B&W 805D2 or Magico Q1?

Funny...and beware this could be a commercial.
Back a few years ago, I took my LSA Standard Bookshelf design into a dealer who sold B&W...(which I find hopelessly colored) and did an A/B comparison.

The patrons of the store were shocked...'shocked I tell you', (think Music Man...sorry, I have ADHD).
Anyway...the questions were...'How at $1K is your speaker better than the 805?'
I was a little more abrupt...'How could B&W, build a speaker that 'sounds like that' at virtually ANY price?'

They have disqualifying colorations which I find a-musical AND annoying.
It's mystifying to me, but true.

Advertising..I suppose it pays big dividends--this would be proof.

Larry

Mpit: you are absolutely right! I don't care how they buy themselves into studios etc. or Magazines ;-).....you really cannot take them seriously

805 Diamonds were the finest bookshelves I ever heard. They sound a LOT better than Wilson Duettes and Sonus Faber Cremona Auditors though the systems and the rooms were different. The 805 Diamonds played with Luxman tube integrated.

I have the 805 Nautilus and recently owned the SF Cremona Auditor M. I really tried to like them but stayed with the B&Ws because I connected with them better. My preference is forward soundstaging, bright and sparkly treble. I can only imagine the 805D would be very nice too.

Regarding the other elements presented in this thread, I think it is sad that people tend to talk in near absolutes regarding something that is really a hobby we are all here to enjoy.

Do not want to offend anyone. Just read whole post before jumping. But I dont get it. Dont get this B&W bad feeling among many, supposed to be, higher end aficionados... After having owned them and per instance having listened to the Q5s and other for long periods.

I own TAD R1 now, and before buying them I listend to Magico Q5, TAD CR1 among many other highLy regarded. The speakers I replaced were B&W 800 Di. (so not biased towards any of them anymore), and actually felt the 800s could clearly be improvedi to be in line with rest of my system. So not saying B&W is the best out there... At all. BUT,

Where the Q5s better than the 800s. Overall yes, for sure, but not in every aspect. They lacked the dynamcis, punch and bass extension of the 800s... Although were better in transparency focus and definition, still the 800s sound had something... The others did not. While I would preffer the Q5s if I had to choose, in a price/performance relation, the election is not so clear. I think the 800s are great value. Hard to find something much better overall for the price or even slightly more.

Now the Magico thing is getting a bit boring in my opinion. They are great in some aspects, but by no means the best speaker or game changer at all to my ears (I actually considered buying them and was close, but being aware of their pros and cons, which you get of those as well). .Actually the TAD CR1 monitors were better ALL AROUND when compared to the Q5s. And that includes bass extension, definition, trnasparency, tonal richness and neutrality... To my ears.

I cant imagine how the Q1s may have such great bass at all considering what the Q5s did. I do think they will be very transparent, accurate, neutral and so on, but with limitations that has to be evident also in dynamics and scale.

Now the 805di I have not heard them. i do have a pair of the older 805 as rears for my HT set up. I listened to them in stereo a few times. I think they are very good, moreover for the money, period. If I had to guess, then Q1 will be far more resolving and neutral. You will get much more inner detial, but when it comes to bass extension (not accuracy) and dynamics, I would not bet on it... It then will come down to what one values most, and actually how he/she percieves value. Personally IfmI had to guessmInthink I would preffermthe Q1s but can see others not havingnsuch an electionmso clrearmifmyoumfactor in everything.