803 d3

[SMC23]

Originally Posted by brandonsweden

After taking part of an B&W event in Sweden today with Ole Vidar Andersland from B&W Group I have now placed an order for a pair of 803D3 and a HTM1D3.

According to Ole you get a significant improved sound with the bigger center speaker. He also said that there would not be a difference in sound that was audible having different sizes in midrange/bass.
I also asked Patric Butler in another thread where he said the same about pairing the bigger center with 803D3.
So I felt safe ordering HTM1D3 without hearing it.

Delivery is planned for early december.

Congrats on the new speakers. Please post pics of the HTM1 when you receive it. Pics on this speaker in gloss black are hard to come by.

I guess deliveries in europe are much sooner than ones here in N.America. Been waiting on my order to ship for quite some time now.

[brandonsweden]

Originally Posted by SMC23

Congrats on the new speakers. Please post pics of the HTM1 when you receive it. Pics on this speaker in gloss black are hard to come by. I guess deliveries in europe are much sooner than ones here in N.America. Been waiting on my order to ship for quite some time now.

Will post pictures when I get them in december. All speakers are in black.

[brandonsweden]

(Picture taken at night, day time pictures to come)

So I am finally ready to write my own review of B&W 803D3 and a little about B&W HTM1D3.

I can start by saying that I have the following equipment:

Pre: Meridian 861V8
Power amplifier: Classé CA-5300
Transport: Meridian MC200 (music server, all tracks in FLAC)
Power conditioner: Isotek Aquarious EVO3 + various Audioquest (AQ) power cables.
Cables: Audioquest Oak (amp->speakers), AQ Niagara (pre->amp), AQ Diamond RJ/E Ethernet (Meridian MC200<->Pre).

Before upgrading to B&W 803D3 I owned B&W 804S.

The speakers have now around 160-180 hours of use.

In mid December I got a call from my local dealer telling my they had some news about my order. One was good and one was not so good. I chose the good one first and it was that my speakers had arrived, two weeks earlier than expected. This though, after two push backs in delivery. So they arrived two weeks after initial delivery expectation.

But it was still a great surprise and a happy one. I became even happier when they told me that they could deliver the same day with express delivery that I didn´t have to pay for.
The not so good news was that the HTM1D3 was again pushed back with a delivery now expected after Christmas.

When I came home after work and saw how big the packaging of the speakers were I was enormously grateful for the delivery because I could never have fitted them into my car.

The un-rapping was very easy to do and I rolled the speakers into place. The only problem I found was to see how I should connect the speaker wires. It was quite hard to see HF-, HF+, LF- and LF+. They were barely visible. Maybe B&W could in-grave it more or paint the in-graving black? And yes, I had my glasses on.

Now everything was set. Let the music play!

And… I really expected much. I remember my first experience with my B&W 804S eight years ago. They played wonderfully from the first second. My first reaction was; - Ok???

The sound was detailed but lacked bass and that “warm” lovely sound with voices that I love with B&W. And the presentation was on pair, that is, as bad. The sound was behind the speakers but nothing happened in front of the speakers. Of course the sound was in front of the speakers but nothing happened in the soundstage in front of them. The sound was un-inspiring with no feelings. I was quite disappointed but I knew you have to let your speakers play before auditioning them. But I was hoping they would sound great from the start. Not so with these.

After two days of none stop playing I did a listen again.
Some more bass but not the control I was hoping for and the lower part (attack) was not there. They were still uninspiring with soundstage mainly behind the speakers and now also a tweeter that was more there. A little too much there. I still was not happy. I was searching for that feeling I got when I listen to music that brings out emotions that I am used to with my previous speakers. The sound was still trapped inside the speaker and behind it. I got no feelings at all from the speakers…

Now I left them playing for four more days none stop.

They now had around 120-140 hours. It was that time again for some critical listening.

Finally, something good had happened.

The bass now was earth deep that you could feel it, but oh so controlled. In classical music you could really feel when the big drum was hit and it had an attack and control that sounded “real”. The texture from the bass was also terrifyingly good. I listened to Carmen Suite: Habanera (CD: The 50 Greatest Pieces of Classical Music, London Philharmonic Orchestra) and the crescendo in the end of every passage made the room vibrate.
Or in Elektro Kardiogramm from Kraftwerk (CD; Tour the France) that contains a lot of different kinds of bass that isn´t easy to portray in a correct/good way. B&W 803D3 had no problem in switching between the different bass-lines.
Also something as contemporary as Justin Bieber (I know ;-) Where are U now (CD: Purpose) had a great flow and the B&W 803D3 hammered every bass line given.

