Upgrade of 804S system to 802DI system

[SPACEMANRICK]

Now thats not a nice thing to do to the guy....

No worries, my dealer did tell me that B&W was going to have the 802DI in piano black available before the cherry that I had ordered so it does make sense that Style would be getting his earlier....plus his speakers have no ocean to cross to get to his house!

Good news though for me, my dealer told me yesterday that my cherry 802DI is now expected in Buffalo on March 25th or March 28th so hopefully I will have them in my house in 2 or 3 weeks!

Keep us posted Style on the status of your new babies and post some pictures and more updates if you can :T

[Rod#S]

Hopefully you guys have help unboxing the speakers as my Dealer says it's a definite 2 man job and told me they would deliver and install them for me when my time comes

[style]

Hi guys ,


the 802 diamont are placed.
tomorow I make a check from all cables and PLAY!!

pictures asap.


style

piano Black in 802 is amazing 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)

[garak]

Congrats style! I know you'll love them.

[style]

[Rod#S]

[IMG] Uploaded with [/IMG]

http://img641.imageshack.us/i/dscn0

Very nice style, they look great, so how are they sounding compared to your 803Di's?

[Skyblue]

Very nice style, they look great, so how are they sounding compared to your 803Di's?

Give them some time to open up. Imo. they keep improving for at least the first 300 hours. But my is certified to be screwed on the wrong way. Maybe thats why I crave good speaker. My hearing is in my ass?

[style]

I think the go place a piece of the same rack s the place of the sub.

--> inside the CD music, the other bluray, and the Tabel.

rear panel absorber rear the 802....and the piano black center is on the way
(like wrote in a old mail the CA2300 too :W )


what do you think?
rhx
Style

[ShadowZA]

Congratulations, Omar!!!

I know, without a shadow of a doubt that you are going to be happy with these new beauties. Wishing you many hours of pure audio bliss!

:T :T :T

[Rod#S]

Very, very, nice style. So you are getting rid of the rosenut HTM2D and getting the matching piano black HTM2Di :B I like it :T By looking at your pcitures I see you moved some of your electronics up to the top shelf where the center was, does that mean you are getting the HTM stand for it?

Seeing your pictures makes it sooo hard for me not to order mine today :lol: I suspect though once SPACEMANRICK gets his and posts pictures the pressure will be too much and I'll finally place the order.

Enjoy those beauties.

[scanido]

Great looking speakers, especially in Piano Black!! Love the new speakers.

They do take some time to break in but once they do you'll notice the increased sound stage, tighter bass, and smoothing of the highs!

What are you using to protect your wood floors?

How do find B&W's Piano Black quality?

[windshear]

So why cant i see the pictures ?

[SPACEMANRICK]

Wow they look great in black! Very, sleek, stylish and modern compared to the more conservative wood colour.

Have you had a chance to listen to any music yet and what are your initial impressions? What was the first song that you broke them in with?

[wettou]

Style

Sweet enjoy, the Piano black looks good but not in my space. Also with front projection they reflect too much light.

[Canuck525]

WOW!!! nice setup. I hope you will post your impressions when you get a chance..
cheers

[style]

[madmac]

nice stuff !!. I'm not sure if putting what looks like a CD or BD player on top of the subwoofer is a great idea however!.

[style]

hi madmac,

i agree with you....bud at this moment is the only place availabel.

I go purchase a extra rack (same from the other with the Classe) and place the cd, bluray and others inside.

the sub I go place in a corner.

[SPACEMANRICK]

Finally the 802DI's have arrived!

Well I have had the 802DI's in my house now for almost 24 hours and here is my brief review after an extended listening session with Pink, Norah Jones, and the Beatles.

Beautiful much fuller and tighter sounding in the bass with no boominess whatsoever. I have had a subwoofer for the past 2 years and for most music I may not need a subwoofer anymore. I think the increased bass response may be also partially because I am now using the Cambridge 840W amp instead of my old Denon 3805 AV receiver.

The highs are more realistic and defined so you can hear much more clearly for example the subtle nuances of a brush stroke on a cymbal.

