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Wilson W/P 5.1 vs B&W N802

I'm considering one of these two (used) Speakers. My budget is $6K (max). The room is 20'x26'x10'(H) with good acoustics.

I have 2 local Dealers that carry both Wilson and B&W, both insist that the W/P 5.1 is a much better Speaker then the N802 with no comparison between the two. In 1999 B&W launched the N802 and Wilson replaced the W/P 5.1 (6).

I've heard and liked both in the past, (not at the same time, no A vs B).

Are the Dealers right? should I forget abount the N802 and focus my search on the W/P 5.1? Is this a no-brainer (at this price range-between these 2-models)?

Both models appear often enough here on A-gon, so the purchase won't be a problem.

Thanks!
jmvsc1ec
audiooracle
387 posts
 

You can do better. I had a pair of WP 5.1 with a James subwoofer and my Usher CP 6381's were more engaging with a huge soundstage and a great top end and they cost only $3,400.00! For a little more money you can buy an Usher Dancer 8571 MK II which has a pure beryillium tweeter and offers amazing performance that will smoke both of the speakers you've mentioned.

I am a New York Usher dealer, try to find a pair of these to listen to they are really something great!
shadorne's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
shadorne
7,477 posts
 
I find Wilson more harmonic sounding in the bass than B&W. I would call the B&W more accurate but many prefer the warmer sound of Wilson (as many prefer a tube amp)......so it depends what you like...both are, of course, very good speakers.
jvogt
212 posts
 
IMO one of the most overpriced speakers on the market is
the WP 5.1 and earlier models. I can't speak to the later
models because I haven't heard them. The I heard with
Krell electronics in a store in the DC area. It was brittle
on the high end and had a pronounced mid-bass hump. Other
listeners have reported the same. A pair of Magnepan 3.6's
with good electronics is a much better value.
goatwuss
877 posts
 
jmvs@aol.com - 1 A/B comparison is more valuable than 10,000 other peoples' opinions. Disregard them all, and decide for yourself.
larryh2296f7
1 posts
 
For less than $6,000-you could buy a brand-new (discounted) pair of the new Focal/JM Lab 1027 Be Speakers which I have auditioned twice and found to sound amazing, IMO, close to the B&W 802D in detail, imaging & clarity, which I auditioned on the same day. Stereophile magazine recently gave the 1027 Be an "A Rating". A great deal for the money, probably 90+% of the sound of a pair of cost-no- object-Speakers, plus they look nice too.
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