New B&W serie 800 !!!

[Relentless]

You have to admit they look nice :T ...............NOPE!!!


The new 800 Series line also features two dedicated center channel speakers for home theater use. Bowers & Wilkins 800 Series Diamond speakers will be available in February.

HTM2D and what else?

[RedRock]

HTM2D and what else?

HTM4-D is the other new center channel.

[Ken49r]

The problem is is that most customers have 803Ds, 802Ds, 801Ds, and 800Ds that are not piano black and may have been wanting to upgrade to an 805D if B&W had produced them in Black Ash, Rosenut, and Cherry to match the colors of their current customer's speakers. As a result of not doing that, I think B&W has lost out on some serious revenue. I would've thought that would've been a very easy business decision to produce 805Ds since they have sold so many 800 Diamond Series Speakers.

I agree.

I was saving up to move my 805S's (black ash) to the rears and upgrade the front L/C/R. But now that B&W has killed the line, I'm going to use that money to upgrade my electronics (amp, pre-amp, source) instead.

I may go with McIntosh since they seem to know how to preserve the look they have been famous for over the years. A new piece today integrates on a rack with a piece bought 10, 20, 30, years ago.

[kaitkei]

Deutschland Premiere

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNPoPCbB_lI

[Relentless]

Deutschland Premiere

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNPoPCbB_lI

That ring around the tweeter is kind of like a beautiful woman with a black eye.

[jamesdaman]

Bah i still want to know the specs lol

[Kal Rubinson]

That ring around the tweeter is kind of like a beautiful woman with a black eye.

Or eye-liner.

[jamesdaman]

RIGHT ok im gonna say I LOVE THE NEW LOOK lol im really bored of people going on about how bad they look. I think they look really nice and fresh, if you dont like them.....dont buy them and enjoy what you have

[Relentless]

RIGHT ok im gonna say I LOVE THE NEW LOOK lol im really bored of people going on about how bad they look. I think they look really nice and fresh, if you dont like them.....dont buy them and enjoy what you have

You are absolutely correct, my constant bitching is about having bought these top of the line speakers 2 years ago and now they are obsolete in the consumers eyes. I don't see the need to upgrade because I have a phenomenal system already but B&W put out the same speaker with some minor changes and devalued what I already have. I know they need to stir up business but this is more marketing than anything in my opinion. They should of waited until they could of done a complete retool of the line, or just started a new flagship series. If I wanted a flashy black speaker .... need I say Wilson.

[Relentless]

Or eye-liner.

A way to look at the bright side :T

[jamesdaman]

Your writing the new series off because of the way they look, so they look the same with a few changes O well they will either sound the same or worce. Listen ive driven a 911 996 turbo Mk2 and a 997 911 turbo Mk2 and believe me they may look sorta the same but they are VERY differnt

[timjclark]

You are absolutely correct, my constant bitching is about having bought these top of the line speakers 2 years ago and now they are obsolete in the consumers eyes. I don't see the need to upgrade because I have a phenomenal system already but B&W put out the same speaker with some minor changes and devalued what I already have. I know they need to stir up business but this is more marketing than anything in my opinion. They should of waited until they could of done a complete retool of the line, or just started a new flagship series. If I wanted a flashy black speaker .... need I say Wilson.

Historically speaking, B&W changes the 800 series every five years. Sure, sometimes it is radical like when they introduced the Nautilus series, or less radical for the D/S line and the Di line. I do not mean any disrespect, but if you were worried about having the current version for a long period of time, perhaps you should have bought sooner or later.

I lived with my DM640's for 19 years and there were lots of changes to the line in that time (640i, 604, 604S2, 604S3, 683 ...) but I enjoyed what I had and was not worried about (or even auditioned) the latest and greatest speaker. And when the opportunity came to purchase the outgoing 803S model at a discount, I jumped at it. That is totally different that your situation I know.

When I some hear people compare Nautilus to the D/S, many of them claim a significant improvement. Until we hear the Di's, we won't know. And then again it always comes down to personal preference.

