B&W 802D2's - Can They Work Well In Relatively Small Room?

[Slapshot]

I have wanted a pair of 800D's or 802D's/D2's for a very, very long time. As they have come down in price (for used models) they have finally reached a level that I can afford. I know the 800 would overwhelm any remotely small room, but I'm focusing on the 802 D2's and really, really hoping they would be able to perform well in my room. It's dimensions are 13x16, and the speakers would be placed on the longer wall. Seating position is 12.5 feet across from the long wall. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

JC

[TEK]

I think you will be OK, but given how close to the back wall you will be sited, you will probably want some diffusors on your back wall. There may also be need for a bass trap or tree.
I think I would have - if possible - also tried to have the speakers on the shorter wall, having some diffusors on the side walls and leave a bit more room behind the listening position.

[TomScrut]

I have mine in a room that size, they work well but I use Dirac. They are a bit difficult to get right without as ideally you want to be as far away from the speakers as possible in a room that size but then the bass from the back wall is a problem. So I would say no without EQ, even if it's just a PEQ to take the bass hump off from being near the wall.

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[wkhanna]

my best friend Dan (PewterTA) has his in a relatively small room & they have worked fine.
but as Tom says, positioning & individual room interaction are factors that need addressed to facilitate good implementation.
Dan has managed without taking the step of introducing digital EQ.

[Kal Rubinson]

my best friend Dan (PewterTA) has his in a relatively small room & they have worked fine.
but as Tom says, positioning & individual room interaction are factors that need addressed to facilitate good implementation.
Dan has managed without taking the step of introducing digital EQ.

Is that the camera or are his room boundaries tilted?

[wkhanna]

Kal,

yes, i should have warned of the poor optics from this phone-camera shot.
it does not help that the Corning 703 panels on the back wall were tilted too, when the photo was taken.

[Kal Rubinson]

Kal,

yes, i should have warned of the poor optics from this phone-camera shot.
it does not help that the Corning 703 panels on the back wall were tilted too, when the photo was taken.

Whew! I am a bit under the weather and losing sleep. Glad to hear it's not me.

[KlaWo]

Wow... the picture really looks bad! I would never put so big speakers and so much electronics in such a small room...! So you will never find out, how great this components sounds in real! I think, you can have same (or maybe better) results with smaller and much cheaper speakers and amps. But thats just my2cents

[KlaWo]

@slapshot
I think your room will be ok for the 802... but too small for 800. But please think of it - as more distance you can bring the speakers away from the walls, as better they will sound!

[TomScrut]

@slapshot
I think your room will be ok for the 802... but too small for 800. But please think of it - as more distance you can bring the speakers away from the walls, as better they will sound!

Mine sound better closer to the wall as in a room that size it is more important for the larger distance to the listener, as you cannot get B&Ws recommended distance from the speakers in a room that size without them being up to the wall.

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[wkhanna]

same as with Dan's room, Tom.
no problem with bass there.
as tight & clean as i heard anywhere.
the Classe momo blocks do not hurt, either.

note that Dan & i are always experimenting & measuring wiht software & equipment, hence the messy clutter when the photo was made.

[Kal Rubinson]

Wow... the picture really looks bad! I would never put so big speakers and so much electronics in such a small room...! So you will never find out, how great this components sounds in real! I think, you can have same (or maybe better) results with smaller and much cheaper speakers and amps. But thats just my2cents

Mine's a bit less congested.

[wkhanna]

a proper installation if there ever was one.
your new Classe 'digital' amps sure do not take up much room.
thanks for sharing, Kal.

this is your your main system, correct?
i do not ever remember seeing a photo of it (here or in print).
surprised to see the Mac gear too, is that for evaluation?
still deliberating on a rack?

[Kal Rubinson]

a proper installation if there ever was one.
your new Classe 'digital' amps sure do not take up much room.
thanks for sharing, Kal.

You are welcome.

this is your your main system, correct?

Yes.

i do not ever remember seeing a photo of it (here or in print).
surprised to see the Mac gear too, is that for evaluation?
still deliberating on a rack?

The Mac is gone now. Did a review on it a long while back. The rack is behind the main seating and, of course, out of this view.

[wkhanna]

The rack is behind the main seating and, of course, out of this view.

i suspected as much

[TEK]

Is this a sorround setup? I do not see a screen anywhere so I'm a bit baffled to see tree speakers...

[wkhanna]

Kal has an affinity for orchestral music recorded in surround.
hence the center & rear channel (not shown) speakers.
a system like his will literally put you in the hall where the recording was made.

[Kal Rubinson]

Is this a sorround setup? I do not see a screen anywhere so I'm a bit baffled to see tree speakers...

Yes, it is a surround setup but not for movies. It is for music.

