B&W vs. Sonus Faber

802s are monsters but do like the larger bass driver size.  Leaning to the 803s probably black vs rose which I don’t think works with 803s (fine for 804s which I have). I have a 12 inch asw 2000 b&w sub. 

803s seem like a woman with a devilish outgoing flare vs a more refined sophisticated wine drinking type.


I have diverse musical interests, excluding rap and opera. 

I own a pair of B&W 804's and have had several pairs of Sonus Faber.  Currently run Lilliums.  Everything is powered by McIntosh.  There is a reason that Sonus Faber is now in the McIntosh family.  I would never describe Sonus Faber as "dark".  They have a sound that is very pleasant to an analog fanatic, like myself.  The B&Ws are in my office and it is all streaming in there.  They sound fine in the room. I think a lot has to do with the size of the room and the acoustics of it.  

I've been a victim of buying speakers based on what appealed to me during a short 30-minute demo at the dealer. I have found that SF speakers, at least the ones I auditioned (Olympica line; old and Nova) are not that impressive during short auditions since nothing stands out. B&W on the other hand will grab your attention immediately. Once you take them home, YMMV.  SF has this intimate, delicate presentation that can only be enjoyed in your home while sipping a glass of whiskey. I disagree with the poster who said that SF are only good for classical music. They are extremely good for jazz, blues, vocals, classic/soft rock. Although, if you like to rock out, scratch SF off your list. They're not bad for serious rock or electronic music, but definitely not their forte.

Just to be clear, I'm not suggesting that one is better than the other, just that auditions, while better than none, can sometimes be misleading.

As others have said, let your ears guide you. I know it's hard because you're listening to SF and BW in different systems. I own 803 D3s but am not intimately familiar with SF so I won't try to compare them. I used to run my 803s on a McIntosh but now on a Pass Labs power amp. I love the 803s. I've not heard the 802s (someone said they have a better mid range). The 803s are not too bright for me as a rule. I find that production values vary so widely from one recording to another that it's sometimes hard to generalize about a speaker when the production values are so different. I can say the 803s have plenty of bass and exceptional detail.  Depending on the amp, the speakers can disappear in the room, fill it entirely, and create a very rich sound that is almost liquidy. I'm sure SF owners will trumpet their speakers as they should. This is a +1 for B&W.  It's common to see used 803 D3's go for around $10,800.