Upgrade from 804S?

[Cohibaman]

Originally Posted by TM1

Is 400 watts too much for the 804D3's? Can it damage the speaker listening at say 85 db?

Generally speaking, not enough power damages a speaker by clipping when it's turned up and over driven. Typically this scenario damages the tweeters.

I haven't don't the math, but 85db should be a cake walk for the 804D3's using the Bryston.

85db, whether from a 1000 watt amp or a 120 watt amp requires the same amount of power. It's only when you turn it up louder, that the Bryston starts getting taxed and begins to clip, while the 1000 watt amp continues to deliver more clean power until it reaches its clipping level. This is not to say that abusing a 1000 watt amp WON'T damage a speaker.

[TM1]

Originally Posted by Cohibaman

Generally speaking, not enough power damages a speaker by clipping when it's turned up and over driven. Typically this scenario damages the tweeters. I haven't don't the math, but 85db should be a cake walk for the 804D3's using the Bryston. 85db, whether from a 1000 watt amp or a 120 watt amp requires the same amount of power. It's only when you turn it up louder, that the Bryston starts getting taxed and begins to clip, while the 1000 watt amp continues to deliver more clean power until it reaches its clipping level. This is not to say that abusing a 1000 watt amp WON'T damage a speaker.

So there would not be a difference in performance if you used 120 W versus a 300 W at 85 DB?

[Wasatch]

Originally Posted by TM1

So there would not be a difference in performance if you used 120 W versus a 300 W at 85 DB?

There would be a huge difference, in what you would be hearing. 120W will drive them, but the 300W will make them sing.

[Cohibaman]

Originally Posted by TM1

So there would not be a difference in performance if you used 120 W versus a 300 W at 85 DB?

You can probably achieve 85db with 10 watts. Again, I don't know the efficiency of the 804D3's, but I'd be willing to bet 1 watt will drive them to 85db. It's when you turn up the volume that power matters.

[Wasatch]

Originally Posted by Cohibaman

You can probably achieve 85db with 10 watts. Again, I don't know the efficiency of the 804D3's, but I'd be willing to bet 1 watt will drive them to 85db. It's when you turn up the volume that power matters.

Exactly.

[Blackstone]

I might go for a Ayre VX-5 Twenty or a Bryston 4BSST3 before the speakers. It might take some time. The 3B might be enough to get started but yeah not enough amp for D3 series to really shine I'm sure.

The front end will be the Ayre QX-5 Twenty DAC which I am getting this summer.

[Blackstone]

Does the new 804D3 have more bass/ better bass than 804s? The 804s can be kind of lean sounding.

[Cohibaman]

Originally Posted by Blackstone

Does the new 804D3 have more bass/ better bass than 804s? The 804s can be kind of lean sounding.

The 804S is rated 38Hz - 20,000Hz
The 804D3 is rated 24Hz - 28,000Hz

Significant difference if you ask me.

[Bluemeanies]

Only responding b/c of earlier ownership of 804S...next step up for ME is the 803Diamonds...love them. Better midrange, low end and highs.
Never heard the new series B&W800 series....bur I am sure they are a great sounding speaker...worth substantial $$ its relative.
For me B&W is the truest sounding speaker....powered by 65watts of tube power in triode mode.

[playdrv4me]

If you feel that the 804S is lean you probably won't notice much difference in the 804 D3 in terms of *bass* quantity alone. You will however enter an ENTIRELY new world in terms of imaging and detail that your 804S just can't touch. There are two more generations separating the 804S from the 804 D3.

But if you want bass improvements, and you don't want to add a sub, you have to step up to the 803 D2 or 803 D3, as I just did (D2 for me, D3 would be a major step up for you).