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.
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.
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.
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- 14 posts total
- 14 posts total