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Bowers and Wilkerson B&W 802 D3: an impolite Brit?

I heard the new Bowers and Wilkerson 802 D3 today, only the second time they have been heard in public, at an L.A. Audio society event. They have a very large soundstage, and are exceptionally dynamic. The bass is not as good as Magico for example, because of the ported design, but is nonetheless quite good. Detail is excellent, perhaps to a fault. What I don't like about them is that they are quite forward, an anomaly among British speakers. I was experiencing listening fatigue after an hour.I don't know if that is the diamond tweeter, or simply how the speaker/crossover is voiced. Tone of the speakers is not quite real. Being this forward and somewhat more detailed than real life, sells well, but does not please as years and decades go by in my opinion.
FWIW, my mom still has a series 802 that I still find pleasing, and neither too forward or polite, with sealed woofer and bextrene midrange.
Not too sound like sour grapes, it is fabulous pop/rock and home theater speaker, and worth its price given the economy of scale B & W possesses and 8 year redesign effort by a talented team with huge technical resources...but the tone thing is critical for jazz/classical/acoustic instrument lovers. I don't think it's the right choice for them. I am a high quality 2 way stand mount plus subwoofer kind of guy.
(Harbeth Compact 7 ES3 with REL Strata III sub)
Your thoughts?

Tom
tompoodie
bcgator's avatar
bcgator
355 posts
 
I knew this guy once, he was a co-worker of my 2nd cousin's girlfriend's roommate, and he had a pair of B&W speakers. I heard that when he played music through them, the food in his refrigerator spoiled faster. With other speakers, his milk would last at least 2 weeks, but with B&W it went bad within 3 days. That's how bad they sounded. The speakers, not the milk.

(Given some of the lunacy in previous posts, I figured...if we're going to be looney tunes, let's really do it up right)
zd542
5,339 posts
 
"I just sold my excellent floorstanders because I am tired of having broken balls and a broken back lugging them around, and trying to locate the ideal "sweet spot" in my 12 X15 room."

You realize you don't have to put them back in the closet upstairs after each use?

"So what should members do like Tom, who want to get away from this bright, fatiguing, unreal, edgy sound??"

For British speakers look at these: ProAc Response (the older models are fine.), Spendor S series, Living Voice, Mission, Rega, Monitor Audio, Audio Note

None of those have that hard to listen to quality you mention above. If you're willing to buy used, you should be able to find something at a reasonable price from any of those brands.
sunshdw's avatar
sunshdw
263 posts
 
What I've found with the diamonds is it depends on the amp you use. I've heard the D2 on a pair of Krell Mono-Blocks and quickly left the room with my ears bleeding but I've also heard them on an Anthem P2 and loved them! The best I've heard them on was tube gear using ARC and Cary.

That comment of the speaker being bright my be relevant in your opinions but I always ask, are they actually bright or are you hearing information you normally don't?
I'm not sure about the no bass below 50hz comment, I've been around a lot of 802's and can't say i've had a comment of no lower octave bass.
bombaywalla's avatar
bombaywalla
1,958 posts
 
Tompoodie,
like many before me have already written B&W sucks bug time. I dont think they know how to design a speaker. Right from my DM604S2 I didnt like them much at all. Personally I had some success with my DM604S2 but after about a yr & a half I sold them & never looked back. I've heard B&Ws several times at each RMAF I attended & at other showrooms (when I go back to India to visit my folks) & each time they've sucked. Bad sound. They got to pay me to use their speakers.....
bcgator's avatar
bcgator
355 posts
 
I also have no idea where the "no bass below 50hz" thought comes from. Whether one considers the 800 series bright or not (I don't), I've never thought of them as light on the low end. The 805 Signature, just for one example, had great punch down low for the volume of the cabinet. The 800 floor standing models never sounded thin to me.

But if someone had it in their mind to shop B&W and wanted something absolutely un-bright, I'd tell them to listen to the PM1. Whether through SS or tube amps, I found them to be early Sonus Faber-warm. They were too warm for me, but others seem to love them.

The Proac Response series is another great British speaker, definitely not bright or edgy.
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