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804Ds and bass performance

I am on the verge of buying a pair of B&W 804Ds, but I have one reservation. I can only reach one dealer from where I live and they have a hopeless demonstration area and zero concept of good customer service. Having heard the 804Ds I have no sense for their bass quality and am concerned that this will be an issue for me going forward. On the plus side, I'm very impressed by their apparent clarity and wide, "3D" soundstage, and they look fantastic.

They will occupy a 23 x 21 room, and I am a fan of female vocals, acoustic instruments, quality electronic music (goldfrapp, daft punk etc) and limited r&b.

Basically, I don't want to wish I had more in the upper mid and bass department. I've heard that said about the old 804S, and I don't know whether this also an issue for the 804D so would like some help from anyone who has heard or owns the 804D. I fully understand that amplification, room acoustics etc and personal preferences are significant factors. I currently run B&W 604S3s with a NAD C272 (150W x 2) but the amp will be improved in future. I have a Def Tech Supercube 1 sub. I don't need gut wrenching bass (I realise how subjective this is!), I just don't want a speaker that the consensus would say was "lean" when compared to its peers.

I am also seriously considering the Sonus Faber Liuto (no issues in the bass department, but they don't seem to deliver the same full, uninhibited detail that the 804Ds did). I've auditioned and ruled out a lot of other speakers before getting to this point.

Any help out there from people who have lived with or auditioned the 804Ds would be immensely appreciated, thanks in advance.
128x128ullodea
james63
534 posts
 
I have used B&Ws in the passed and move on because of the poor base performance. The 804D/s are going to be thin in your room and are thin IMO regardless of the room. There are speakers that go a good bi deeper with more output and control for the same money.

I liked B&Ws pretty well at one time for the reasons you stated but you can do better for the $$$.

There are a number of "best speakers for $4000-5000" threads you could read.
loomisjohnson
1,909 posts
 
i auditioned the b&ws against some magnepan 3.6s (perhpas an unfair comparison, but they are in the same price range). i honestly didn't like the b&ws either--it wasn't so much bass quantity as it was balance and driver integration--the low end sounded muddy and out of synch with the mids and highs. as noted above, there are a ton of great speakers in that $4-5k range--i like revel, psb, totem, vmps--but of course yours are the only ears that matter.
ullodea's avatar
ullodea OP
16 posts
 
Thanks all, unfortunately the available range here is somewhat limited. E.g we don't have a dealer for PSB.

Any more views from owners or anyone who has auditioned the 804Ds? Or anyone who's heard the Liuto?

Thanks again
james63
534 posts
 
PSB Synchrony One and Thiel CS2.4 can be bought off of Crutchfield and both will out perform the 804d. They have a 30 day return policy on all their products (call them to make sure). You just need to pay the return shipping if you don't like them.

I bought a Peachtree Nova from Crutchfield and returned it on their tab because I did not car for it...
jpbas1
43 posts
 
From direct experience and listening... the new changes to the Diamond Series are marked. The re-aligned bass drivers demonstrate a marked improvement in low end extension; your ears though will serve you best for what will work best for you.

Alternatively, at the new price points... buying old-stock 803D's may be a better financial option (price:performance).
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