Where is the Sweet Spot in the 800 Series

[thughes]

I have been reading in the McIntosh section that the Mc501 is the sweet spot in McIntosh amps.

What is the similar sweet spot in the B&W 800 series speaker lineup?

[Dj_AmTraX]

Hum.... I heard the 800Ds and it's really nice sounding. I think people like McIntosh amp is because its neutral and won't fight against B&W's sound. If you want to sweeten the sound, go for a pair of Cary V12 mono blocks.

[Still-One]

In my opinion the 802d is the sweet spot in the B&W line.

The 801's with that one large woofer is hard to match to many rooms, while the 800d's may sound better than 802d's, but may not be worth the extra cost. The 802d is well made, finished nicely, images very good, has one of the better tweeters on the market, provides solid bass and holds its resale value very well.

[PHC1]

800D. Bass difference is night and day in most cases between the 800D and 802D. Anytime I've heard the 802Ds, they sounded bloated. It was like walking in rubber wading boots in mud that was knee deep. The mid/upper bass of the 802Ds would obliterate the mids with the overhang.

Take a look at the visual aid. The 800Ds are on the left.

[jdandy]

Originally Posted by PHC1

It was like walking in rubber wading boots in mud that was knee deep.

Serge.......WOW, that bad, uha?

[PHC1]

Originally Posted by jdandy

Serge.......WOW, that bad, uha?

In most cases, yes. Need a very ballsy amp and lots of positioning flexibility in the room to take some bloat out of the 802Ds and at the end there will still be some residual left.

I thought you may like that visual aid Dan.

[Still-One]

Originally Posted by PHC1

800D. Bass difference is night and day in most cases between the 800D and 802D. Anytime I've heard the 802Ds, they sounded bloated. It was like walking in rubber wading boots in mud that was knee deep. The mid/upper bass of the 802Ds would obliterate the mids with the overhang.

]

Never heard bloated bass on he 802d's driven by a 402 or 501's, nor a Krell FBI, Evo 402 or the EVO 600's. Actually one dealer had them driven by that big Denon 5000 series AV amp. Not bad, but not great.

[PHC1]

Originally Posted by Stillone

Never heard bloated bass on he 802d's driven by a 402 or 501's, nor a Krell FBI, Evo 402 or the EVO 600's. Actually one dealer had them driven by that big Denon 5000 series AV amp. Not bad, but not great.

The Krells wouldn't have too much trouble. The 402 did, the 501s were a little better, the 1201s were better still. If you search around on the net, you will find many have the same experience with various amps. It is not only a ball-buster of a speaker to drive but I suspect is not an optimal design since the 800D is so much better.

[thughes]

I will be moving to the MC 501s and I will be replacing 803ds. It looks like the 801 is out, but the verdict is not in on the 802d and the 800d -- varying opinions -- also about $9000 difference.

[PHC1]

What are your room dimensions and how much flexibility do you have in placing those 802Ds?