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.

James - I auditioned both the 703's and N804's about 18 months ago, along with the Sonus Faber Grand Piano, and ended up with the 804's. As with most speakers, they were dependent on the electronics and room setup. Also, the 804's were powered by Musical Fidelity X150 and the 703's by Rotel 1070 (100 w/ch). Both speakers provided good, enjoyable music. The bass on the 804's was tighter and more controlled, with the bass on the 703's being slightly muddy, not objectionable mind you, but slightly muddy. IMO, the 804 has plenty of bass - at least for me. Midrange was good on both speakers, but I have to give a slight edge to the 804 on the highs. I can readily understand that some folks may find these speakers too bright, metallic or shrilly, but I really think that it dependent on the front end and room placement. Driver integration was good on both speakers, but again, I thought that the 804's had an edge providing a more musical presentation. The SF were a bit laid back for me, (maybe a bit warm?) although I liked their sound very much and the drivers were well integrated. They were also driven by the MF equipment.

I am now using a VTL 5.5 Pre w/Krell 2250 amplification w/the 804's. It took me about 2 weeks of experimenting in a now dedicated listening room to get the placement right. I recommend you home-audition both speakers if that's possible. It's really the best way to tell what will work best for you. Good luck and happy listening.