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So I heard some B&W Signature 805s today...

...at a local dealer, and to be honest, I wasn't that impressed. I listened with a goldmund amp to VTL pre from a Rega P9 with a high-level grado cart.

I'm trying to find a no-compromise stand-mounted monitor speaker that I can live with for a very, very long time. I don't think the B&Ws are it.

They did do some things right - imaging was superb, they do have a very big-spacious sound which I enjoy, bass was pretty good... but! there was something not right in the midrange, that I couldn't quite pinpoint. It was as though the sound got mushed in the middle, and didn't resolve right. It just wasn't a clean, clear good sound. When pushed to moderately-loud volume, the speakers were fatiguing. I just wanted to turn it down. The tweeter was a little metallic sounding and excessive for my tastes as well.

So that you understand my tastes a bit better... I think the Wilson Sophia (~$12k) sounds absolutely fantastic. Detailed yet smooth, excellent soundstaging, wonderful tonality. The B&W sound that I heard was much heavier in the middle, in a not good way.

Has anyone else had a similar/different experience with these speakers?

Do you have any other recommendations for a no-compromise (other than low bass) monitor for me to audition? I would LOVE to find one that sounds (to me) as good as the wilson Sophia, just without the low bass. I'll add a REL. I have a small room (14.5 x 13 ft).

Right on,

Todd
goatwuss
goatwuss OP
877 posts
 
thanks for the responses,

I'm going to try and arrange for an in-home audition for this weekend. I'm headed out to hear the JM Labs micro Utopias in a couple days. Dynaudio 1.3SEs I've heard, and I certainly did enjoy their sound very much - though I do understand that the Dynaudios need some space out from the back wall, which I really can't do.

I have heard the SF Cremona Auditors... I loved them for jazz/light classical, but in all honesty (from my audition), they sucked at rock.
rello
311 posts
 
Wilson Benesch Arc. Absolutely one of the least boxy sounding dynamic speaker other than other WB speakers. Tonally very accurate with a very natural midrange. The speakers is very flexible on placement and can be played very load (110 db) without being fatigueing. Medium efficiency at 88db but the load is easy at 6 ohms nominal. They come bolted to stands right from the box. They are some of the best speakers available small or large. Lastly, they look very nice.
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ncarv
983 posts
 
While I agree that listening in the dealer's room is not the best way to compare, it is usually the only way.
I had a similar experience listening to the B&W's and Wilsons at the dealer. To my ears, there was no comparison. I wanted to keep listening to the Wilsons, and didn't want to hear the B&W's again.
jlamb
150 posts
 
In a showroom audition consisting of Cary v12, CDP and pre, sig 805 vs the new Dynaudio 1.4, I found myself drawn to the 1.4's. The 805's quickly became fatiguing to me. Audition music consisted of Jack Johnson (On and On -dealer's choice). Gidon Kremer (Tango Ballet - my choice) and Alicia de Larrocha (Albeniz: Obras para piano - again my choice). To my ears, on that particular day, I remember the Dyn's as being the more 'musical' speaker. The Jack Johnson simply boogied (I had never heard him before, but I ran out and bought that CD that evening!), though I did think the bass was slightly 'loose' (due to tube amp I suspect). With the Gidon Kremer, I listenned to almost the entire disc on the 1.4 without realizing I was supposed to be listenning to the 'equipment. On the other hand, the 805 only left with the lackluster impression, 'that's nice'. With the Albeniz piano music, I found the midrange to be a little forward or exagerated on the 805's, the highs on the 'tizzy' or metalic side. In comparison, the 1.4's seemed to have smoother tonal balance. my 2 cents!
electric_monk
38 posts
 
My wife and I auditioned the B&W's and JM Labs before deciding on the Thiel CS2.4's. They are far superior to everything we auditioned in my opinion. They are, however, not forgiving of other components shortcomings, particularly source.
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