The mids sound great in the 802DI's but they also sounded great on my 804's so I will have to listen more to comment on any significant differences between the 2. Once again the mids do sound bigger and fuller because of the bigger speakers.

The sound is now more broad and comes from a bigger area and is less direct from the actual speakers than from the 804's so consequently to be enveloped and immersed in full sound requires less volume which should help save my hearing in the long run. The music is definitely more in your face with the feeling of you actually being in the room with the performers. Overall I think the 802DI is a brilliant overall package that I will be enjoying for the next 10 years at least .....until the 4th generation 802D's come out :-)

As you can see from the pictures the speakers are quite large in my music room and I think they are beautiful and match the wood and dark leather sofa and chairs. My wife on the other hand is still warming up to the big new babies in the corners of our music room :-)

Another great experience with my dealer here in Vancouver with great service and good pricing. If you are interested in B&W speakers in the Vancouver area let me know and I will send you his contact information.

Thanks again for everyone with their helpful information and encouragement through the buying and waiting process!

[Rod#S]

Well I have had the 802DI's in my house now for almost 24 hours and here is my brief review after an extended listening session with Pink, Norah Jones, and the Beatles.

Beautiful much fuller and tighter sounding in the bass with no boominess whatsoever. I have had a subwoofer for the past 2 years and for most music I may not need a subwoofer anymore. I think the increased bass response may be also partially because I am now using the Cambridge 840W amp instead of my old Denon 3805 AV receiver.

The highs are more realistic and defined so you can hear much more clearly for example the subtle nuances of a brush stroke on a cymbal.

The mids sound great in the 802DI's but they also sounded great on my 804's so I will have to listen more to comment on any significant differences between the 2. Once again the mids do sound bigger and fuller because of the bigger speakers.

The sound is now more broad and comes from a bigger area and is less direct from the actual speakers than from the 804's so consequently to be enveloped and immersed in full sound requires less volume which should help save my hearing in the long run. The music is definitely more in your face with the feeling of you actually being in the room with the performers. Overall I think the 802DI is a brilliant overall package that I will be enjoying for the next 10 years at least .....until the 4th generation 802D's come out :-)

As you can see from the pictures the speakers are quite large in my music room and I think they are beautiful and match the wood and dark leather sofa and chairs. My wife on the other hand is still warming up to the big new babies in the corners of our music room :-)

Another great experience with my dealer here in Vancouver with great service and good pricing. If you are interested in B&W speakers in the Vancouver area let me know and I will send you his contact information.

Thanks again for everyone with their helpful information and encouragement through the buying and waiting process!

It's great to hear you finally got them and are impressed with their sound. Nice pics.

[jeepers]

Well I have had the 802DI's in my house now for almost 24 hours and here is my brief review after an extended listening session with Pink, Norah Jones, and the Beatles.

Congratulations. My dealer informed me this morning that mine (exactly the same ones) arrived and he will deliver them to my place next week with the other equipment I purchased (2 JL F113's and a Lyngdorf stereo amplifier).

[htsteve]

SPACEMANRICK,

Congratulations. I'm glad it's been so positive for you. And they are not even broken in yet. They will get better.

Enjoy rediscovering your music.



jeepers,

A pair of 802Di's and a pair of F113's! Sweet. That will be very impressive.

[jeepers]

jeepers,

A pair of 802Di's and a pair of F113's! Sweet. That will be very impressive.

Steve, last weekend I was at the dealership and he demo'ed the Lyngdorf with 4 JL F113's. I can't remember which floorstanders he used (not B&W) but anyway it was impressive. I had already ordered the equipment before the demo. I sold my HT gear and decided to go back to a 2.0 (in my case 2.2) setup and since I really want to stop buying gear every 2 to 3 years, I ordered the 802Di and a pair of F113's which will hopefully last a long time. I kept my first B&W's (DM3000) 22 years.

[SPACEMANRICK]

I thought I would give an update after 10 days of listening to the speakers. The speakers now have probably over 50 hours of playing on them and the amplifiers have over 100 hours.

