b&W 683 to 804 Diamond - advice please

[pcapetown]

Hello all,

I have a pair of B&W 683s that are 18 months old and I am considering upgrade. I could go to CM9 but can afford the 804 Diamonds. I have a Cambridge Audio system - Azur 840C CD player/840A Integrated Amp/840W power amp. My room is about 9 x 5 x 4m. I listen to a broad range of music, more rock/pop/female singers/blues/guitarists than classical but a mix.

Will the Cambridge Audio drive the 804s ok?
I am recommended new speaker cables/interconnects - as mine are pretty shop standard (IXOS etc). Kimber Monocle speaker cables for example. Are these too over the top for my system?

Please, any advice would be truly helpful.

Thanks

Peter

[stuofsci02]

Your amp will be fine to power the 804Di... I will not make a recommendation on cables etc...

[sgtjim57]

Just purchased a pair of 804S and huge upgrade over my 600 series 3.

[dukester]

If you can afford them, I recommend the 804Di. IMO, if you audition them side-by-side, you will hear their superior clarity and openess over the CM9 (not that the CM9 are bad). You'll just have to decide if the 804Di premium is worth it to you.

As for cables, i am currently comparing two sets as i write. Have about 100+ hrs on some new 'premium' cables i acquired from a friend. I'll be switching back in a few days to see if my ears are good enough to hear a difference (cable skeptic). If not signifigant then why upgrade?

[Dmantis]

Hello all,

I have a pair of B&W 683s that are 18 months old and I am considering upgrade. I could go to CM9 but can afford the 804 Diamonds. I have a Cambridge Audio system - Azur 840C CD player/840A Integrated Amp/840W power amp. My room is about 9 x 5 x 4m. I listen to a broad range of music, more rock/pop/female singers/blues/guitarists than classical but a mix.

Will the Cambridge Audio drive the 804s ok?
I am recommended new speaker cables/interconnects - as mine are pretty shop standard (IXOS etc). Kimber Monocle speaker cables for example. Are these too over the top for my system?

Please, any advice would be truly helpful.

Thanks

Peter

The 840a is a very nice piece. I have listened to it with many different speakers and always felt it did it's job very well. it's clean and balanced. Cambridge Audio is one of those brands that offer high quality at very affordable prices. I believe you are fine here.

Cables are difficult , there is so much out there that really over charge for their products and don't offer the sonic benefits per dollar spent. But any cable you use in your system has to meet spec , do it's job correctly without adding or taking anything away from the signal.
So if you take a few minutes and learn about AWG , this is a huge starting point. Many articles have been written about what gauge per length , watts , ohms etc to achieve the correct size conductor.
Proper termination is also key.
Kimber Kable , Ray the owner is a electrical engineer and has very practical and scientific reasons for the way he builds his cables. They are very good and of the highest quality. But I don't see going nuts with spending thousands of dollars on the highest end models. With Kimber you can do a excellent job in your system with the Kimber 4 or 8pr. IC's I would use the PPJ's. Even the 4 or 8vs series is extremely well built and do their jobs very well. I don't see any reason to go higher.
Another thing you could do to compare cables is check out Cat cables offered on this site. They look to be of very high quality and seem to be very affordable. This way you'll have something to compare to.

Good luck with your system , looks to be the start of something great.

[BVLDARI]

If you can afford them, I recommend the 804Di. IMO, if you audition them side-by-side, you will hear their superior clarity and openess over the CM9 (not that the CM9 are bad). You'll just have to decide if the 804Di premium is worth it to you.

As for cables, i am currently comparing two sets as i write. Have about 100+ hrs on some new 'premium' cables i acquired from a friend. I'll be switching back in a few days to see if my ears are good enough to hear a difference (cable skeptic). If not signifigant then why upgrade?

I've heard the 804D2 and the CM9s back to back and the difference is big. I agree, the CM9s are great speakers, but the diamonds are much better. If you can afford it and you plan to keep the speakers for a long time, I would definitely suggest looking at the diamond series.

[mjb]

Go for the best you can afford! You'll get much more enjoyment from the 804's in the long term, especially given your room size. Its true, the diamond tweeters are something special and add considerable clarity. For speaker cables and interconnects, please refer to the advertisers on this site.

[PewterTA]

Definitely the Diamonds... if you one live once... how often do you buy speakers.... you can't take it with you when you die.... what else more do you need to know!