Thiel cs 2.3 or B&W N803,804?

I've auditioned both. The B&W where more dark & velvety and on the warmer side of neutral. The Thiels 2.3’s, which I own, sound three dimensional and tonally neutral and musical (except for the bottom octave- which is just not present). The Thiels require proper system matching and proper placement (All is documented on their website). My system Pass x-250, Pass x-1, Harm Tech Pro Silway II and Pro-9, Sony SCD-1. Thiels are placed 7 ft apart slight tow in, 4 ft from the sides and 3 ft from rear. Sweet spot is 10ft away. I use 2 Jon Risch DIY Bass traps and 4 sound panels. I’m in awe.

Enjoy

I found that Thiel CS 2.3's sounded much more cohesive and transparent than the N804's, hands down.

CJ

I compared these two speakers before buying and found the Thiels to be the clear winner for me. I don't care much for the B&W sound although many must since they continue to sell well and receive good reviews.

Be sure to look at the Revel F30s as well. I was impressed with them but found their appearence a negative. In the end I ended up with used Thiel CS6s for a few hundred more than new 2.3s.

What was missing for me with the 803s was life in the midrange. Those Kevlar midrange drivers sound a little dry and sterile to my ears, and maybe that's what was missing for you too. Haven't heard the 2.3s, but unless you're willing to do what it takes in the equipment matching game to get the desired results they may prove frustrating. I found the CS1.6 to be surprisingly good and not quite as given to brightness as some other Thiel models. If you haven't heard them they might surprise you.

In this price range there are lots of other worthy competitors such as Silverline, Soliloquy, Triangle, Merlin, Audio Physic, Sonus Faber, Coincident Tech., etc. If the 803s or 2.3s aren't doing it for you, my guess is one of the above will. I'd personally recommend hearing the Silverline Sonatina II and the Soliloquy 6.2 if you can find a dealer in your area. Best of luck.

If you think you like the N803's but think something may be missing, try tubes for the top end at least if you are bi-amping. I too thought the kevlar mids were dry at times. I was right. They can be dry with certain music inncertain setups. But then I began using my tubed pre and playing around with different means of isolation. That experience gave me a new-found respect for the nautilus series B&W's.