HELP B&W 802D or Revel Ultima Salon2

Budt, well said.

I for one think the midrange of the B&W 800 series speakers to be among the best. If my budget was just a little higher then it is I would own B&W 801D's - but unfortunately such is life.

Of the speakers mentioned in this thread not one is a dog, they all afford very high performance, and each has certain strengths the others may not have.

This hobby is about sharing our knowledge, but our personal preference when it comes to the equipment we purchase and the sound we hear from it is very personal.

Rick.

I have to jump on the bandwagon here. I had N801's and now have Signature 800's and there is nothing to "fix."

B&W bashing makes some feel superior. One of my favorite quotes that I read in a few threads when doing some research on the S800's was "B&W's have certain flaws that are inexcusable." Oh aren't we important! Give me a break.

To the original post, at CES last year the Revel Salon II's sounded amazing with a minimal front end system. I heard them in a room set up in a corner. This was a digital amp circuit board manufacturer that had borrowed the speakers for the show. They had them set up with a very minimal system (chip amps, Luxman CD player from the 80's). The Wilson WP8's were also a show stopper but with $150,000 of VTL front end gear (not saying that they would not be great with a lesser front end). I did not hear the B&W's atthe show.

The Theils and Ushers sounded really harsh but this was at a show so YMMV. Not exactly a fair to pass final judgment on a bad sounding setup at a show.

Personally, I would buy the Salon II's for the same price as the new B&W 802's. Less depreciation and they are just wonderful speakers, probably more in line with the B&W 800's but I am just guessing. I am obviously a B&W guy but you really cannot go wrong with the Revels and if you decide you want something else you can flip them easily (make sure you get the boxes). Your room is a good size so I am guessing that they will work well in there.

Tigerwoodkhorn,
Thanks for your input Chris, I appreciate it.

FWIW, I just read an ad where the Salon II is Stereophile's speaker of the year for 2008. if this is true I am not surprized at all, it was very impressive.

Did you get a chance to audition them yet?

I too read it, along with other raving reviews.
Apparently no dealers in the Dalla area have them in house.
I will be in Los Angeles Christmas week, I should have better luck there.