Disappointment of my B&W 805 D3

[roncomposer]

Hi, I live in Jakarta, Indonesia. Almost 2 mounts ago I ordered the B&W 805 D3 at the authorised B&W retailer in Jakarta.
So upon full payment, they let me to take the display unit home for testing until my brand new unit arrive.

Yesterday, after almost 2 mounts of waiting, the B&W 805 D3 arrived, I was so excited to pick it up to the store. And return the display unit.
On the store, the staff unboxed the brand new 805 infront of me. I then check for it and quickly find out one of the flowport hole metal ring
was loose enought to being noticed, I even can take the ring out the body.
I also noticed a faint marking on the woofer cone surround rubber but don't really pay attention for it, as my mind keep me thinking about the loosed meral ring. I was so dissapointed about that, and don't want to wait for 2 more months for replacement unit, so I decided to remove the ring and will glue it my self at home. So the staff just repack it and then I take it back home.

At home I carefully unboxed it and set it up on my HT system. So I use double tape to attach the metal ring back.
After that I noticed again the faint marking with my mobile phone led torch, and what really dissapoint me is, looks like the dark marking was something like drying liquid.
(I attached the picture here)






So today I just call the store and ask to replace the unit with the new one. The store was really helpful,
they contacted the local B&W distributor office and one of the staff will come to check for the defected unit.
It sounds like they don't believed me, because my complain happens after I got the unit back at home.

I hope they will replace it with the new perfect one. This is what I have expected when I buy speakers from B&W.
How can a speaker with this pricing comes with lots of defects? B&W should care more to the quality control over their hi-end line.

Have anyone here has exprienced this too? What is the outcome?

I will update more when they make some decision.

[Patrick Butler]

Hello roncomposer,

First of all, thank you for being a Bowers & Wilkins customer.

I'm concerned that you are not having the kind of experience that you deserve with your new pair of 805D3. I have been to the factory and am familiar with the quality control process, where every product receives a visual inspection at all stages of production. The final inspection occurs in special light, which would have made these defects quite visible, had they not been seen earlier in the production process. Once the visual inspection and measurements are taken of the speaker, they are wrapped, placed in their foam protection, and put into their cartons which are stapled shut and taped. You should not have issues receiving a proper replacement pair. Please reach out to me if you have any further questions.

Best Regards,

Patrick Butler
B&W Group North America

[roncomposer]

Hello roncomposer,

First of all, thank you for being a Bowers & Wilkins customer.

I'm concerned that you are not having the kind of experience that you deserve with your new pair of 805D3. I have been to the factory and am familiar with the quality control process, where every product receives a visual inspection at all stages of production. The final inspection occurs in special light, which would have made these defects quite visible, had they not been seen earlier in the production process. Once the visual inspection and measurements are taken of the speaker, they are wrapped, placed in their foam protection, and put into their cartons which are stapled shut and taped. You should not have issues receiving a proper replacement pair. Please reach out to me if you have any further questions.

Best Regards,

Patrick Butler
B&W Group North America

Hello Patrick Butler,
Thank you for your respond.

I also wondering how those kind of defects could have been invisible to B&W QC department.
Those defects were real, and for the loosed flowport metal ring the store staff even gave me a plastic bag to carry for it.
And B&W can view the event from the store camera for proof.

About the replacement,
Yesterday 25 August 2016, After the B&W staff checked the defective unit, B&W then agreed to replace it with the new one.
I went to B&W distributor office to check the new unit.
They open it in front of me, it was brand new sealed in the box.

But what a disappointment again, we found one of the diamond tweeter got some yellow drying liquid on the edge of the membrane.
Also noticed some faint dark spot on it.
Check the photo. The B&W staff also tooks photos of this defect.




But hardly I still decided to bring the unit back home.
I just want my already full paid long waited B&W at home.

At home I also found one of the foam plug was crumbly and easily tears to pieces.
It was strange that only happened to one foam plug not to the other.



So today after some phone calls, the B&W staff told me that they will replace the diamond twitter part.
But now I have to wait for another weeks for the part to be sent to Jakarta.



