Dunlavy SC IVa or B&W 802

Another vote for Dunlavy IVA. They can compete with big boys.

I think the above guys should be enough but I'd have to agree. The Dunlavy's sound better, period. Of course that's my opinion but for the money they're very good speakers. Your room will work fine.

i compared dunlavys to the 801n and the dunlavys smoked em. I second the vote for athenas or cantatas. they are supposedly easier to get dialed in to the room than the IVs (never tried to set up IV's). I have a pair of athenas and i can't really see ever getting rid of them. the speaker face is about 3 ft off the rear wall so they don't intrude much into the room. long wall placement is a must to get the best results. they rivaled or beat everything i listened to at prices several times their list cost.

I listened to SCIVa in 2 different system, 2 different size rooms. No offense to Dunlavy owners, but both times one thing that stood out was lack of bass. The detail was there but the punch wasn't. May be good just for classical music but no rock or jazz sounded good. I attempted to listen to SRV Tin Pan Alley, which sounded very sweet and clean, but lacked bass. Diana Krall Love Scenes sounded OK, but still light on bass. I ended up with B&W N803. If you want bass impact, go for the B&Ws. In any case, trusting your own ears is a better way to choose speakers. If you have a chance, audition before buying. Also, if you can find a used pair of B&W 803D, this will be a better choice than both the SCIVa and N802. IMHO.

Hi,

It depends which 802 your talking about. I own the B&w 802D and they are a completely different speaker from the Nautilus line. Don't let the similar looks fool you. The changes made to the new 800 series have been fantastic. Haven't heard the Dunlavys but love the 802D's.

In the end it really matters what equipment you hear the speakers with.