I don't think your speakers are obsolete. Heck, before I bought the 803S's, I was seriously thinking about a pair of 801S2/3's. Maybe I'm not normal though. 8O

[emig5m]

How are you going to be able to do a fair comparison at a dealer if the dealer doesn't have the previous models on the floor to demo back-to-back with? Trying to remember what you heard at a earlier time on an older speaker with more than likely different components and settings is going to be nearly impossible to do fair comparisons of the new lineup compared to the old. Unless you're doing a in home demo back-to-back with the previous models, I'm going to be very skeptical of peoples opinions when they go to the dealers to demo the new models and compare them to the old ones once they've arrived.

[Relentless]

Your writing the new series off because of the way they look, so they look the same with a few changes O well they will either sound the same or worce. Listen ive driven a 911 996 turbo Mk2 and a 997 911 turbo Mk2 and believe me they may look sorta the same but they are VERY different

I don't like the rings, they ruin the look completely for me. If they adjusted the crossover points, well that could give the speaker a slightly different character and change the mid range and that would be a personal preference and I may not like what they did with the new speaker. I am not sure I even want to listen to the new 800D just in case i do. I am just voicing my opinion, you know the beauty of the Internet. I should just go back to enjoying music and stop wasting my valuable listening time on the computer.

[Ken49r]

Deutschland Premiere

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNPoPCbB_lI

Unless my eyes are playing tricks on me, the DB-1 has a black base in this video and the one from the CEDIA photo has a silver base.

[KyaDawn]

A man who understands what I'm saying. :T

As for the silver rings B&W by that statement now realize what a blunder it was to go that route and are trying to down play it.
It's a tricky thing to mess around with what has become a very classic,classy look.Simply horrible IMHO.Silver Rings/No Way.

Yes, I agree. It does seem like they are trying down play the rings now that they've received the firestorm of criticism around them when they say stuff like:

I’d reserve judgement on the silver trims until you see some speakers in the flesh. As they tend to catch the flashlight, they look more shiny in these pictures than in real life. I find that they had a really subtle and appropiate definition which just draws out the shape of the speaker a little better. Indeed, on the wood finishes - which aren’t glossed - the trims don’t stand out much at all.

I disagree especially with the last statement. Having viewed youtube video that kaitkei put up, I think they particularly stand out in the rosenut finish. I've yet to see a "real world" photo of the silver rings on the cherrywood speakers, but in the studio photos they are also very noticeable.

[jamesdaman]

Bit random but how does Bryston compaire to classe?? some like the Bryston 4b sst

[Relentless]

Bit random but how does Bryston compaire to classe?? some like the Bryston 4b sst

probably the wrong place to ask this question....try asking here Classe Bryston

[Briz vegas]

Isn't it about time someone gpt to hear these darn things.

The huge price hike has me curious as to how they sound. When will the demo models hit the stores. I don't care about the rings or uninformed opinion of how they might sound.

[george_k]

I couldn't bother waiting, the higher prices priced me out of an upgrade. I've jumped the B&W ship :-)

[dmccombs]

I couldn't bother waiting, the higher prices priced me out of an upgrade. I've jumped the B&W ship :-)

What did you get George?

[george_k]

Traded in my 703's + cash on a new pair of Harbeth Compact 7's. Substituted one British loudspeaker for another :-)

[1oldguy]

I couldn't bother waiting, the higher prices priced me out of an upgrade. I've jumped the B&W ship :-)

I doubt you'll be the last.

[Grasynoll]

Alot of high end speaker manufacturers make really good floorstanders in the 4k-5k range. I can't believe B & W would leave this segment of the market.

[KyaDawn]

Alot of high end speaker manufacturers make really good floorstanders in the 4k-5k range. I can't believe B & W would leave this segment of the market.

I suspect B&W is working on a new 700 series as we speak precisely to fill this gap in the market, at least I hope so! :B It they are, it won't probably be released until at least for a year or two, to let the attention focus on the Diamond series I would assume.

[wettou]

Paradigm any one!

[1oldguy]

Paradigm any one!

OR PSB perhaps/

[beden1]

OR PSB perhaps/

Didn't I see where you sold off all of your B&W speakers and equipment?

[1oldguy]

Didn't I see where you sold off all of your B&W speakers and equipment?

I thought so too.But I still have it all infact.All boxed up. :T

[Relentless]

I thought so too.But I still have it all infact.All boxed up. :T

I remember reading about this a while back. You have made it this long....is there any hope you can keep the equipment?

