800d or 802 diamond
 

I have narrowed down to the following two speakers.
1. 800d (previous generation, d1)
2. 802 diamond (current generation, d2)

I am going to pair the speakers with McIntosh Mc452 amp and C2300 pre.
I have a pair of 804 diamond now and would like to upgrade to another pair of 800 series speakers.

I found a used (5 or 6 years old) pair of previous gen 800d for sale in near mint condition and it's few thousands cheaper than a brand new pair of current gen 802 diamond. However, the seller is 10 hours away from me.

I've auditioned the current 802 diamond at the local dealer few times and really like them but I have never heard the previous gen 800d.

Assuming that I have the room for either the previous gen 800d or the current 802 diamond, which pair would you choice and why?

Please help me decide. Your valuable opinion is appreciated.

I had your exact setup with the 802 diamond. It was really good. Since the technology edge goes to the newer 802 and the bass edge goes to the older 800, I would suggest going with the 802 and if you feel like you are missing bass, add a JL F113 when funds permit. But unless you have a very large room, you can't go wrong with the 802!

Thank you for your suggestion, Marc.
I don't have a huge room and I just need the right bass. Not too strong and not too light.
My current 804 diamond is just light on the bass area.
How do I connect a sub to C2300 pre?

Some subs have L/R Xlr inputs, so you can hook up directly to your pre out (you have three outputs, and just using one of them, presumably "main" for your mc452). If you don't go that route, you can get an RCA Y adapter to sum L/R and send only a single RCA to the sub.

By the way, you are taking the same upgrade path I did! I also had 804 diamond before the 802. If you like the 804 sound, you'll love the 802 in your room! After you have the 802s for a while, you'll have to listen to some Sasha's :naughty:

I spent about six years with the 800D and several occasions with the 802D2 using very similar Classé gear. Both systems were level matched but in different, although fairly well treated, environments. The highs and upper midrange are slightly more transparent with the 802D2 but the 800D has a mid to lower presence region that is more open and bass output that is more linear. The 800D is also more accurate throughout the audible range and exhibits overall better balance. For a mint condition pair at a lower price tag than the 802D2, the 800D is without question the better buy. The only negative that I see would be in transporting the 800D from one place to another. I did it twice and it can be a bear. The 800D cabinet is not much bigger than the 802D2 but the plinth is substantial and the mass is great, twice that of the 802D2. If you are up to the challenge it's a worth while proposition.

Light on bass, no way! You need to stick an MC275 on those bad boys first. I don't normally recommend tampering with the signal but depending on your source you could experiment a little with bass level equalization to see what they are capable of.

I would go for the latest 802 Diamond Series. Nice improvements to an already fine speaker.

Have basically same system as yours, 804's, MC452, and C2300. Love the sound but also a little lean on bass.

See a pair of 802,s in the future but budget not ready for it.

Auditioned a Rel G2 sub instead and it made the 804,a that much better. Even the high,s and mids were improved. The G2 is connected with a special cable directly to the MC452.

Agree. For the price of new 800d, you can buy two matching subs and 802d. Like I did.