B&W 8 Series Newbie

My advice would be to look at something other than B&W. In my opinion, you can do a lot better for much less money than the B&W 800 series speakers. There are so many great speakers out there that it's hard to potentially point you to a model without knowing your electronics, room, preferences, etc. Go out and listen to as much as possible to see what you like.

Are you already dead set on the B&W series? If so, the 805's are a great bookshelf speaker. There are many accolades about the 805. The 800's series in general are a great looking speaker that fits into any decor, and they do sound great if you have the right matched components. I drive a pair of N800's with tube amps and all I can say is wow. The B&W line is offering the C series now and are a great alternative to the 8 series for less money.

You must determine what you like and how speakers will sound with your equipment, until you do that, do some good research on specs, home demos / in shop demos, and of course if you like the looks. Good luck.
Audioquest4life

"Newbie" and B&W are quite common. Many new audio hobbyists make the same mistake. It's a dinosaur brand living largely off a reputation.

Look (listen) to other brands for better value.