[RedRock]

I spoke to my dealer earlier today. He told me he may be able to take orders for the new 800 series as early as late next week. Any other updates out there?

[beden1]

I thought so too.But I still have it all infact.All boxed up. :T

If I remember correctly, you didn't set up your system as you decided to sell it all just before it got delivered, as something came up from a financial standpoint?

I also remember you posting that you hated the sound of the speakers?

I guess my point is, how would you really know since you didn't really listen to your system, or if you did, for only a very short time?

[1oldguy]

If I remember correctly, you didn't set up your system as you decided to sell it all just before it got delivered, as something came up from a financial standpoint?

I also remember you posting that you hated the sound of the speakers?

I guess my point is, how would you really know since you didn't really listen to your system, or if you did, for only a very short time?

I had it hooked up for 14 hours.Looking back it didn't have a chance in that length of time to break in with everything being new.Also the pre that I had a loan of didn't have tone controls.It isn't purist to have them I know but for rooms that are less than ideal it can help.At the first start up I was really unimpressed that's true but it started to get better towards the end of the very small amount of time I used it.

[AV-OCD]

I'm blushing over here SG. ops:

I can't begin to tell you how many times I have seen people come full circle when it comes to this hobby. The perpetual notion that their system isn't all that it can be fuels the fire to keep "upgrading" until they reach the top or become exhausted from all the effort and yet still they are not happy.

Unfortunately, the trip is inevitable for many because these types of topics cloud their vision and they lose sight of their goals to reach a practical place of contentment at a price one can afford and their life style can accomodate. When they finally do find their way back home (aka downsize) the most common reason has been that the pursuit took them away from origial intent and purpose to get closer to the music they love. Ironic eh? "Love the one you're with."

Wow, what are the odds that I would come across this topic of discussion while in search of more reasonably priced but still good sounding gear.

I went whacko over the past two years trying to assemble my ultimate system. While I was happy with the sound quality of the end result, it still didn't change my life like I thought it would. Sure, it sounded great, but it's not like the sea parted every time I fired it up. It is very easy, when you have a lot of money into a system, to form some very unreasonable expectations. The pursuit of perfection like chasing a rainbow--always just out of reach and continually moving.

I also find that high-end audio is like dating a high-maintainence super model. Sure, she's totally hot, but if she isn't pampered, your life with her becomes miserable. I spent so much time tending to the system, tweaking this and that trying to perfect the sound, that as James points out, it's no longer about enjoying the end result. To add insult to injury, several of my high-end pieces of gear required repair or had bugs, which resulted in months of troubleshooting to get them resolved.

So the long and the short of this rant, is that I'm pulling my hat out of the exotic high-end audio ring, and going back to system that will cost me a quarter of what I have into it now. That may involve a set of 805 Diamonds, which are not inexpensive for a stand mount, but its a far cry from what I have spent up to this point.

[AV-OCD]

That phase plug has to go! I don't get the bling factor on the new series. Do you think they can retro fit some DUB's on them for stands...... OK that's just my goofy opinion

Just for an alternate perspective here, I absolutely love the new look. Much more refined and "finished" looking than the older design, which to me has good form but they almost look industrial in comparison. And thank God they finally have a gloss black option. The black ash is so mid-90's.

This is the 800 series I've been waiting for. Diamond tweeter, upgraded motors, and a more polished appearance. I just hope they sound as good as they look.

But what is up with all of the news reports stating that they will be available in Feb, but my dealer says April. What a tease.

[KyaDawn]

So the long and the short of this rant, is that I'm pulling my hat out of the exotic high-end audio ring, and going back to system that will cost me a quarter of what I have into it now. That may involve a set of 805 Diamonds, which are not inexpensive for a stand mount, but its a far cry from what I have spent up to this point.

Wow, I looked at your AVS thread and you had in your listening room over half a dozen pairs of excellent high-end speakers "over the past two years"?! That's amazing. :T Brands like Revel, Dynaudio, Focal, KEF, Martin Logan, Wilson-Benesch, etc.

So were these all purchases that was superseded by the "next" speaker you fell in love with, or were you in the process of auditioning them at home? Were you constantly selling your speakers to buy the next pair? And generally what did you think of each speaker that motivated you to buy them and why did you switch them up in such a short amount of time?