I don't understand why I still got a defected unit even after the replacement unit?
Is there any perfect stock in Jakarta? Or I was the unlucky one?

The final inspection occurs in special light, which would have made these defects quite visible, had they not been seen earlier in the production process.

So what happen to items when they failed the final inspection? What they will do about them?
How could such defective item still been distributed and sent to some customer like me?
I noticed this happens a lot on developing countries, on whatever products especially electronics.

Also in some countries, due to returns policy people can return products that don't satisfy them.
What happen to those returned products? Are those returned products been redistribute to developing countries?


For this price set, B&W should concern more on the qualities.
Every customer deserves the rights to get good products as what they have already paid for.
No one should eccept even the smallest defect to their brand new products.

I have some older B&W products eg. XT2, 685, HTM62, P5 Headphones but none of them come defective.
This make me think that B&W isn't the same anymore? Or maybe there is something I didn't know...

Thank you

[kobestonecold]

Hello Patrick Butler,
Thank you for your respond.

I also wondering how those kind of defects could have been invisible to B&W QC department.
Those defects were real, and for the loosed flowport metal ring the store staff even gave me a plastic bag to carry for it.
And B&W can view the event from the store camera for proof.

About the replacement,
Yesterday 25 August 2016, After the B&W staff checked the defective unit, B&W then agreed to replace it with the new one.
I went to B&W distributor office to check the new unit.
They open it in front of me, it was brand new sealed in the box.

But what a disappointment again, we found one of the diamond tweeter got some yellow drying liquid on the edge of the membrane.
Also noticed some faint dark spot on it.
Check the photo. The B&W staff also tooks photos of this defect.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]26361[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]26362[/ATTACH]


But hardly I still decided to bring the unit back home.
I just want my already full paid long waited B&W at home.

At home I also found one of the foam plug was crumbly and easily tears to pieces.
It was strange that only happened to one foam plug not to the other.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]26363[/ATTACH]


So today after some phone calls, the B&W staff told me that they will replace the diamond twitter part.
But now I have to wait for another weeks for the part to be sent to Jakarta.



I don't understand why I still got a defected unit even after the replacement unit?
Is there any perfect stock in Jakarta? Or I was the unlucky one?



So what happen to items when they failed the final inspection? What they will do about them?
How could such defective item still been distributed and sent to some customer like me?
I noticed this happens a lot on developing countries, on whatever products especially electronics.

Also in some countries, due to returns policy people can return products that don't satisfy them.
What happen to those returned products? Are those returned products been redistribute to developing countries?


For this price set, B&W should concern more on the qualities.
Every customer deserves the rights to get good products as what they have already paid for.
No one should eccept even the smallest defect to their brand new products.

I have some older B&W products eg. XT2, 685, HTM62, P5 Headphones but none of them come defective.
This make me think that B&W isn't the same anymore? Or maybe there is something I didn't know...

Thank you

Must be really bad luck, 800 series MADE IN ENGLAND not CHINA
My 804D3 is in perfect condition

[roncomposer]

Must be really bad luck, 800 series MADE IN ENGLAND not CHINA
My 804D3 is in perfect condition

Come on.....
Was a dried yellow liquid on B&W diamond tweeter also happens because of bad luck of that MADE IN ENGLAND 800 series?
How a defective item still been distributed to customer considered a bad luck too?

Thats all human error and happen with my MADE IN ENGLAND 805 D3 series.

That was me who got this "bad luck" because this mess does affected me directly.

You come from country with return policy on customer rights? Maybe that explained why you got that 804D3 in perfect condition? I don't know.
But on my country, almost no one can return a defective product once it get to their home, they will ask us to the service department,
except for some hi-end brand like B&W that have special policy. You are welcome to proof it your self on my country.

[TomScrut]

I think it is unfair to suggest B&W pick and choose where they send faulty or substandard items to. Have you had any direct contact with B&W yourself about this (apart from with Patrick) or is it all through your dealer/distributor?

Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

[TomScrut]

Also, could this be that they do leave the factory in mint condition and (especially if they travel by sea) moisture is somehow getting into the packaging and causing a reaction with something?

Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

[roncomposer]

I think it is unfair to suggest B&W pick and choose where they send faulty or substandard items to. Have you had any direct contact with B&W yourself about this (apart from with Patrick) or is it all through your dealer/distributor?

Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

It was also unfair for me to get those defective items (twice) from my purchase, and it have cost me lot of time and energy to manage for replacement.
I have only contacted the official B&W distributor / service center in Jakarta, because for other case (about P5 Headphones) I have contacted B&W via their official website before and they forwarded the case to their official B&W office on Jakarta. So That is why I put the case here and expect someone from B&W UK factory to respond.

Also, could this be that they do leave the factory in mint condition and (especially if they travel by sea) moisture is somehow getting into the packaging and causing a reaction with something?

Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

There can't be any excuses about anything before the products got to customer. They have to make sure their every customer will recieve their products in perfect mint condition.




Is anyone here (especially from Jakarta) have experience problem like this?

[roncomposer]

I have just got a contact of one of UK B&W official, thank you so much Patrick. I will update the progress here.

[TomScrut]

It was also unfair for me to get those defective items (twice) from my purchase, and it have cost me lot of time and energy to manage for replacement.
I have only contacted the official B&W distributor / service center in Jakarta, because for other case (about P5 Headphones) I have contacted B&W via their official website before and they forwarded the case to their official B&W office on Jakarta. So That is why I put the case here and expect someone from B&W UK factory to respond.




There can't be any excuses about anything before the products got to customer. They have to make sure their every customer will recieve their products in perfect mint condition.




Is anyone here (especially from Jakarta) have experience problem like this?

Unfair but probably not deliberate on their part. What you have inferred is deliberate on your part.

I aren't trying to make excuses for them, I am trying to come up with potential reasons why this has happened.

I know you are obviously angry about this but there is no need to act so hostile to those replying to you, we are not trying to suggest you do not have an issue. There must be a reason why you have had two bad pairs and nobody else on here I can recall has had a bad pair at all. Oddly enough my dealers first pair of 805s were damaged in transit so had to go back, they had to wait a while for another pair and they are in the UK.

Anyway, if B&W have contacted you independently via Patrick then this is a good thing.

Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

[TomScrut]

Actually I would say if they are only replacing one speaker they are fobbing you off. I would want a brand new pair because in years to come when selling them the serials not being in order will potentially damage resale value. Although it is highly doubtful they will sound different (they don't make them in matched pairs IIRC) the fact they are not in order means something has been wrong. So I would be asking for a new pair rather than a new speaker.

Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

[leo2498]

Hi Roncomposer I did have huge problems with my B&W system when I bought it, I could not believe that all this thing could happen to the same person jajaja but the bad luck was with me. My classe amp was the first in fail then one tweeter of my 804D2 fail twice and so on. My country has the same return policy but you always we have another way so I did use it and I got that my dealer change my two speaker and amplifier for brand new ones and for now all are working good in the last year so I think you only are geting only bad luck but B&W will respond in good way.

[kobestonecold]

should not have taken the defected unit home, just stick with display one until you have the perfect B&W then bring it home brother

[roncomposer]

Unfair but probably not deliberate on their part. What you have inferred is deliberate on your part.

I aren't trying to make excuses for them, I am trying to come up with potential reasons why this has happened.

I know you are obviously angry about this but there is no need to act so hostile to those replying to you, we are not trying to suggest you do not have an issue. There must be a reason why you have had two bad pairs and nobody else on here I can recall has had a bad pair at all. Oddly enough my dealers first pair of 805s were damaged in transit so had to go back, they had to wait a while for another pair and they are in the UK.

Anyway, if B&W have contacted you independently via Patrick then this is a good thing.

Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

I don't mean to act hostile to anyone here. It was my fault to suggest idea that factories picky policy to people who never lived in countries with bad consumer rights regulation.
I think you should come to my country and buy something to believe what I was talking about. There is no return policy on my country. It's all depends on your luck.