[TEK]

Hmm, that's a new approach for me.
Do you use processing algorythmes as Dolby Pro Logic xx or
do you have source material in surround sound?
Where do you source the material?

[Kal Rubinson]

Hmm, that's a new approach for me.

Been doing it for 10 years. See my column in the link in my sig.

Do you use processing algorythmes as Dolby Pro Logic xx or do you have source material in surround sound?

No such synthesis is involved. I use only real discrete uncompressed multichannel recordings.

Where do you source the material?

Downloads, rips of my SACDs, BluRays and DVD-As and, of course, the discs themselves.

[RebelMan]

You've been working hard on that room Kal. It's the most organized and free from clutter I have seen yet. lol

[Kal Rubinson]

You've been working hard on that room Kal. It's the most organized and free from clutter I have seen yet. lol

it was photographed on an unusually good day.

[PewterTA]

Room is not "quite" that bad.... there is decent room, it's not as cluttered and small as one thinks (17'x32') and the sweet spot is 12' from the speakers... So this is a better (albeit older) picture taken right around the same time as WKHann's picture.

It's all about placement in the room (mine do better closer to the wall than most would have them), plus room treatment and in some ways clutter helps absorb and deflect. With the Classe Amps on them, the bass produced is quite spectacular. Not bloated, extremely tight and quick. The imagine is probably the best I've ever heard anywhere I've been on anyone's system to date (including at Audio shows on far more expensive systems). So I've gotten it dialed in pretty good now...

The room is not great, but what room is!?! I unfortunately, have a bulkhead right above where the listener's spot is, so I had to do some treatment to that to help out as well.

For some people, friends of Bill's and mine, they like the system, but they do have issues with how big the sound stage is compared to the room. I have imaging outside of the speakers by a good 3 or 4 feet and my depth of sound stage goes about 4 to 5 feet behind the back wall. There is also vertical alignment of about 6 to 7 feet tall that they'll produce as well. They are still the B&W forward sound, but center & vocal images hover about 1 foot behind where the speakers sit now. So to me, getting that "in your face" sound pushed back really made things worth while. I wish it was further back and I think in a good room they would definitely produce that, but alas that's not what I'm able to work with. My problem is I have stairs that come down and split everything 50/50... so I am limited to where I can go.

[TomScrut]

Room is not "quite" that bad.... there is decent room, it's not as cluttered and small as one things (17'x32') and the sweet spot is 12' from the speakers... So this is a better (albeit older) picture taken right around the same time as WKHann's picture.

It's all about placement in the room (mine do better closer to the wall than most would have them), plus room treatment and in some ways clutter helps absorb and deflect. With the Classe Amps on them, the bass produced is quite spectacular. Not bloated, extremely tight and quick. The imagine is probably the best I've ever heard anywhere I've been on anyone's system to date (including at Audio shows on far more expensive systems). So I've gotten it dialed in pretty good now...

The room is not great, but what room is!?! I unfortunately, have a bulkhead right above where the listener's spot is, so I had to do some treatment to that to help out as well.

For some people, friends of Bill's and mine, they like the system, but they do have issues with how big the sound stage is compared to the room. I have imaging outside of the speakers by a good 3 or 4 feet and my depth of sound stage goes about 4 to 5 feet behind the back wall. There is also vertical alignment of about 6 to 7 feet tall that they'll produce as well. They are still the B&W forward sound, but center & vocal images hover about 1 foot behind where the speakers sit now. So to me, getting that "in your face" sound pushed back really made things worth while. I wish it was further back and I think in a good room they would definitely produce that, but alas that's not what I'm able to work with. My problem is I have stairs that come down and split everything 50/50... so I am limited to where I can go.

So that explains why you don't suffer with the bass and don't need EQ. I have a 12ft x 13ft room, you have a 17ft x 32ft room so probably aren't sat within a couple of feet from the wall!

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[PewterTA]

Correct, I sit middle of the room and have partial steps to my back. I actually sit in a slight null and the bass response is really good... so I could only imagine if I had a proper room.

Here's a really old picture to give you an idea what I'm talking about (back with my old B&W 604s3s! - which are at a friends house being loved).

I actually just got a new Samsung 65" 4k LED TV and I have to say the sound has changed a little bit, not sure if it's because of the size or where it's placed on the stand...but I'm not complaining!

[TomScrut]

Correct, I sit middle of the room and have partial steps to my back. I actually sit in a slight null and the bass response is really good... so I could only imagine if I had a proper room.

Here's a really old picture to give you an idea what I'm talking about (back with my old B&W 604s3s! - which are at a friends house being loved).

I would say that's a fairly decent room, at least compared to what I an used to!

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[dan87951]

Some very nice setups in here!

[TonyCurran]

https://youtu.be/piA8L6MdB3k[/QUOTE]My room is 13foot by 13 foot and the802D3 sound awesome