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B&W 804 nautilus OR Revel f30

B&W 804 or REVEL F30? I am looking for a new set of speakers. i can get a set of used Nautilus 804 for about $2100 or a set of used Revel F30 for $1900. what do people think about them what would you pic? i have a Conrad Johnson SA-250 ss amp, Proceed PRE preamp and a Rotel 971 cd player. what would go best with this set up? i like everything from jaz and rock and a bit of classical.
thanx
caterham
jrwr7
211 posts
 

Bravo, Tim
cdc
1,757 posts
 
F-30 has more bass. Sounds more "clean". N804 sounds more open / less boxy and more "polite". Detail maybe not quite as obvious as on F-30's.
subaruguru
1,375 posts
 
F30s are VASTLY better! The coherence is quite superb between the mid and tweeter, very much UNLIKE the 804N.
As well, the B&W's bass performance is quite lean, and difficult alleviate given that hot and splashy tweeter.
Consequently the Revel can be listened to in the nearfield...the B&W needs a good 10-12' to cohere even reasonably...but in a larger room it's now anemic. The better comparison is between the F30 and the 803N, in which case room size, treatment, and personal preference would prevail. I STILL prefer the Revel because its midrange is more neutral and the tweeter's voiced more smoothly, allowing a nearfield setup. The B&W803N works great in HUGE rooms pretty well, however.Hope this is helpful. My guess is that the Revel is the better choice for most applications. Its California-cartoony design isn't too decor-friendly, however.... Have fun.
bundy
127 posts
 
Look at Thiel 2.3s They were much more refined to my ear than the B&W, and look a whole lot better than the Revel. I did like the Revel sound but in the end the Thiel was a better all around package to me.
carlman
21 posts
 
I found Thiel vs. Revel to be night and day different. They had completely different character. I would compare Thiel to ProAc.

The Revels are dynamic and controlled. They put out whatever you feed them. You will be able to hear big differences with interconnects and a DAC. The amp you're using is nice but you may find yourself wanting to upgrade one day. It's amazing how much change I've heard with little tweaks while using the F30's.

The B&W is 'more forgiving' I found it less sensitive to small changes. I like the older B&W but, the new stuff isn't my cup o' tea. (The highs and the mid's don't blend well to me... but, the imaging is still quite good.) I really like the way the B&W's look, though. I think the Revels look awful but, they're the best I heard... especially for the money... So, that's what I have. B&W still makes a good speaker but, for my money Revel makes a great speaker.

If you like the Revel, buy it..... you will be quite pleased. (Plus, I found customer service is tops at Revel/Madrigal/Harman)

Good luck,
Carl
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