My local dealer looks to be closing its doors on the New Year so I found a new dealer within a 80 mile radius.Having the day off yesterday I took a trip down the highway and found my new dealer.My old dealer had a very small store and I was amazed at the size of the building when I got there.It was a old movie theater I was later to find out.Just walking in the door I was totally blown away.My old dealer has 2 listening rooms with not much of anything now a days.This new dealer had a show room with about 12 listening setups and 5 actual demo rooms for listing.He was a elder gentlemen and a very nice soft spoken person.He told me had been in business for about 40 years and even with the economy he is going to hang on as it is his life and passion.
The first thing I noticed was a pair of B&W 803's setup with a McIntosh music server and pre and amp.But what I was interested in was the 804's .We went to a back listening room and he put on some jazz.Automatically I did not like these speakers.They where so thin in the bottom end it was terrible.They where playing through a NAD receiver and cdp.I then went and listened to the 803's with all the McIntosh gear and though it was so smooth ..well to me it was just too smooth but nice.I then listened to some paradigm speakers with a rotel pre and amp and all though nice just was not me.He was so helpful and only had 1 customer the whole 4 hours I was there and accommodated me in every way.Since I have the 683's I decided to give the pair he had a listen.I do not know why but I kept thinking about the 804's as those where the speakers I had come to audition and kept thinking about emig5m's review of his newly acquired 804's.Anyway He suggested we move the 804's to the room with the 683's which was not actually a room but a corner of the building with a front wall ,a side wall and a partial side wall, and open in the back.When we went to move the speakers He said I feel so stupid.It appeared that one of the jumpers for the lower end on left speaker was not connected.So after fixing that and moving them to where the 683's where I settled in for some more listening.I had brought the Best of the Scorpions cd and a Ozzie Osbourn .First though we put in some of his disks ,all jazz and listened to the 804's first.First thing I noticed was they where not thin anymore due to the jumper.My first real impression was one of awe.They had a amazing sound stage and music just sounded so life like and enthralling.The 804's drew me into the music.I did not listen to them long as I wanted to get a feel of the 683's again.The 683's and 804's where side by side so all we had to do was move the speaker cable from one to another.This demo was done on a NAD pre and amp.When I played the 683's the first thing I noticed was the bass.The 683's seemed to have more bass and it was extended.It also seemed to have a larger sound stage.The mids seemed clear but not as distinct and open as the 804's.The highs seemed a little harsher in certain passages especially on the rock music.So we swapped back to the 804's.After listening to the 683's with the same material I was blown away this time listening to the 804's.The mids where spot on and tonal quality was outstanding.The highs even with rock music did not have the edginess the 683's exhibited.The bass was clear and tight and more correct.The sound stage was different but actually better as with further listening what the 683's where doing was giving a extended bass that was muddier which seemed to make the 683's have a better sound stage but in reality is was just filling the room with more bass.After doing some more a/b between the 2 all I can say is the 804's present the music in a tonal quality that is enthralling and amazing.The 683's are a fine speaker and well worth their price but the 804's are worth their weight in gold.I have never been pulled into the music with 683's as I was with the 804's.Even when I got home and fired up my 683's I just could not get the sound of those sweet sound speakers out of my head.
Since I run Rotel gear we also hooked the 804's up to a Rotel 1057 receiver to get a idea of what I can expect with my Rotel gear and again the 804's did not let me down and actually was better than with the NAD gear.
My new high end store has everything a audiophile would want.Solid state,tubes,Rotel, McIntosh,Nad,B&W,and lots I never heard of nor could I afford.Just a amazing place and a amazing owner.We worked out a deal on the 804's and this weekend will give him a down payment and make payments till I have them payed off which will probably be February but I am hoping for January.Also the 804's where not broken in so I am hoping for just a tad more bass from them.They probably have 20 hours on them and I can either get that pair or new.
Anyway that was my highway to heaven. :T
The first thing I noticed was a pair of B&W 803's setup with a McIntosh music server and pre and amp.But what I was interested in was the 804's .We went to a back listening room and he put on some jazz.Automatically I did not like these speakers.They where so thin in the bottom end it was terrible.They where playing through a NAD receiver and cdp.I then went and listened to the 803's with all the McIntosh gear and though it was so smooth ..well to me it was just too smooth but nice.I then listened to some paradigm speakers with a rotel pre and amp and all though nice just was not me.He was so helpful and only had 1 customer the whole 4 hours I was there and accommodated me in every way.Since I have the 683's I decided to give the pair he had a listen.I do not know why but I kept thinking about the 804's as those where the speakers I had come to audition and kept thinking about emig5m's review of his newly acquired 804's.Anyway He suggested we move the 804's to the room with the 683's which was not actually a room but a corner of the building with a front wall ,a side wall and a partial side wall, and open in the back.When we went to move the speakers He said I feel so stupid.It appeared that one of the jumpers for the lower end on left speaker was not connected.So after fixing that and moving them to where the 683's where I settled in for some more listening.I had brought the Best of the Scorpions cd and a Ozzie Osbourn .First though we put in some of his disks ,all jazz and listened to the 804's first.First thing I noticed was they where not thin anymore due to the jumper.My first real impression was one of awe.They had a amazing sound stage and music just sounded so life like and enthralling.The 804's drew me into the music.I did not listen to them long as I wanted to get a feel of the 683's again.The 683's and 804's where side by side so all we had to do was move the speaker cable from one to another.This demo was done on a NAD pre and amp.When I played the 683's the first thing I noticed was the bass.The 683's seemed to have more bass and it was extended.It also seemed to have a larger sound stage.The mids seemed clear but not as distinct and open as the 804's.The highs seemed a little harsher in certain passages especially on the rock music.So we swapped back to the 804's.After listening to the 683's with the same material I was blown away this time listening to the 804's.The mids where spot on and tonal quality was outstanding.The highs even with rock music did not have the edginess the 683's exhibited.The bass was clear and tight and more correct.The sound stage was different but actually better as with further listening what the 683's where doing was giving a extended bass that was muddier which seemed to make the 683's have a better sound stage but in reality is was just filling the room with more bass.After doing some more a/b between the 2 all I can say is the 804's present the music in a tonal quality that is enthralling and amazing.The 683's are a fine speaker and well worth their price but the 804's are worth their weight in gold.I have never been pulled into the music with 683's as I was with the 804's.Even when I got home and fired up my 683's I just could not get the sound of those sweet sound speakers out of my head.
Since I run Rotel gear we also hooked the 804's up to a Rotel 1057 receiver to get a idea of what I can expect with my Rotel gear and again the 804's did not let me down and actually was better than with the NAD gear.
My new high end store has everything a audiophile would want.Solid state,tubes,Rotel, McIntosh,Nad,B&W,and lots I never heard of nor could I afford.Just a amazing place and a amazing owner.We worked out a deal on the 804's and this weekend will give him a down payment and make payments till I have them payed off which will probably be February but I am hoping for January.Also the 804's where not broken in so I am hoping for just a tad more bass from them.They probably have 20 hours on them and I can either get that pair or new.
Anyway that was my highway to heaven. :T
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