Like when you buy eg. a brand new mobile phone that you find out there were fain scratch on the body, they will try to say that it is normal and ask you to accept it, and when you insist to got a new replacement unit, with grumpy face they will tell you that this will be the last replacement unit, so if you find any fain scratch again you should hardly accept it or just take it to sevice center. And the bad thing is the replacement unit also comes with another defects.
This has happening on lots of famous electronic brand's authorised retailer, and don't know why there were so much defective brand new stuff on my country. That off course suggest me with thinking about factories picky policy.
But over time since our new government there has been much better improvement.

I still love B&W, and this wasn't my first purchase from B&W, I have some other B&W products and none of them have any defects when they were new.

But all of my past experiences including twice to got defective unit, have suggest me to my opinion that considered so hostile. Cheers...

[roncomposer]

Actually I would say if they are only replacing one speaker they are fobbing you off. I would want a brand new pair because in years to come when selling them the serials not being in order will potentially damage resale value. Although it is highly doubtful they will sound different (they don't make them in matched pairs IIRC) the fact they are not in order means something has been wrong. So I would be asking for a new pair rather than a new speaker.

Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

Actually for the first replacement they give me a new pair as they got defects on two of them. But for this last defective replacement unit it was me who hardly just asking to replace the defective tweeter parts. I did that because I have no choice(don't want to wait for more time) and I feel sorry with those B&W official, they have been very kind to me, and for me there is nothing they could do to prevent the defective unit to reach me, because they just got the unit sealed directly from the factory.

So that's why I put the case here to get B&W factory attention and see what are the outcome they will suggest.

[roncomposer]

Hi Roncomposer I did have huge problems with my B&W system when I bought it, I could not believe that all this thing could happen to the same person jajaja but the bad luck was with me. My classe amp was the first in fail then one tweeter of my 804D2 fail twice and so on. My country has the same return policy but you always we have another way so I did use it and I got that my dealer change my two speaker and amplifier for brand new ones and for now all are working good in the last year so I think you only are geting only bad luck but B&W will respond in good way.

LOL..you make me to start believing the bad luck scenario.
So lucky of you, if you were in my country and when your new amp(not classe) have got to your home and then failed after 3 days up of usage, then you will have to bring it to service center and there will be no replacement unit. But maybe B&W have better policy about that.

[roncomposer]

should not have taken the defected unit home, just stick with display one until you have the perfect B&W then bring it home brother

Thats also my fault to take the defected unit home. I was impatient to have my 805 at my home as already waiting for almost 2 months for it to arrived.

[TomScrut]

I don't mean to act hostile to anyone here. It was my fault to suggest idea that factories picky policy to people who never lived in countries with bad consumer rights regulation.
I think you should come to my country and buy something to believe what I was talking about. There is no return policy on my country. It's all depends on your luck.

Like when you buy eg. a brand new mobile phone that you find out there were fain scratch on the body, they will try to say that it is normal and ask you to accept it, and when you insist to got a new replacement unit, with grumpy face they will tell you that this will be the last replacement unit, so if you find any fain scratch again you should hardly accept it or just take it to sevice center. And the bad thing is the replacement unit also comes with another defects.
This has happening on lots of famous electronic brand's authorised retailer, and don't know why there were so much defective brand new stuff on my country. That off course suggest me with thinking about factories picky policy.
But over time since our new government there has been much better improvement.

I still love B&W, and this wasn't my first purchase from B&W, I have some other B&W products and none of them have any defects when they were new.

But all of my past experiences including twice to got defective unit, have suggest me to my opinion that considered so hostile. Cheers...

I think the difference is though that B&W are a luxury goods company, who's reputation on these sort of things (and how they respond to them) is very sensitive, unlike your mobile phone example where people will still buy the phones. But you do know your country better than me I won't argue with you there.

Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

[roncomposer]

I think the difference is though that B&W are a luxury goods company, who's reputation on these sort of things (and how they respond to them) is very sensitive, unlike your mobile phone example where people will still buy the phones. But you do know your country better than me I won't argue with you there.

Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

Sure, that's what I was thinking until I experienced these mess. I don't expect the same experience as to other lower class goods company, but for me it did happen.