Everything is turned up a notch or 2 from my old 804 speakers and my old Denon 3805 AV receiver. Soundstage and sound are much bigger and wider. Detail from the music is more detailed and it is easier to hear the separation of different instruments and vocals and of different tracks in a song. I think it was track 10 on Dido's CD where I could clearly hear her open her lips before she started singing. Highs are crystal clear, vocals and midrange are still to my ear pretty close to those of the 804 speakers (which was also great) except with a bigger wider sound. Bass when needed and in the recording is very powerful and full with plenty of punch with no boominess. I am not sure if I still need my subwoofer but for now I have it on but at a low minimal setting.

I still haven't got the speakers to disappear in my room yet and perhaps that will take some experimentation with placement and toe in. My wife who never sits down to just listen to music surprised me today when I caught her listening to music and she said that the speakers sound really good and that we should buy some more good jazz and instrumental music to listen to on the new sound system. My wife also said that classical music sounds "wonderful" on the new system. I put some Metallica on yesterday and that sounded great also so the 802's have it covered from classical to Metallica :T

Nothing to do with the sound but still important..... the 802's look majestic and beautiful in our music room :T I think they look much better naked with their covers off.

My Squeezebox Touch should arrive in another day or so. The next upgrades from here are perhaps some acoustic treatments for my room and also maybe a better DAC.

[Briz vegas]

What DAC are you using?

Maybe it is the way that you are describing the music but I suspect you may have a little way to go with your system. You know you are truely getting there when it is the emotion in vocals that hits you.

The piano is purposefully bad but vocals on this "bonus" disc of Sarah Blasko's is a favourite of mine for demoing vocals. If you have not fallen for Sarah by the end of a couple of tracks - well. Its not autotuned rubbish, its a bit raw but its great. You can hear lips on a laptop speakers, its when you feel you know what the singing is thinking that you have something a little bit special.
[YOUTUBE]7TY8EUjMXpU[/YOUTUBE]


Its hard to know exactly what to suggest first to fine tune your system, all I can say is everything on my equipment list helped to make my setup shine. Resonance control is tempting to suggest because it was the last thin I added, actually it wasthe second last thing, adding a pre in the digital domain (no pre-amp) brought with it wonderful clarity.

I think that chair between the speakers will aways hamper you speakers and may make it hard for them to disappear.

Great set up by the way. And a good source is really really important at this level, in my opinion.

[stuofsci02]

What DAC are you using?

Maybe it is the way that you are describing the music but I suspect you may have a little way to go with your system. You know you are truely getting there when it is the emotion in vocals that hits you.

The piano is purposefully bad but vocals on this "bonus" disc of Sarah Blasko's is a favourite of mine for demoing vocals. If you have not fallen for Sarah by the end of a couple of tracks - well. Its not autotuned rubbish, its a bit raw but its great. You can hear lips on a laptop speakers, its when you feel you know what the singing is thinking that you have something a little bit special.
[YOUTUBE]7TY8EUjMXpU[/YOUTUBE]


Its hard to know exactly what to suggest first to fine tune your system, all I can say is everything on my equipment list helped to make my setup shine. Resonance control is tempting to suggest because it was the last thin I added, actually it wasthe second last thing, adding a pre in the digital domain (no pre-amp) brought with it wonderful clarity.

I think that chair between the speakers will aways hamper you speakers and may make it hard for them to disappear.

Great set up by the way. And a good source is really really important at this level, in my opinion.

She sounds a lot like Julia Stone..

[Briz vegas]

Both are Aussies.

[scanido]

The next upgrades from here are perhaps some acoustic treatments for my room and also maybe a better DAC.

Depending on how your room acoustics are to begin with, a better DAC would give you that next big upgrade. You may just be pleasantly surprised that with some Room EQ you may not need to spend much on acoustic panels.

With my setup, going from a Rotel receiver to an MX150 provided almost the same benefit as when going from 803S to 802 Diamonds.

