audiogon.com:
Sig 805 ad

[wettou]

It would be cool to have piano finish like Meridian or Linn :T You can get many different colors