But think positively, there must be a reason for this, and I hope B&W will resolve this problem fair and clear.

[TomScrut]

Sure, that's what I was thinking until I experienced these mess. I don't expect the same experience as to other lower class goods company, but for me it did happen.

But think positively, there must be a reason for this, and I hope B&W will resolve this problem fair and clear.

Yeah I'm sure they will see you right with it, I do think you have been unlucky rather than it being the norm but I hope you get sorted soon!

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[roncomposer]

Yeah I'm sure they will see you right with it, I do think you have been unlucky rather than it being the norm but I hope you get sorted soon!

Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

I have comunicate with one of the UK B&W official via email, the talk has been quite tough as been happening on UK holidays. I don't understand why it take so long for them to make desicion to solve this. The UK official told me that he have passed the case to his APAC region colleague and still waiting their respond for how to resolve this. This is confusing as when I asked my local B&W distributor, they have told me that they also waiting decision from their B&W headquarter which is on UK. So how a headquarter waiting for decision to be made by their subsidiary office? (confused):roll::roll::roll: This was kind of ping pong situation for me.LOL

For now I am in the position of waiting for the replacement tweeter parts to be arrived at my country and they can't tell me how long it will take. Or maybe they are managing to replace it again with a new pair instead and I would be really grateful about that.

[roncomposer]

Yesterday, my local B&W distributor contacted me with the offer to again replace the defected unit with the new pairs and asked me to wait for 2 weeks for shipping times. I hope finally this will be the perfect condition new pair. And I don't get any bad luck again.

I have asked the UK B&W official for the reason to this case to happen, but they have not answer me yet.

But until now B&W has been very helpful to me regarding to this case. The local B&W distributor have provided me the best services to this case.



Will update here later.

[kobestonecold]

Yesterday, my local B&W distributor contacted me with the offer to again replace the defected unit with the new pairs and asked me to wait for 2 weeks for shipping times. I hope finally this will be the perfect condition new pair. And I don't get any bad luck again.

I have asked the UK B&W official for the reason to this case to happen, but they have not answer me yet.

But until now B&W has been very helpful to me regarding to this case. The local B&W distributor have provided me the best services to this case.



Will update here later.

:T good on ya

[roncomposer]

So finally, yesterday B&W called me to check for the new replacement pair. The replacement pair is Gloss Black color, it looks very nice. Checked all the upper body parts, woofers and tweeters are all in perfect condition. Bring it home and set it up to my system. Sounds good and looks very good.




At home I actually found that the metal serial number label (on the bottom side) on one of the speaker have been misplaced and exposing the service bolt.


The misplaced label


The other one label

But I can accept that, it's only the label. So I decided to keep this new unit and hope to have years of good and trouble free experiences with it.

Overall I was very happy with B&W services to me regarding this case. My local B&W distributor even gave me a new P3 Headphone to compensate to this case.

So thank you B&W and thank you for all the folks here...

[TomScrut]

Thing is I would still be disappointed about the label, although in your shoes would have accepted it. Like if it is somebody's job to put them labels on (probably dozens a day) why is it in the wrong place? Not trying to take anything from you with the new ownership of your very nice speakers it just seems odd to me!

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[roncomposer]

Thing is I would still be disappointed about the label, although in your shoes would have accepted it. Like if it is somebody's job to put them labels on (probably dozens a day) why is it in the wrong place? Not trying to take anything from you with the new ownership of your very nice speakers it just seems odd to me!

Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

I also really corious to what have happened to all the B&W 805 D3 I have recieved. What have caused all those defects? But for the last pair, I just feel ok for the misplaced label, because it will not have any effect to the sound, and will not visible to me directly. I think if I request again for another replacement unit, it will not make things better and will cost me more time and effort. And how B&W positively responds to this case also make good experience for me. So for me it's worth to keep this almost perfect unit.

I have also mentioned about the misplaced label to the UK officer too, just to make sure they aware of this and check again with their QC department or maybe check again with their regional distribution department so they can continue to improve their future customer experiences.