[style]

hi,

i think is little "confusion" from what a Dac can give you (at the system) und what one / The speaker give you.

today all brand have a "new super Dac" in catalogue. is trend ...ok, but with a so hi level component (read Classe, Mcintosh,...) the Dac inside the pre/processor is sure at the level from what a separate Dac give you.

with my new 802 I'm very satisfait (i using the SSP800 Dac's) and to have a very benefit in my chain I dont believe that a "economic - simply dac" give me more vs. the benefit received fromt the 802.

if you have money and you go change your source with a cd player & separate Dac in order of 20k. $$ i can say Ok, by-pass the pre dac....

style

[stuofsci02]

hi,

i think is little "confusion" from what a Dac can give you (at the system) und what one / The speaker give you.

today all brand have a "new super Dac" in catalogue. is trend ...ok, but with a so hi level component (read Classe, Mcintosh,...) the Dac inside the pre/processor is sure at the level from what a separate Dac give you.

with my new 802 I'm very satisfait (i using the SSP800 Dac's) and to have a very benefit in my chain I dont believe that a "economic - simply dac" give me more vs. the benefit received fromt the 802.

if you have money and you go change your source with a cd player & separate Dac in order of 20k. $$ i can say Ok, by-pass the pre dac....

style

Style,

For those using an all analog pre, an external DAC is a must (especialy if running a digital music server). For two channel setups there is no point to having an SSP-800. An external DAC that is just as good can be had for a fraction of the price...

[Rod#S]

hi,

i think is little "confusion" from what a Dac can give you (at the system) und what one / The speaker give you.

today all brand have a "new super Dac" in catalogue. is trend ...ok, but with a so hi level component (read Classe, Mcintosh,...) the Dac inside the pre/processor is sure at the level from what a separate Dac give you.

with my new 802 I'm very satisfait (i using the SSP800 Dac's) and to have a very benefit in my chain I dont believe that a "economic - simply dac" give me more vs. the benefit received fromt the 802.

if you have money and you go change your source with a cd player & separate Dac in order of 20k. $$ i can say Ok, by-pass the pre dac....

style

Now that you have had your 802 Diamonds for a while how would you rate them compared to your previous 803 Diamonds? Are they a dramatic improvement or are the improvements more subtle and has there been anything that has surprised you, both good and not so good?

Thanks,

Rod

[SPACEMANRICK]

Thanks for the input everyone. My current CD player is a 6 year old Denon DCM 380 CD player and from a search on the internet I found it has a 20-bit Burr-Brown DAC so it appears that it can't take full advantage of 24 bit 96khz FLAC downloads. The Denon DCM 380 CD player cost me about $400 6 years ago.

I am not too knowledgeable about Dac's but I suspect that my current DAC may now be the weakest link in my system now so that may be the route for my next upgrade in the future.

I also know that the chair between my speakers and the chair to the left of the left speaker and the coffee table are not conducive to the best sound possible but for now they serve a function in our room and can't be moved.

By the way I just registered my 802DI's last night and received an email back from B&W for 3 free months of membership to the B&W Society of Sound. I downloaded 5 albums in FLAC format last night and can't wait to see how they sound through my Squeezebox Touch when it arrives on Monday!

[style]

Hi Rod,

you have in order your 802? GOO without ayn douvt!

I had : cd7nt - 703 - 803s - 803d -804di (only in test) - 803di and now 802DI.

all what is mid & tweeter is another world vs. the construction of the 804/3di.
the sound come to you very different. I have too purchased a special power line derivation with great power cord cable (for me the more important "gears" of the chain : premapli and source) : the sound is very amazing: the 3D "effect" is unbelieveble": never thinkedthat this was possible.
Hey the 803di is a very great speaker but is another "experience vs. the 802di.
with the 802di I can immagine a system without center, with the 803DI not so "direct..."

I think that SPACEMANRICK with your set is very very happy ! OR?

this speaker is a very stone: if do you will another speaker at the same level
the 14k $$$ official price are not enough...a Wilson sophia was a very good alternative but is much more expensive and the price difference is not
at the level $$ - performance. and if you have other B&W speakers in your chain the 802di is the top solution.

