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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
drrdiamond
671 posts
 
FYI:

A friend replaced his Sig. N800's driven by two Krell FPB700cx's (with a Rel sub) with the Sig. N805's driven by one FPB700cx (with the Rel sub).

This man is "in the business" and told me the improvement was fantastic.

Richard
unclejeff
1,313 posts
 
After reading so much about the B&W Nautilus speakers I decided I would not buy my speakers until I auditioned them.

I did not like them at all. From your post, I suspect you might like the new Kef Referance 207 speakers.

I eventually settled for the Kef 205s, although Tannoy was a real close second. But again, from your post I doubt you will like the Tannoy.

Check out the Kefs!
themadmilkman
182 posts
 
I concur on the Wilson Benesch speakers. Their strongest suite is the absolute lack of congestion. Every note finds it's way through where other speakers blur them all together. Definitely worth a look.
dweller's avatar
dweller
3,785 posts
 
UncleJeff: Did you audition any Harbeth's prior to KEF purchase?
These both use polypropylene woofers.
I heard Harbeth's at CES and thought they were great.
Was wondering if poly is the way to go.
Also wondering how KEF tweeter competes with the excellent SEAS in the Harbeth 7.
unclejeff
1,313 posts
 
No, I did not audition Harbeth's. I also can't comment on the quality of the Kef tweeter, except to say that i like it.

I would have bought the Kef 207s had I had the amp to power them, although the size of them would have made it harder to convince my wife to like them. What I was able to do was to bring her to the store and tell her how much I liked the 207s, and then allow her to 'compromise' me to the 205s.

There is no speaker for everyone; it is just that the Kefs sounded so much better than the B&Ws while still maintaining the big room presence.
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