I owned 803's and 802's both Series III for many years. The 803's were a mistake on my part because the speaker is a one box enclosure. The 802's are a 2 box enclosure which seperate the woofers from the midrange/tweeter. This eliminates most of the energy transfer which blurrs really clear sound in the 804's and 803's and by the way, most single box speakers in that price level. The 802's were much clearer in sound, smoother top to bottom performance and more liquid highs. If you like the B&W sound, you might want to purchase a pair of 802 Series III's. Don't go after Series I's or II's. They have significantly less bracing in the cabinetry and B&W made some significant improvements in the drivers as well in the III's all of which makes for less listening fatigue. They should also be on Sound Anchors. This includes your 804's. If you don't have your 4's on Sound Anchors, this could result in signal deterioration and listening fatigue as well. The other thing to consider would be your cables. B&W's have always worked best with AudioQuest. I used many other cables in combination with B&W's and AQ was always the best, least fatiguing of all.
Speakers to replace B&W N804s ?????
While a fan of B&W, I think I want to look at some of my alternatives to my current N804’s. I am in a difficult space and I think the B&Ws are too unforgiving. They sound really great with acoustic and most classical music, but are fatiguing with other music. Its not a glaring/obvious problem, but I find I am listening less and less to so much of my music b/c its just not as enjoyable. I am happy with my source components (& have eliminated them as the cause (Cary 306, Cary Cinema 5, Krell HTS, XLO cables). I have also made adjustments to the room (acoustic panels, curtains), but the dimensions and layout cannot change. I would like some recommendations for a small floorstander that provides detail, but errs on the warm side. The speakers will also be part of a HT set-up and must look good.
The room – 12X13 with a 5-foot opening into a sun parlor 7X12. The speakers straddle the ent. center in the corner. I know, not optimal, but the room must be functional. The speakers are 6” to 8” away from the wall. Based on some reading, I thought possible contenders would be Meadowlark Osprey, Triangle Luna, Von Schweikert VR2 or VR4jr (maybe too large). Any thoughts on these speakers? Any suggestions or recommendations? Thank you
The room – 12X13 with a 5-foot opening into a sun parlor 7X12. The speakers straddle the ent. center in the corner. I know, not optimal, but the room must be functional. The speakers are 6” to 8” away from the wall. Based on some reading, I thought possible contenders would be Meadowlark Osprey, Triangle Luna, Von Schweikert VR2 or VR4jr (maybe too large). Any thoughts on these speakers? Any suggestions or recommendations? Thank you
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- 11 posts total
- 11 posts total