Rod your set with the htm2di as center plus 802di give you a front end very amanzing!

as separet Dac is sure a good thing but all depend from your others electronics units. with a SSP800 a "little" Dacmagic or similar dont give you any improvement . a good dac is the ayre, the chord but is a stereo listing program. the naim is the not bad but give the best with other naim product! have a naim dac to be used with "not compatible" cables connection is not a good solution¨. have e pre , dac power supply all Naim give you a notable improvement.....

I dont know is a cp700 sencond that can i have a very GOOD price is better versus a dac from 5k. euros/ $$

the new cp800 is very different from the cp700: the first is a fully digital "units" the cp700 is a very great analog gears....

a chain muss be very equilibred and this is the key to have a graet sound!
------
in every case the 802di is the best speaker today available: I dont can immagine a 800di in my room, the other speakers brand are very expensive to have the same sound "delivered" from the 802: = in place of 14000$/euro your cheque muss be at the douple to have the same resultat...

style

(ps.: I have receive the B&W polish but to be used obly is very necessary! !! 2 x jahr?! not more)

[scanido]

Style, what B&W polish you speak of?

[style]

hi scanido,

is a "polish" from B&W made expecially for the piano black speakers!


normaly is extra to be buy but my contact at Classe he send me gratsi this product.

of course is not t be used every week but only if is very necessary!

is a original B&W product and not extra from ?!?!? product only too make money!
Scanido go with the piano black 802! dont worry is a excellent color very 8O !

with you sistem you will very happy and surprised from the quality of sound tha you will have.... :T

style

[Rod#S]

Hi Rod,

you have in order your 802? GOO without ayn douvt!

I had : cd7nt - 703 803s - 803d -804di (only in test) - 803di and now 802DI.

all what is mid & tweeter is another world vs. the construction of the 804/3di.
the sound come to yu very different. I have too purchared a special power line drivation with great power cord cable (for the more important "gears" of the chain : premapli and source) : the sound is very amazing: the 3D "effect" is unbelieveble": never think was possible.
Hey the 803si is a very great speaker but is another "experience vs. the 802di.
with the 802di I can immagine a sytem without center, with the 803DI not so "direct..."

I think that that SPACEMANRICK with your set is very very happy ! OR?

this speaker is a very stone: if do you will another speaker at the same level
the 14k $$$ official price are ot enough...a Wilso sopjia was a very good alternative but is too much more expensive and the price difference is not
at the level $$ - performance. and if you have other B&W speakers in your chain the 802di is the top solution.

Rod your set with the htm2di as center plus 802di give you a front end very amanzing!

as separet Dac is sure a good thing but all depend from your others electronics units. with a SSP800 a "little" Dacmagic or similar dont dive you any improvent . a good dac is the ayre, the chord but ir a stereo listing program. the naim is the not but but with other naim produc! have a naim dac to be used with "mot compatible" cables conniction id not a good solution¨. have e pre , dac power supply all Nain give you a notable improvement.....

I dont know is a cp700 sencond that can i have a bery GOOD price is better versus a dac from 5k. euros/ $$

the new cp800 is very different from the cp700: the firdt is a fully digital "units" the cp700 is a ver great analog gears....

a chain muss be very equiibred and this the little segret to have a graet sound!
------
in every case the 802di is the best speaker today available: I dont can immagina a 800di in my room, the other speakers brand are very expensive to have the same sound "delivered" from the 802: = inplace of 14000$/euro your chaque muss be at the douple to have the same resultat...

style

(ps.: I have receive the B&W polish but to be used obly is very necessary! !! 2 x jahr?! not more)

Thanks for your comments style, they were greatly appreciated. I have not yet ordered my 802 Diamonds :cry: Something rather serious has come up with my apartment, I have started getting water coming in from the ceiling above where my gear sits so before I bring such an expensive pair of speakers into the apartment I am going to wait until my ceiling is repaired. Unfortunately I'm not sure how long it will be :cry:

[SPACEMANRICK]

I think that that SPACEMANRICK with your set is very very happy ! OR?

this speaker is a very stone: if do you will another speaker at the same level
the 14k $$$ official price are ot enough...a Wilso sopjia was a very good alternative but is too much more expensive and the price difference is not
at the level $$ - performance. and if you have other B&W speakers in your chain the 802di is the top solution.

