B & W fans


For those familiar with and love B & W products - this question is for you.
To be honest I am quite unfamiliar with the B & W line. We have just re-entered the B & W market here in Winnipeg. After a few years without the line a local shop has taken on the brand.

For a secondary system I was going to purchase the new Denon DRAN5 Network Music receiver and a pair of Monitor Audio Bronze BX2's.

Then I saw the new A7 by B & W - it's got a 6 inch sub, 2 mids and 2 Nautilus™ tube aluminium tweeters. Plus it has a built in DAC. But it is a self contained unit.

Their (B & W) Zeppelin Air has a good rep and has received very good reviews.

The price point between these 2 systems is comparable.

My question is - can a self contained unit like this actually sound as good or better than a separate receiver and speakers? Can it truthfully offer the same depth and breadth of sound?

Any thoughts?? Your advice is appreciated.

cat9
Good listening!
cat9
I haven't listened to any of the gear you list, but i do have recent experience with both the b&w 685 and the monitor audio bx5. I can say that the mid range sound is very different when comparing the two. I had the 685s in my system first, then went to the Bx5s, and the mids sounded...thinner to me. Some would simply call this more neutral, but after upgrading to a pair of quads, i think I enjoyed the B&w speakers more, in retrospect.
Whether or not the DRAN 5 can drive the bx2s, whether or not the all-in-one design of the b&w is adequate, you will be faced with the same difference in mid range sonic character between the two brands. I personally found the more warm presentation of b&w easier to listen to,more enjoyable. I also think that two monitor speakers are a better bet than an all-in-one design, it is more versatile, you can swap sepakers out, try different cabels, even swap out the dran 5 if you want.
When I relocated to Tokyo last Jan, I was looking for a system that's small enough for an apartment here. After reading all the reviews, I bought a used pair of 685 and a Wadia 151 powerdac to drive it. To my surprise, the 685 is very very good for the money. The low end bass is very respectable given the fact that they were driven by a tiny Wadia dac with 25w/ch. I highly recommend the 685.

QN
I am a B&W buff all the way. i live in a remote town and had not even seen B&W 8 series until u bought a pair without even looking at them. they never cease to impress. I am a big fan of the 60 series speakers. they're pretty damn good and there is a lot of them second hand out there.
I haven't heard the ones you mentioned, nut I have the 685's and think they are one of the best sub-$1k speaker around.