B&W 805D vs. Dynaudio Contour S1.4

I heard the C1's at a show two years ago and they were stunning. A friend who was there with me purchased a set as he too was quite taken. Unfortunately he couldn't duplicate that great performance, for whatever reason.

I haven't heard the latest series of the 800 series, such as the 805D in question, but the little I have read seems very promising.

I have never heard the S1.4's.

Stratguy, both are great speakers and has their own personalities and strength. IMO, the 805s' are easier to drive than the 1.4s. It takes a little bit more effort in choosing components to really make the 1.4s sing (typical of most higher end Dynaudio speakers). Best is to listen to them side by side with your existing components.

If you like the 805 type of sound, by all means, stay with that.
Dynas are more on the warmish, darker side of things. And as what people mentioned here, requires a lot more power compared to the b&ws.
Tubes need not apply to Dyns unless its high in wattage

Amazing speakers mentioned above. I have lived with the 805Di since their release in March of this year. I also recently picked up a pair of the 802D's. For different reasons, I do not see letting go of my 805Di's for some time... they're a really different speaker and impressive for their size. The re-structuring of the drivers and addition of the diamond tweeter are less then subtle over prior B&W designs.

Thank you to all for taking the time to provide feedback. Unfortunately, a side-by-side comparison is not possible. I live in Scottsdale and the hi-end audio scene is dismall here. None of the local B&W retailers have 805D's available and Dynaudio is nowhere to be found. I have done extensive listening of the 805D in another state. It's been quite some time since I had a chance to listen to the Dynaudio setup. My instinct tells me the the 805D is a better fit for me. Later today, I will be checking out one more speaker - the Wilson Benesch ARC. Once I've auditioned the ARC, I'll make a decision. Thanks again for the feedback.