What are your general thoughts of B&W speakers

Missioncoonery,

" An argument as old and tired as the brand". "Abbeys heyday was 3 decades ago..." My friend you are misinformed.

They main reason Abbey road still exists is because it has everything. It is one of Londons only studios apart from Air that can hold a large symphony orchestra, and is home to some of the finest collections of mics, resources and people.

Dont for a minute underestimate them. Abbey road can have anything they want. Every idiot tries to get their equipment in there.

Nearly every prestige film score recorded in the UK is done there. (Lord of the rings/Harry Potter, Star Wars etc) So all the finest engineers and producers go there because they get the results they need. This includes the monitoring. All you have to do is look in the utility rooms or under the stairs to find any speaker (admittedly many forms of top end B&W speakers).

Do you think that a manufacturer like B&W, with the experience they have could somehow not be able to make speaker systems to compete? They have probably forgotten more than most guys know.

B&W actually build their own drivers. Not OEM guys plonking in other people's parts( aside from caps which are made to their specs by mundorf).

Of course monitoring is a very personal thing, but you cannot be serious if you believe they haven't made a speaker worth auditioning since the 80s. That's just daft.

...outside the fact B&W now out sources everythink outside the 800 series to China and Abbey road studios means very little to me as far as what a great speaker sounds like,im as serious as a heart attack.The original poster asked "for general thoughts" for the brand and I gave it,my opinion..Simple enough

Missioncoonery,

At least maybe we have narrowed down which B&W series you are talking about. The budget ones which are now made in china. Then there's the magico dealer... I'm not sure magico even make a speaker as cheap as any B&W reference range? In fact the last magico I heard was a 2 1/2 way floor stander which cost more than 2 x the price of the flagship B&W N801d.

I find it hard to take your opinion seriously because you have given us little or no information as to what your general thoughts are? Well, other than you wouldn't have them even if they were given to you.

Yeah it's a funny line and we all like a laugh, but its empty of anything serious..." like a heart attack".

Remember an established brand means you know they are likely be there in the next five mins.

The Abbey road reference is not to tell you what a great speaker sounds like, but to clarify the fact that the 800 series are used by professionals who could have anything they ask for. Therefore are unlikely to be as bad as you portrait, otherwise the magico's would be there.

Andyprice44,

All the conflicting views above on what B&W speakers are like can only tell
you that they are transparent, sensitive to set up and upstream electronics.

I do get the feeling that some above posts are not speaking about the 800
series though. The 802D may be easier to use bass wise in a smaller
room, compared to the 801D which is more likely to boom near room
boundaries.

Bare in mind they are demanding speakers to drive and need good amps to
power them. So probably you are looking at SS amplification that doubles
power into load. If driven well they will sing.

Good luck. Let us know how you get on.

"Abbeys heyday was 3 decades ago..."

Like Chadeffect said, you are misinformed. The Berlin Philharmonic orchestra with Sir Simon Rattle, Gergiev and Sir Colin Davis conducting the London Symphony Orchestra, Riccardo Chailly with the Concertgebow of Amsterdam, and more musicians of such caliber have recorded many times recently at Abbey road studios, producing very fine recordings.

Enough said Missioncoomery.