The tweeter still plucked every nuance from the recording buy now without any harshness at all. I really dislike and would buy another speaker if a speaker I owned sounded hard. There is no harshness in this speaker now and I can play really loud without being forced to lower the volume due to my ears hurting.

The midrange is also something else! You get very close to the music and the singer feels life-like, as being in the room. Also with movies you get the sense that you are in the picture rather than just watching. A great feeling.

The soundstage is now great. Finally, the sound leaves the speakers and spreads within the room effortless. The music washes over you and all it leaves are emotions from the music.
Also the ability to point out things in the soundstage is spot on. You hear where things are happening. This in even hard sections of music, classical pieces or even really good produced pop/rock.

The ability to sound big when called upon is really something I like. My previous speakers (B&W 804S) lacked in that ability. Now my speakers sound big with an attack in crescendos which heightens the speakers ability to send emotions from the music.

Low volume listening is also a lot better than with my old B&W 804S. I feel that I now can listen to a lower volume at night and still have a good balance between tweeter/mid/bass. Earlier I lost bass and midrange and the tweeter took over at lower volumes.

To summarize. The B&W 803D3 needs at least 120 hours of burn in time before you can hear what this speaker is capable of. I really love them and I recommend to everybody who like the “B&W sound”. You will be pleasantly rewarded.

As a final note. I am still burning in my HTM1D3 and when I compare it to my previous one (same cabinet, aluminium tweeter) it portrays bigger, better, enormously better control in bass. What I have noticed is that my home cinema sound is more natural. It is as if you have taken away something between me and the speakers that has made the sound come through more easily. But they have still about 80 hours of burn in time until I would give them a “real” review.

This is my experience. Going from B&W 804S to B&W 803D3 has been a giant leap forward in my setup. I am very, very, happy with the result.

Kristoffer

[krustycat]

Nice write up.

Congratulations.

[slayers]

Originally Posted by brandonsweden

(Picture taken at night, day time pictures to come)

So I am finally ready to write my own review of B&W 803D3 and a little about B&W HTM1D3.

I can start by saying that I have the following equipment:

Pre: Meridian 861V8
Power amplifier: Classé CA-5300
Transport: Meridian MC200 (music server, all tracks in FLAC)
Power conditioner: Isotek Aquarious EVO3 + various Audioquest (AQ) power cables.
Cables: Audioquest Oak (amp->speakers), AQ Niagara (pre->amp), AQ Diamond RJ/E Ethernet (Meridian MC200<->Pre).

Before upgrading to B&W 803D3 I owned B&W 804S.

The speakers have now around 160-180 hours of use.

In mid December I got a call from my local dealer telling my they had some news about my order. One was good and one was not so good. I chose the good one first and it was that my speakers had arrived, two weeks earlier than expected. This though, after two push backs in delivery. So they arrived two weeks after initial delivery expectation.

But it was still a great surprise and a happy one. I became even happier when they told me that they could deliver the same day with express delivery that I didn´t have to pay for.
The not so good news was that the HTM1D3 was again pushed back with a delivery now expected after Christmas.

When I came home after work and saw how big the packaging of the speakers were I was enormously grateful for the delivery because I could never have fitted them into my car.

The un-rapping was very easy to do and I rolled the speakers into place. The only problem I found was to see how I should connect the speaker wires. It was quite hard to see HF-, HF+, LF- and LF+. They were barely visible. Maybe B&W could in-grave it more or paint the in-graving black? And yes, I had my glasses on.

Now everything was set. Let the music play!

And… I really expected much. I remember my first experience with my B&W 804S eight years ago. They played wonderfully from the first second. My first reaction was; - Ok???

The sound was detailed but lacked bass and that “warm” lovely sound with voices that I love with B&W. And the presentation was on pair, that is, as bad. The sound was behind the speakers but nothing happened in front of the speakers. Of course the sound was in front of the speakers but nothing happened in the soundstage in front of them. The sound was un-inspiring with no feelings. I was quite disappointed but I knew you have to let your speakers play before auditioning them. But I was hoping they would sound great from the start. Not so with these.

