B&W 804s or 703s?

I haven’t heard the 703s but I own pair of 804s now for about two years. I find them very neutral, transparent and incisive with a slightly tip up high end that sounds very refined and detailed particularly when feed with good quality electronics and recordings. I don’t find them bass shy. I suspect this perception is due to their lack of mid bass bloom and neutral character. However when partnered with a good quality (high current) amp the 804s really blossom with surprising bass extension and weight that matches the agility and natural clarity of its mids and highs.

When I first bought the 804s I owned a Rotel RB1090 power amp (380w/ch) and was impressed how the 804s expressed the full body sound of this amp. However when I recently upgraded to a pair of Jeff Rowland 201 mono blocks (250w/ch)and a Wadia 301 CD player not only did I hear how much more refined and musical these devices are but also how much more capable and deserving these speakers are of high standard partnering equipment. Like most of the B&W range they are well made and look pretty good too.

The choice is simple....non of them. i made the mistake a few years ago but I still hear that metalic ringing in my ears.

Henryk, thanks for your thoughtful, well written post. It added a lot, I'm sure the person inquiring appreciates it.

James, if you have the option, try and audition both in your room. I've always thought the Nautilus line was quite a bit better than the 700 series. The other thing to consider is that if you buy now, and deicde to sell and upgrade later, the 804's will have a higher resale value.

I think what Henryk meant to say was if your going to be buying speakers, it makes sense to look at a variety of options at your intended budget level (mine always seems to shift up towards the end of this exercise). I did not find either of these B&W speakers appealing after several auditions (B&W dealer is very close to where I work). The 703s seemed to be better to me if I had to make that choice. I would suggest Sonus Faber, Von Schweikert, and Vandersteen as potential alternatives. They all sounded better to me then the B&Ws you are considering.