Replacement for 802 D3s


Hey all,

After living with them for a few months, I'm looking to replace my B&W 802 D3s. While they offer great detail and soundstage, the sound is too bright and thin for our space. My room is fairly large (roughly 20'x30') and the speakers are on the long wall. The rest of the system includes...

Mac c2700 & MA 462
Aurender ACS100
VPI Prime Signature

The speakers I'm considering (and about to start auditioning) include...

KEF Blades
Paradigm Persona 9H
Wilson Audio Sasha DAW

I'm also considering Revel & Harbeth from a local dealer and am trying to find a dealer to demo Sonus Faber Amati Traditions and Il Cremonese.

I would be interested in any perspective from people who have owned any of these speakers and lived with them in their system for some time. Whatever we end up with has to not only sound great, but also look fantastic in a contemporary aesthetic.

Many thanks for any feedback...


beach2mtn
I’d highly suggest only looking at speakers with a cloth dome tweeter. Having auditioned a ton of speakers over the years, I’ve generally found myself much more drawn to them and tend to find metal dome tweeters too bright and harsh for my tastes. That includes every pair of B&W’s I’ve heard over the years, which I find to be particularly bombastic.

I ended up with Egglestonworks speakers which, to my ear, are incredibly well-balanced, image wonderfully, and are designed to be non-fatiguing for use by mastering engineers.

I’ve heard a few Revel and Harbeth speakers from your list; I don’t think the Revels will be what you’re looking for but you might like the Harbeths. I’d describe them as a bit of a magic trick - the ones I heard (can’t remember which, maybe the HL5s?) sounded absolutely huge compared to their tiny size and completely disappeared. I didn’t find them as musically engaging as the Egglestonworks that I directly compared them to though.
I've had B&W and Revel and there is no way Revel is bright unless it's set up wrong. For your price I would try try to find some of the discontinued Salon 2. 
Thank you all for your thoughts...

A couple additional notes...

  • My speaker replacement budget is up to $50k
  • My listening tastes are pretty varied... rock/folk/reggae/bluegrass/funk
  • Lastly, placement might not be ideal as I can't come off the back wall more than 12-18"
I'm located in UT so my options to easily demo some of these are a bit limited (w/the exception of Wilson). That said, I'll be in SoCal next week on vacation and plan to work in some listening sessions. I'm glad to hear the descriptions of the Sonus Faber house sound as they seem to line up in terms of SQ and with my aesthetic preferences. 

Thanks again for your feedback!
There is nothing wrong with your Mac gear, it is the cornerstone of a good system. The B&W speakers are bright, period, as are the Paradigm speakers with the be tweeter. It’s like an ice pick hitting your eardrum. The Rockport Avior II would be your best bet. They are a neutral sounding speaker and would compliment your Mac gear.  I have heard the Rockport twice and if I had the dough, I would own them. 
While they may not be beautiful in a modern sense, Tannoys are very beautiful, regardless. They sound absolutely beautiful as well. I use my custom built 12" Tannoy HPD speakers in a room that is 16' X 34" w/cathedral ceilings, and I couldn't be happier.

I do think, however, speakers would work better in your room on the short wall. My home was set up that way when I first moved here, but I moved the wood stove to a side wall, and my speakers have been on the short wall ever since. 

Anyway, just my 2 cents, it's what's worked for me for many years now.

Good luck, regards,
Dan