Style, I love my new system! Any hesitation I had about spending the money disappears when I sit back on my sofa and listen to some beautiful music. Spread out over 20 years the speakers are actually quite a bargain :T

I told my wife and I am pretty sure it is true that this is my last update for speakers ever....

[SPACEMANRICK]

Thanks for your comments style, they were greatly appreciated. I have not yet ordered my 802 Diamonds :cry: Something rather serious has come up with my apartment, I have started getting water coming in from the ceiling above where my gear sits so before I bring such an expensive pair of speakers into the apartment I am going to wait until my ceiling is repaired. Unfortunately I'm not sure how long it will be :cry:

Rod, sorry to hear about the repairs to your apartment.

As I found out though, the longer the wait the more you will appreciate the 802DI's when they finally arrive!

[Rod#S]

Rod, sorry to hear about the repairs to your apartment.

As I found out though, the longer the wait the more you will appreciate the 802DI's when they finally arrive!

Thanks, yeah I certainly hope so Hopefully this week I will at least hear when the work is scheduled to begin. The timing couldn't be worse as I was going to order the speakers this coming Friday, I even got my dealer to get his rep to check on stock late last week and the rosenuts were in stock so I probably could have had the speakers by April 22nd :cry:

[style]

hi,

I dont go change the 802di for ong long time.

a upgrade from this speaker = go bay a speaker from èrice of 30k. $$$!!!

I'm very happy too.

Rod is ou have the possiblity to go with this upgrae xo dont' gocangh for long time any other upgrade!!!


before the purchasing of the 802di i have received a offerd for a focal utopia scla: chande themy 803di plus a money diferent..ummm I have decide to go with thee 802di andi'm very fadisfaid!

I have read a ver good rewiev of the Cambridge 840 combo: in stereo is a very good choice.

Ihave the subwoofer but Ilife without this last wihhot any problem!

style

[stuofsci02]

Spacemanrick..

Did you get your Squeezebox Touch yet?

Cheers

[SPACEMANRICK]

Stuart, yes I received my Squeezebox Touch a few days ago and I am amazed at the simplicity now of listening to music on the Squeezebox compared to the CD player! I have been copying all my CD's to Flac files and forsee that I will soon not be even using my CD player at all anymore..... I just love it! So far the sound from the DAC of the Squeezebox seems pretty close to the sound of CD's from my Denon CD player but the sound of the downloaded 24 bit high def FLAC files are amazing and are richer with more depth.

I just picked up an IPAD today and I downloaded Squeezepad and 60 seconds later I was controlling my Squeezebox Touch from my sofa. The program is incredible and so easy to use and cost only $10 and the graphics are beautiful. Thanks for the help from everyone on the new system and the Squeezebox Touch....there is no going back now thanks to everyone on here :T

Here is a photo of the fun I am having tonight!

[stuofsci02]

Excellent!

I am jealous.. I use my iPhone with the iPeng app to control my Touch, but that Ipad looks so nice!

Cheers,

Stuart

[SPACEMANRICK]

Thanks Stuart, I can't believe how easy it is now to just flip through the IPAD on my sofa and pick an album look at the cover and then pick a song! Want a different album?...OK click the IPAD a few times....5 seconds later it is playing.

One of my concerns was of having too many black boxes in our music room. I really think my CD player will be very rarely used anymore now that I am using the Squeezebox Touch and the IPAD. I think my next upgrade, as you and others have suggested, should be to take out the CD player and replace it with a better DAC. Hold it more cash out of my pocket :lol: , OK maybe I will hold off until next Christmas

[stuofsci02]

Spacemanrick,

You sound like your in a good place.. And the good news is that if you are enjoying the sound now, just wait until you add a nice DAC.. The SB Touch, with its switching power supply, is "ok" at best..

I wish I had an easy upgrade route... Alas for me it is either a new preamp, super-DAC or 802Di or 800Di.. O well like you said.. Amortized over my life I guess it is not that expensive..

BTW.. What are you using to rip to FLAC?