Difference between B&W 800N/SIG and B&W800D


Who had the change to compare these speakers with eachother. I only heard the B&W 802D, and I was impressed by the high freq. but the low freq. where tight but sounded a little like a subwoofer.
leonx
Dear Leonx,
The 800d uses a diamond tweeter,great marketing if you ask me,because it sounds so dull and lifeless.Now some would say that is because it is so smooth,I say crap, because it does not sound like a cymbal,triangle,bells etc,nor does it allow the energy in upper harmonics of stringed and wind instruments to come through.The crossover between the bass to mid to high has some anomaly, in the sense that there is a cupped feel which people mistake for richness.Add overripe bass to this and you see what I mean.A speaker for the couch potato listener.
The Signature 800 was a different animal altogether. Completely neutral,fast, and it had fantastic interdriver coherence.The metal dome used in that tweeter was a marvel.The speaker could deliver an extremely vast soundstage,I mean huge, coupled with pinpoint imaging.
I could go on,but will say this,Dave Wilson was so blown away that he actually cracked open to see what B&W did in the Signature series,and to the best my knowledge he did no such thing with the Diamond series.That alone should say it all.
Sphere.
I am always puzzled how one person can think the 800D is fantastic and another thinks it totally sucks.
It would be interesting to hear the HONEST opinions of the engineers at Abbey Road studios.
I think Abbey Road gets them for free, or just for a bargain. I think people should listen and make there own decision. Every speaker had his strong parts and less impressive parts. When I listend to the 802D I heard the sweat high's, and also a better comtrol in the low freq. But still I heard that humm in the low freq. as my old 802N did. And there was something inside me that told me the low freq. are not that natural. I had the feeling that I was listening to a subwoofer. But I still have not heard the 800D, so I cannot give my opinion. I am curious if there are people who bought 800D after they had owned the 800N or Signature.
>>It would be interesting to hear the HONEST opinions of the engineers at Abbey Road studios<<

They probably don't care a whole lot one way or another. The recording studio is where they work. I'd bet that most of them aren't audiophiles and would be happy with just about anything.