In 2019, before lockdown, I was in a similar position. Having owned a pair of B&W 801 Matrix S2s (with upgraded XOs) for 28 years, I felt an itch I needed to scratch and went to my local dealer in Belfast to listen to KEF R11 which had just come out. The KEFs cost £4,000 and sounded "nice" but not as good as my 801Ms. The dealer agreed that in order to get anything significantly better I'd probably need to spend at least £20K. At that point the itch stopped.
However, that made me think. We are being told by marketing people that anything new is better than what came before. In my experience that certainly is not true. It doesn't matter whether we are talking about audio equipment, cars, motorcycles, or bicycles. The newer gear probably involves less effort but does not generate the same emotional involvement. I enjoy riding my 1982 10 speed Bianchi steel-framed bike just as much as I do riding my new custom 22 speed titanium bike. Yes, I'm faster on the Enigma but I enjoy riding the Bianchi just as much, it's a different experience. Same goes for cars: more gizmos don't get you there any faster, they just add showroom appeal (and cost more when they break).
Newer is not necessarily better - it is different, and we all should figure out if that difference is worth paying for. My 801s have a great sound stage, fantastic imaging, they are very accurate (they do let you know if a recording is cr@p), and their bass extension is good, although not as good as on my other system (Meridian amplification &CD with ProAc Studio 1s - bought in 1988!, and dual BK XXLS400 subs). I might buy another pair of XXLS400s to go with the 801s, that £1,000 is a lot cheaper than buying a new set of speakers for 20 times that amount.
So, mjjw I would say that ideally you should listen to both the 801 Anniversaries and the 703s and then make up your mind. If you can't, ask yourself whether you'd rather own an older legendary speaker (pride of ownership undoubtedly is a big plus) or a new run-of-the-mill model? Will the rest of your equipment be up to the revealing nature of the 801s? These are monitor speakers, designed to reveal a recording's good AND bad bits. By definition, they will also reveal any short-comings in your signal chain: bullish!t in, bullsh!t out...
I would say that these speakers will get you 90% out on the curve of diminishing returns, where 100% is a cost-is-no-object seven figure system. You just have to make sure that the rest of your system can do them justice.
Good luck on your journey! Keep us posted.
However, that made me think. We are being told by marketing people that anything new is better than what came before. In my experience that certainly is not true. It doesn't matter whether we are talking about audio equipment, cars, motorcycles, or bicycles. The newer gear probably involves less effort but does not generate the same emotional involvement. I enjoy riding my 1982 10 speed Bianchi steel-framed bike just as much as I do riding my new custom 22 speed titanium bike. Yes, I'm faster on the Enigma but I enjoy riding the Bianchi just as much, it's a different experience. Same goes for cars: more gizmos don't get you there any faster, they just add showroom appeal (and cost more when they break).
Newer is not necessarily better - it is different, and we all should figure out if that difference is worth paying for. My 801s have a great sound stage, fantastic imaging, they are very accurate (they do let you know if a recording is cr@p), and their bass extension is good, although not as good as on my other system (Meridian amplification &CD with ProAc Studio 1s - bought in 1988!, and dual BK XXLS400 subs). I might buy another pair of XXLS400s to go with the 801s, that £1,000 is a lot cheaper than buying a new set of speakers for 20 times that amount.
So, mjjw I would say that ideally you should listen to both the 801 Anniversaries and the 703s and then make up your mind. If you can't, ask yourself whether you'd rather own an older legendary speaker (pride of ownership undoubtedly is a big plus) or a new run-of-the-mill model? Will the rest of your equipment be up to the revealing nature of the 801s? These are monitor speakers, designed to reveal a recording's good AND bad bits. By definition, they will also reveal any short-comings in your signal chain: bullish!t in, bullsh!t out...
I would say that these speakers will get you 90% out on the curve of diminishing returns, where 100% is a cost-is-no-object seven figure system. You just have to make sure that the rest of your system can do them justice.
Good luck on your journey! Keep us posted.