KEF Reference 5 vs. B&W 802 D3 speakers - which one better? your knowledges & opinions

I somewhat casually listened to a head-to-head of these two speakers about 18 months ago. I believe the electronics were Anthem separates. Unfortunately, I don’t have a good recollection of the demo, except that I wasn’t floored by either speaker (perhaps that was due to the relatively lower quality electronics, and the room wasn’t great either). I didn’t have a strong preference for one over the other - but they do sound very different, that’s for sure. Neither speaker really my cup of tea, I guess (personal preference). Sorry not what you wanted to hear and probably not helpful at all. For what it’s worth, the salesmen at the dealership all seemed to prefer the Kef (so maybe that is a little bit of useful info).

Kentrent, 
it took several (6?)  months for the KEFs to break in. When I bought the Ref 5s, I had never heard them because no dealer within hundreds of miles had them (not the best way to buy speakers). I heard the Ref 3 multiple times and really liked the imaging, soundstage and other properties.  As  one salesman commented after demoing multiple speakers: I noticed that, when I play the KEFs, you smile.  I finally was persuaded that the properties of the Ref 5 would be similar to the 3 but with increased bass.  After the 5s were delivered, I thought for a while I had made a big mistake.  They just didn’t have the same magic in my setup and I wasn’t sure if it was the 5s, the room, my equipment, the setup.  I even borrowed some competing to compare.  I’m very glad I was patient because I love them now. 

Now that you mention that, I think when I heard the Kef Ref 5 vs the B&W that the Kef's were mentioned as having recently arrived at the dealer (like a week ago), and so were probably not fully broken in when I heard them.

@fast  so i came across your post about the Ref 5 last year in this forum.   Can you tell me the pros and cons of the reference 5? You own the speakers and I’d love to hear from an actual owner.  It’s my first big purchase at this price and i wanna know if im making the right decision here.  I dont wanna buy the speakers and regret it later.   Give me your advice... thanks in advance.  

IIRC some reviewers claim the Ref. 1s are the best of the lot, with a more integrated sound than the 3s or 5s. In my setup the in-room response of the Ref.1s measures pretty flat to 30 Hz then rolls off sharply. I augment them with a pair of Velodyne HGS-15s, because I like to hear/feel pedal notes from organ recitals, but subs really aren’t necessary for the jazz and classical music I prefer. I use Ayre 5/20 series preamp and amp.