To pricey

I heard the B&W speakers with McIntosh amps at Axpona and they sounded excellent. But if you are considering another brand listen to some Rockport speakers. Superb in every way. Good luck!

Ron 

Listen to a pair of Focal Kanta 3s if you can…warmer balance, plenty of slam, and less $$$.

and here I thought the OP was proposing a toast to his old friend Pricey!

NO! The build/design and parts quality are superior to many British made hi-end speakers. Since B&W is such an aspirational brand they are often driven by subpar electronics with mediocre results. 

I was recently visiting a prominent High end shop in Denver looking a a Macintosh receiver and the sales person decided that the B&W 600 or 700 series bookshelf speakers would (SOMEHOW) equate to what I described my towers to be, in an audition of the MAC.
Needless to say He didn't make the sale. The Bottom line is though they sounded nice, a tiny lil bookshelf speaker can never equate to a quality tower speaker. It sounded like a six inch cone trying to emulate EVERYTING, all at the same time and was muddy at best.