Which is Best loudspeaker in the $1000-1200 range?

"I would have used them as reference if they had not been the OP's current speaker brand."

You are completely missing the point.

"In that case, i used them in the OP's context of an upgrade."

Upgrade doesn't have to mean swtiching brand names.

"...are still mourning the forced departure of the 805 "

mourning? Simply not true, but thanks for trying.

Ok, enough fun, you like - sorry Love- B&W, I don't, why is it so hard for you to tolerate a different opinion? would you burn a flag for a cartoon of a B&W logo?

Comments like "no one can touch their R&D" are embarrassing for you and there is much more - and less- to musicality than golf ball textured port, kevlar woofers, suspended or diamond tweeters. B&W do innovate but they are not the only brand to do so and to each his own. Innovation and true improvements are not the same, especially in audio where snake oil innovations are everywhere. I hate to hit on another of your likely fav brand but Musical Fidelity releases a new series that "kills the last one for less money" every time Stereophile truly updates their Rec' list (18-24 months). Innovation or marketing?

MF, Rotel, B&W...how many airbags do you order your Camry with? I encourage you to listen to not-so-advertising-driven brands to hear that yes, indeed, you can get as good or better than a B&W for much less. Easy: satrt by picking a brand that barely advertises and that goes direct to retailers or to consumers. These are the 40+% non-quality contributing dollars you save over a B&W, ceteris paribus. Green Mountain Callisto, Tyler Taylo, Avalon Studio Pro to name 3 monitors that cost $1,000 less than a Sig 805 and that are as good or better depending on taste obviously.

Open your ears (and mind), there is a world out there that TAS or Stereophile does not tell you much about!

Cheers.

I'm glad you can learn about all the products I have experience with in my system post. Talk about an open mind. You have no clue what gear I've been through.

You are the one that needs to open their mind. It bothers you that I like a company that has a lot of recognition.

The great thing about people like you is no matter what I say, you will have a response.

I will bow out, as the original poster has learned nothing from this.

I disagree: the OP learnt among other things that B&W's (and many others) pricing is made of a minimum of 40% marketing costs (distri channel + advertising). Or, how to get a $1,000 pair of speakers that sounds like a $2,500 one: stay away from the heavy mass-marketed brands and buy local brands if possible to also save on international shipping and duties (Dah!). Make it a 50% saving total then!

Not bad and right on topic. What did the OP learnt from you? B&W or nothing. Brilliant!

Beheme's conclusions do make sense. But there's also the point that sometimes the taxes that firms pay to export are smaller than the taxes they pay to sell in the internal market, and this may actually make exports cheaper, even when you include shipping costs. Maybe that's why the cost of a pair of B&W's in the US is the same as the cost in the UK!

The analysis about marketing expenses are impecable, though. Some firms do spend too much trying to prove how good they are.