Thiel cs 2.3 or B&W N803,804?

Trust your ears. Look at the whole system and don't isolate one of its links. Enjoy the music. From the mid-fi trenches, good day.

A friend has B&W 803's and they need a fair amount of power but I think they sound very nice. Some people think they are a little bright, I have never heard that quality, they are very detailed and cohesive from the highs to the bass. I do not think they are especially revealing but have a really beautiful tone.

The more I get into HI FI the more I realize that when 'something is missing' it could easily be speaker placement or wire or component matching.

I think if you want a slightly euphonic sound and a beautiful speaker go with the B&W. BTW I have no experience with the Theil.

I've auditioned both. The B&W where more dark & velvety and on the warmer side of neutral. The Thiels 2.3’s, which I own, sound three dimensional and tonally neutral and musical (except for the bottom octave- which is just not present). The Thiels require proper system matching and proper placement (All is documented on their website). My system Pass x-250, Pass x-1, Harm Tech Pro Silway II and Pro-9, Sony SCD-1. Thiels are placed 7 ft apart slight tow in, 4 ft from the sides and 3 ft from rear. Sweet spot is 10ft away. I use 2 Jon Risch DIY Bass traps and 4 sound panels. I’m in awe.

Enjoy

I found that Thiel CS 2.3's sounded much more cohesive and transparent than the N804's, hands down.

CJ

I compared these two speakers before buying and found the Thiels to be the clear winner for me. I don't care much for the B&W sound although many must since they continue to sell well and receive good reviews.

Be sure to look at the Revel F30s as well. I was impressed with them but found their appearence a negative. In the end I ended up with used Thiel CS6s for a few hundred more than new 2.3s.