And of course, the biggest question is, why no B&W? :B

[emig5m]

Wow, I looked at your AVS thread and you had in your listening room over half a dozen pairs of excellent high-end speakers "over the past two years"?! That's amazing. :T Brands like Revel, Dynaudio, Focal, KEF, Martin Logan, Wilson-Benesch, etc.

So were these all purchases that was superseded by the "next" speaker you fell in love with, or were you in the process of auditioning them at home? Were you constantly selling your speakers to buy the next pair? And generally what did you think of each speaker that motivated you to buy them and why did you switch them up in such a short amount of time?

And of course, the biggest question is, why no B&W? :B

Good questions, lol.

[AV-OCD]

Wow, I looked at your AVS thread and you had in your listening room over half a dozen pairs of excellent high-end speakers "over the past two years"?! That's amazing. :T Brands like Revel, Dynaudio, Focal, KEF, Martin Logan, Wilson-Benesch, etc.

So were these all purchases that was superseded by the "next" speaker you fell in love with, or were you in the process of auditioning them at home? Were you constantly selling your speakers to buy the next pair? And generally what did you think of each speaker that motivated you to buy them and why did you switch them up in such a short amount of time?

And of course, the biggest question is, why no B&W? :B

Yes, all very good questions.

Most of those were purchases, and some were in-home auditions. Audio, I find, is a very tricky thing. I would initially be enamored with a set of speakers, only to find that after living with them for a month or two that I would dial in on some character or coloration that I found distracting. Rarely was it a matter of wanting more or better, rather it was some additive layer of artifice.

Thankfully, I worked with a very accommodating dealer during most of the search, so very little money was actually lost, but it was still a maddening experience.

The exact qualities that attracted me each speaker purchase would take more time to go through than I care o get into right now.

B&W was in the mix during my search, but I was able to audition those at the local store. I loved the 802D, but they are much too large for my space, and the 803D didn't have the treble magic of the 802D and I found it was too chesty through the lower mids. The previous 800 line also wasn't my first pick for aesthetic reasons. The finish looked dated to me. And I have no reservations in saying that aesthetics are just as important to me as the sound of the speaker. I wished that B&W would provide a high gloss black or grey tiger's eye, and I always felt the design would look so much better if they would add a silver accent ring around the drivers. :lol: :lol:

[wettou]

Wow, what are the odds that I would come across this topic of discussion while in search of more reasonably priced but still good sounding gear.

I went whacko over the past two years trying to assemble my ultimate system. While I was happy with the sound quality of the end result, it still didn't change my life like I thought it would. Sure, it sounded great, but it's not like the sea parted every time I fired it up. It is very easy, when you have a lot of money into a system, to form some very unreasonable expectations. The pursuit of perfection like chasing a rainbow--always just out of reach and continually moving.

I also find that high-end audio is like dating a high-maintainence super model. Sure, she's totally hot, but if she isn't pampered, your life with her becomes miserable. I spent so much time tending to the system, tweaking this and that trying to perfect the sound, that as James points out, it's no longer about enjoying the end result. To add insult to injury, several of my high-end pieces of gear required repair or had bugs, which resulted in months of troubleshooting to get them resolved. In fact, I'm still waiting for resolution to a problem with one of my speakers. Six weeks after the initial report of the problem, I'm being told that it is probably due to user error, and the only way to get the speaker fixed is to send both of them back to the UK (they are not B&Ws) at my cost. This is estimated to be $2400 to fix what I know to be a bad resistor in the crossover, which is a $5 part. Ludicrous.

So the long and the short of this rant, is that I'm pulling my hat out of the exotic high-end audio ring, and going back to system that will cost me a quarter of what I have into it now. That may involve a set of 805 Diamonds, which are not inexpensive for a stand mount, but its a far cry from what I have spent up to this point.

