800D New Stereophile Magazine

[Pio]

Just picked it up today in the Houston Hobby airport of all places. Kal gave the 800 a great review. If you're (like me) a geek about stuff like this - go get your copy. I know I had been waiting for it for a while.

Needless to say he liked the 800 more than his resident 802Ds and he felt the new 800Ds trumped the Canton speakers he reviewed recently as well as the Revel Ultimas.

Sorry if its a repost....

[Skyblue]

http://www.bowers-wilkins.com/Downloads/Product/Review/800D-Stereophile-May2011.pdf

Here is the review.

[DeepEndX]

Too bad no comparison to the 800D. That would be very interesting....

[Kal Rubinson]

Too bad no comparison to the 800D. That would be very interesting....

Not enough room in the room. (See picture below.)

I did review the earlier Nautilis 800 Signatures in the same room but, considering the time interval, it is not possible to give opinions on the differences. The link to the earlier review is: http://www.stereophile.com/floorloudspeakers/600

[Rod#S]

Cool picture.

So Kal, would purchasing the 800 Diamonds be something you would consider at this point having had them for a while or are you still more than pleased with your 802D's? I see you are running 3 802Ds so I guess moving up to the 800 Diamonds would likely mean getting 3 rather than 2 in your case or would getting the HTM2 Diamond be a possiblity? Curious, why 3 802Ds, I don't see a tv, do you have a screen that comes down or are the 3 802Ds not for home theater but for multi channel music?

Do you have any plans on trying out the 802 Diamonds? Based on your extremely positive review of the 800's it would be interesting to see if the new 802 Diamonds narrow the gap between your 802D's and the 800 Diamonds or if perhaps you would end up preferring the 802D's over the 802 Diamonds.

Thanks,

Rod

[aarsoe]

Kal

Do you have a "thing" for cats? Or are they there as sound improving devices - defusers? :-)

[Pedro]

Great Review

BTW i was looking for the frequency response of the old 800D and B&W seems changed in the new one the response, less flat than the previous S800, N800 and 800D. Does it means the old could be better?

[Cruxis]

Kal

Do you have a "thing" for cats? Or are they there as sound improving devices - defusers? :-)

At least they're not lime green :B

[Kal Rubinson]

Kal

Do you have a "thing" for cats? Or are they there as sound improving devices - defusers? :-)

It is my wife's "thing."

[Kal Rubinson]

Great Review

BTW i was looking for the frequency response of the old 800D and B&W seems changed in the new one the response, less flat than the previous S800, N800 and 800D. Does it means the old could be better?

Thanks but I think the comparison should be made between measurements made under the same conditions by the same person, especially when they are available and the differences are subtle.

[DeepEndX]

Nice room & nice setup. The design seems a little South East Asia.... Great review. How do you like the Mac amps compare to your Classe?

[aarsoe]

Pedro

I would actually argue that they are very similar if you take into account the different scale on the measurements. I would think you could overlay them and only see a difference in the lower end with the new woofers.

[ShadowZA]

Excellent review! I'll continue to enjoy my 3 front end 802D's ... that is ... until my daughter wants them.

[Kal Rubinson]

Pedro

I would actually argue that they are very similar if you take into account the different scale on the measurements. I would think you could overlay them and only see a difference in the lower end with the new woofers.

Yes but it suggests that, if there is a difference, the variables between the measurement conditions might mask them.

[Kal Rubinson]

Curious, why 3 802Ds, I don't see a tv, do you have a screen that comes down or are the 3 802Ds not for home theater but for multi channel music?

Exactly. I do have a 5" LCD for menu use.

[Pedro]

Yes but it suggests that, if there is a difference, the variables between the measurement conditions might mask them.

For the measurements of S800 did you use the same room with same conditions? If you did, the curve is different and suggest less coloration in the bass and treble. Do you think it could be so much listened especially at high levels? I ask because i own the 801D (which is very flat according to other review) and i was thinking to try 800Di.

