800D3 vs 802D3

[stjlinus]

I've heard the B&W 800D3s in three locations now:
1. B&W's facility in North Reading, MA. (This is the one I wrote about previously, where the bass was strong but unfocused. This is also the room that Patrick referenced above, where he moved the speakers from.) The units in this room were driven by Classe monoblocks, with an Oppo source.

2. Paragon Sight and Sound in Ann Arbor, MI. Here the B&W's were driven by an ARC REF 6, with REF 250SE monoblocks, with a DCS stack as a source (sorry I know that is a generalization, but I just don't know the DCS stuff.) The 800D3s in this room sounded really good. Much better than the 802D3s, esp. in the mid and upper range. They provided a clarity and imaging that was quite amazing.

3. Magnolia in Framingham, MA. These 800D3s were driven by McIntosh gear, (CD player, preamp, and Monoblocks.) They sounded super nice, although I didn't have my own discs so we were listening to unfamiliar music. The salesperson at Magnolia (Ryan, a great guy) mentioned that they took a long time to break in (they ran them continuously for a week or so.) He also said that they did a side-by-side comparison with the 802D3s, since they had both in the store for a period of time (the 802D3s were gone by the time I got there), and the 800D3s were a significant upgrade over the 802D3s. He also mentioned that he had a pair of KEF Blades at home (driven by Rotel), and although he liked them quite a bit, the 800D3s driven by McIntosh were a significant upgrade to his ears.

So, I am not very good at detailed analysis, or a good reference by any means, but here are my observations to this point:
1. All of the 800D3 series need a long break in time. Very long.
2. The power of the bass in the 800D3s can be overwhelming, but these speakers need good placement (as Hi Fi news outlined in their review) and powerful amplifiers to control them properly.
3. The room and placement for the 800D3s is more critical than the room and placement for the 802D3s.
4. The upper and mid ranges on the 800D3s are much improved over the 802D3s, (but the 802D3s are not bad at all.)
5. This is totally subjective, but the 800D3s look more proportional given their overall presentation and dimensions, than either the 803D3 or 802D3.

So I have a pair of 802D2s that I can trade in for either 802D3s or 800D3s....Trying to take a bit of time and see what feels right. But for sure, after having had the 802D1s and 802D2s for many years (about 20, total) I really like the sound of the 802D3s and 800D3s.

[SX-626]

Thanks for your post. Looking forward to reading about what you end up buying in the future

[ariess]

My experience is that it is very challenging to get the bass in the 800D3 to not sound overblown from room interaction. Placements that work very well for the 802D3 may not work for the 800D3. At the very least you would need flexibility and probably a large room to find a good placement for the 800D3.
As for midrange, the only difference between the 802D3 and 800D3 is due to a reduction in distortion coming from the bass. If you can get the bass of the 800D3 to interface with your room well then advantage 800D3, if not, advantage 802D3. I would recommend in home audition if at all possible.

[stjlinus]

Ariess
thanks for your advice here. Listening to them in place (in room) would be excellent.
not sure that could happen but I guess I could try to make it happen.