B&W vs. Sonus Faber

I upgraded my speakers last year and was also between B&W 803D and SF Serafino (they were at a big discount).

I auditioned both in the shop with a couple of audiophile friends. I really wanted to like the SF, because I heard another model before and the discount. Although very nice and smooth, we were not very excited about what we heard with the SF. This is in line with some previous comments.

The B&W had more resolution and was more what I was looking for.
I had the chance to check also the 802D3, as I was hoping to get more bass extension. Besides the more robust, extended and solid bass, I found that the midrange was, to my ears, much nicer that in the 803s.

The 802S felt like a much better choice, more money but worth it. I ended up buying this and love them. Using Ayre pre/amp.
If your room allows for a bigger speaker, I would recommend trying the 802s, you could get them used and have a better speaker.

802s are monsters but do like the larger bass driver size.  Leaning to the 803s probably black vs rose which I don’t think works with 803s (fine for 804s which I have). I have a 12 inch asw 2000 b&w sub. 

803s seem like a woman with a devilish outgoing flare vs a more refined sophisticated wine drinking type.


I have diverse musical interests, excluding rap and opera. 

I own a pair of B&W 804's and have had several pairs of Sonus Faber.  Currently run Lilliums.  Everything is powered by McIntosh.  There is a reason that Sonus Faber is now in the McIntosh family.  I would never describe Sonus Faber as "dark".  They have a sound that is very pleasant to an analog fanatic, like myself.  The B&Ws are in my office and it is all streaming in there.  They sound fine in the room. I think a lot has to do with the size of the room and the acoustics of it.  

+1 for sub w/ SF. + 1 for a sub(s) with most speakers/rooms. 

I've been a victim of buying speakers based on what appealed to me during a short 30-minute demo at the dealer. I have found that SF speakers, at least the ones I auditioned (Olympica line; old and Nova) are not that impressive during short auditions since nothing stands out. B&W on the other hand will grab your attention immediately. Once you take them home, YMMV.  SF has this intimate, delicate presentation that can only be enjoyed in your home while sipping a glass of whiskey. I disagree with the poster who said that SF are only good for classical music. They are extremely good for jazz, blues, vocals, classic/soft rock. Although, if you like to rock out, scratch SF off your list. They're not bad for serious rock or electronic music, but definitely not their forte.

Just to be clear, I'm not suggesting that one is better than the other, just that auditions, while better than none, can sometimes be misleading.