S800 (Stereophile/Kal Runbison)


801D (Hifi world review)

[Kal Rubinson]

For the measurements of S800 did you use the same room with same conditions? If you did, the curve is different and suggest less coloration in the bass and treble.

???? I did not measure them. (Actually, I did but JA only published a single graph which he assembled from some of my data.) JA measured a single 800Diamond and not the pair I used. He, also, measured all the B&W predecessors and those that he has done since his move to NYC were done under the same conditions. So,what are you saying the curve is different from?

Do you think it could be so much listened especially at high levels?

I do not understand.

I ask because i own the 801D (which is very flat according to other review) and i was thinking to try 800Di.

Well, it was measured under different conditions and it seems to be somewhat smoothed, most apparent from 250Hz down.

[wettou]

http://www.bowers-wilkins.com/Downlo...le-May2011.pdf

Here is the review.

Muchas Gracias :T

[Rod#S]

Exactly. I do have a 5" LCD for menu use.

Was that "Exactly" to indicate you have a screen or you are just running an audio setup? I think you are saying just music due to the 5" LCD but I just wanted to confirm What are you running for rear speakers, if anything?

Thanks

[Kal Rubinson]

Was that "Exactly" to indicate you have a screen or you are just running an audio setup? I think you are saying just music due to the 5" LCD but I just wanted to confirm What are you running for rear speakers, if anything?

Thanks

Yeah. I was too terse and responded to your last point. No TV and just music. TV in another room. The rears are 804S.

Kal

[azazel]

Nice review, thanks! I own 802 nautilus. Is there significant improvements with the 802 diamond or is the difference only slight? Also, I have a large room and listen at a distance of about 5m. Would 800D sound louder even though the mid/ tweeter is the same as the 802D?

[scanido]

Nice review, thanks! I own 802 nautilus. Is there significant improvements with the 802 diamond or is the difference only slight? Also, I have a large room and listen at a distance of about 5m. Would 800D sound louder even though the mid/ tweeter is the same as the 802D?

Sounds to me you got enough room for 800Di's!

[scanido]

Kal,

In your review you used the Mac MC303. Were the 800 Diamonds an easier load for this amp over the 802D's with the 300w?

The 800 Diamonds can handle up to 1000w. Do you think you would have experienced better results if you coupled the speakers with more powerful amps or do you find the 300w sufficient as you stated the speakers seemed louder?

[Rod#S]

Yeah. I was too terse and responded to your last point. No TV and just music. TV in another room. The rears are 804S.

Kal

Thanks Kal. Another coule of questions if you don't mind. How far behind your sofa or chair are your 804s and are they placed directly on the floor or raised a bit? I have Paradigm Studio 60s for my rears placed about 7 feet behind and when I placed them I was concerned that the tweeters were not high enough to clear the back of my sofa so I placed them on concrete blocks. They are 37.25" on their own so a bit shorter than say the 804s. Was doing this necessary do you think or would they have been fine directly on the floor? I did a similar thing for my surrounds but they are up higher, since I live in an apartemnt I couldn't attach my ADP's on the wall so the best I could do was boost the height of the stand via concrete blocks to get the tweeter about a foot above ear level. Certainly not ideal I know.

[Kal Rubinson]

In your review you used the Mac MC303. Were the 800 Diamonds an easier load for this amp over the 802D's with the 300w?

Cannot say. The Mac seems more than adequate for me.

The 800 Diamonds can handle up to 1000w. Do you think you would have experienced better results if you coupled the speakers with more powerful amps or do you find the 300w sufficient as you stated the speakers seemed louder?

Vide supra.

[Kal Rubinson]

Actually, I should have said that the surrounds were 804S as they are directly lateral to the couch. It is the only place for surrounds and they have no trouble 'clearing' the arms of the couch. Also, since this is a music-only system, I see no need for rears or for elevating surrounds. I prefer all speakers at ear-level.

Your case is different and, considering the constraints, you probably made the right choice.