Originally Posted by jakegt3
I just came across this thread and found it quite interesting. I recently bought the Sopra 3's but I auditioned a number of other speakers, including the 802D3, before settling on the Sopra's.
I was able to audition the Sopra 3's and the 802D3's at the same dealer, in the same listening room, driven by the same equipment (Audio Research Reference 75 amplifier and SP20 preamp). Among all the speakers I auditioned (8 in total), I rated these two as the top contenders. That said, they have a distinctly different sound character.
I would characterize the Sopra's as warmer and fuller sounding, with a larger and more open soundstage. However, I would not characterize them as being mellow or laid back. The beryllium tweeter is remarkable in that the high frequencies are all there but never harsh, shrill, or "in your face".
The 802D3's, to me, had a cooler tonal balance and the sound was more in the analytical camp. There was more prominence to the upper midrange and treble, but not excessively so. The low bass was outstanding, even better than the Sopra 3's which are also very good in the low bass. However, I didn't find the midrange to be as rich and vivid as the Sopra's.
90% of my listening is classical music and to me, the tonal character of the Sopra 3's was better suited to this music. For pop or jazz, I suspect the B&W's would be a better choice for many listeners.
As I noted above, at the dealer audition, the electronics were Audio Research because, as you can see in my signature, my home gear is also Audio Research. I didn't try any other electronics, so the sound character of these two speakers might come across differently with other gear, particularly solid state equipment.
Both are very good speakers. I think the choice of one vs. the other comes down to your personal preferences.
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