Sobering, I could not agree more, it is like dating a super model and some of them get real ugly as they age :E

Rather than B&W 805D give yourself a favor and audition Paradigm Signature Series S1 P-Be, you will be amazed by what you hear, save loads of cash and you can enjoy the music

http://www.paradigm.com/en/reference/fronts-signature-signatures1%28pbe%29-model-2-17-1-69.paradigm

Wilson Benesh are the speakers if I am not mistaken, that sucks

[kaitkei]

Sobering, I could not agree more, it is like dating a super model and some of them get real ugly as they age :E

Rather than B&W 805D give yourself a favor and audition Paradigm Signature Series S1 P-Be, you will be amazed by what you hear, save loads of cash and you can enjoy the music

http://www.paradigm.com/en/reference/fronts-signature-signatures1%28pbe%29-model-2-17-1-69.paradigm

Wilson Benesh are the speakers if I am not mistaken, that sucks

Do you seriously believe that the Paradigms can compare/compete with the B&W's and have close to the same quality of sound?? From my past experience with Paradigm, they were not even close but I might have to take another listen to Paradigm and the new S8's to hear for myself if they have improved over previous generations.

[wettou]

Do you seriously believe that the Paradigms can compare/compete with the B&W's and have close to the same quality of sound?? From my past experience with Paradigm, they were not even close but I might have to take another listen to Paradigm and the new S8's to hear for myself if they have improved over previous generations.

Yes go listen, it is very close.

[AV-OCD]

Do you seriously believe that the Paradigms can compare/compete with the B&W's and have close to the same quality of sound?? From my past experience with Paradigm, they were not even close but I might have to take another listen to Paradigm and the new S8's to hear for myself if they have improved over previous generations.

I owned the S8's and later the S4's and they were better than many much more expensive speakers. I owned them for over two years, which is a long run for me.

However, Paradigm has moved to a metal midrange cone, which I tend not to like. Of course it all depends on the execution of the design, but so far, metal mid cones have generally sounded etched and artificial to me.

[swayback]

Tim,

I've been following some of your posts. I am currently suffering from "analysis-paralysis". I've been going back and forth between what speakers I'm going to buy. I ran across your posts and noticed that you currently own a killer set-up. I too am quite Obsessive-compulsive aka anal about potential products and set up. I also noticed that one of your most recent posts stated that you didn't feel you needed large floor loudspeakers to obtain the sound you desire (eg your Wison-Benesche).

I'm considering B&W 803Di but realized for the same money I could get 805Di(bookshelf) as well as HTM2Di (center) and ASW 825 (sub) for the same price. I listen to music more than HT. Also, the wife tends to prefer the bookshelf more in aesthetics. Yet, we have a 3 year old and are concerned about the 805 being knocked over.

I struggle with the decision as I don't want to "deny" myself the best for my musical interests, but realize after reading so many posts that the Holy Grail is unattainable--allowing all of us to spend more and more $.

Any thoughts and counseling are appreciated. I'm driving my wife and myself crazy over the decision.

Swayback. 8O

[wettou]

Tim,I struggle with the decision as I don't want to "deny" myself the best for my musical interests, but realize after reading so many posts that the Holy Grail is unattainable--allowing all of us to spend more and more $.

You are right "the Holy Grail is unattainable" unless you have enough money and you can have the artists and musicians in your living room

Now having said that buy yourself the most that you can afford so you won't feel regretful but remember this is a hobby an expensive one but still a hobby so have fun:T

[AV-OCD]

Tim,

I've been following some of your posts. I am currently suffering from "analysis-paralysis". I've been going back and forth between what speakers I'm going to buy. I ran across your posts and noticed that you currently own a killer set-up. I too am quite Obsessive-compulsive aka anal about potential products and set up. I also noticed that one of your most recent posts stated that you didn't feel you needed large floor loudspeakers to obtain the sound you desire (eg your Wison-Benesche).

I'm considering B&W 803Di but realized for the same money I could get 805Di(bookshelf) as well as HTM2Di (center) and ASW 825 (sub) for the same price. I listen to music more than HT. Also, the wife tends to prefer the bookshelf more in aesthetics. Yet, we have a 3 year old and are concerned about the 805 being knocked over.

I struggle with the decision as I don't want to "deny" myself the best for my musical interests, but realize after reading so many posts that the Holy Grail is unattainable--allowing all of us to spend more and more $.

Any thoughts and counseling are appreciated. I'm driving my wife and myself crazy over the decision.

Swayback. 8O

I feel your pain.

My opinion on your situation is clear though. Go for the 805Di with sub (that is if you like the sound of the diamond series once they are available to hear). I believe that the 805di's can be bolted to the stand, so they are at no more risk of tipping than a floorstander.

Oh, and I would strongly recommend considering a JL Audio sub instead of the B&W.