B W monitors too bright?

I would second sugarbrie's comments. I have found the cdm series to be both revealing but highly listenable. The overall balance is often a derivative of upstream electronics, and with reasonably high quality-not excessively expensive-the B&W's are very rewarding imho.

I've auditioned the N805s with a Sony ES receiver (don't recall model) followed by Rotel amp (RMB985) preamp (RSP976)setup. The Sony made the 805s sound thin and somewhat on the bright side. The Rotel setup was completely different....big soundstage, decent imaging, solid bass, not bright at all.....overall warm sounding. I've also auditioned the 802s with an all McIntosh front end. The sound was not bright at all. In fact, the bass was too forward for my taste. I'd consider changes in your front end. Good luck.

I don't think you can generalize. There does seem to me to be something aggressive in the upper midrange of the 801N which I found to be completely missing in the 802N, for example. I heard both at different times paired with the Classe Omega and Levinson 332(?). If the 801Ns had had the 802Ns balances, or the 802Ns the 801Ns over-all presence, I would have bought one or the other. I thought they were quite different, however, and anyone who thinks the 801s are just big 802s, or the opposite, is going to be disagreeably surprised if they don't listen carefully to both.

I agree with Mgottlieb's post.. That issue was the case before the Nautilis series as well (for my ears). I have always preferred the 802s to the 801s and they sound amazingly different (to my ears) for being the same product line. I am a B&W fan and have owned several different pairs over the years (still have a pair in my basement on a rotel system), but the WAF has sent me looking to other vendors with look of the new Nautilis for the family room system (ended up with Avalon Eidolons). I agree with the above posts that the B&W speaker lines are highly revealing and are quite particular of the wiring, interconnects and hardware you put them on to make them sound to your liking. If you love vandersteen, chances are you won't like B&W....