After two days of none stop playing I did a listen again.
Some more bass but not the control I was hoping for and the lower part (attack) was not there. They were still uninspiring with soundstage mainly behind the speakers and now also a tweeter that was more there. A little too much there. I still was not happy. I was searching for that feeling I got when I listen to music that brings out emotions that I am used to with my previous speakers. The sound was still trapped inside the speaker and behind it. I got no feelings at all from the speakers…

Now I left them playing for four more days none stop.

They now had around 120-140 hours. It was that time again for some critical listening.

Finally, something good had happened.

The bass now was earth deep that you could feel it, but oh so controlled. In classical music you could really feel when the big drum was hit and it had an attack and control that sounded “real”. The texture from the bass was also terrifyingly good. I listened to Carmen Suite: Habanera (CD: The 50 Greatest Pieces of Classical Music, London Philharmonic Orchestra) and the crescendo in the end of every passage made the room vibrate.
Or in Elektro Kardiogramm from Kraftwerk (CD; Tour the France) that contains a lot of different kinds of bass that isn´t easy to portray in a correct/good way. B&W 803D3 had no problem in switching between the different bass-lines.
Also something as contemporary as Justin Bieber (I know ;-) Where are U now (CD: Purpose) had a great flow and the B&W 803D3 hammered every bass line given.

The tweeter still plucked every nuance from the recording buy now without any harshness at all. I really dislike and would buy another speaker if a speaker I owned sounded hard. There is no harshness in this speaker now and I can play really loud without being forced to lower the volume due to my ears hurting.

The midrange is also something else! You get very close to the music and the singer feels life-like, as being in the room. Also with movies you get the sense that you are in the picture rather than just watching. A great feeling.

The soundstage is now great. Finally, the sound leaves the speakers and spreads within the room effortless. The music washes over you and all it leaves are emotions from the music.
Also the ability to point out things in the soundstage is spot on. You hear where things are happening. This in even hard sections of music, classical pieces or even really good produced pop/rock.

The ability to sound big when called upon is really something I like. My previous speakers (B&W 804S) lacked in that ability. Now my speakers sound big with an attack in crescendos which heightens the speakers ability to send emotions from the music.

Low volume listening is also a lot better than with my old B&W 804S. I feel that I now can listen to a lower volume at night and still have a good balance between tweeter/mid/bass. Earlier I lost bass and midrange and the tweeter took over at lower volumes.

To summarize. The B&W 803D3 needs at least 120 hours of burn in time before you can hear what this speaker is capable of. I really love them and I recommend to everybody who like the “B&W sound”. You will be pleasantly rewarded.

As a final note. I am still burning in my HTM1D3 and when I compare it to my previous one (same cabinet, aluminium tweeter) it portrays bigger, better, enormously better control in bass. What I have noticed is that my home cinema sound is more natural. It is as if you have taken away something between me and the speakers that has made the sound come through more easily. But they have still about 80 hours of burn in time until I would give them a “real” review.

This is my experience. Going from B&W 804S to B&W 803D3 has been a giant leap forward in my setup. I am very, very, happy with the result.

Kristoffer

that is awesome HT, any more review for HT?

[audiohippo]

Congrats, very nice system.

[Douglas]

Originally Posted by audiohippo

Congrats, very nice system.

I suspect your speakers will continue to improve up to at least 400 hours. It is different for other speakers, but my YG's needed at least 400 hours to fully realize their potential. Congrats on your purchase.

[Toccata]

Would my PrimaLuma amp (75 wpc) sufficiently drive these? My listening area is about 15'x15', and I listen mostly to classical music at moderate levels (below 90dB). Thanks.

(By the way, I was certain that I already posted this question! Maybe I didn't click the "Post" button?)

[papakos]

If I allowed a question for Patrick.

This is 803 D3 crossover network.


And this is 802 D3 crossover.


Why a 17k speaker has electrolytic capacitor in crossover network ? (bass board).

The oldest 14k 802 D2 had everywhere plastic mundorf.
Same and 803 D2 had everywhere mundorf.

Also Patrick, FST midrange has foam surround. You agree for lifespan about 10 years ?
After 10 years need replace it ?

In my 802D FST is dead (in a dark room).

[Art Vandelay]

For those interested, HNR has reviewed the 803D3.

https://issuu.com/happyrebel/docs/hi...s_-_march_2016


Technical performance is very similar to the 802D3 (HFN Dec 15), as expected.