802D2 vs 803D3 - back to back audition

[ariess]

Originally Posted by joey_v

I was there. I took the 803D3 and moved it across the room to the 802D2 side. Very nice folks who let you play with the gear. No one had heard a good demo of the 802D2 and the 803D3, so we had a crowd going.

Where was this?

Sent from my iPhone using A.Aficionado

[BuffaloBill]

Originally Posted by diononiz

Curious to hear your feedback. Anything else you can add?

Recommend you try and hear the new D3 yourself. Your impression could be totally different from mine. I thought the D3 sounded very ordinary, imaging and soundstage offered nothing unusual. I found the D2 to sound warmer than the D3 which was noticeable brighter and possibly more lively. Some might describe the D3 as being more accurate but I wouldn't. (At normal listening levels I doubt if anyone could tell the difference between the 803 D3 and the 804 D3 which was consistent with the finding at the recent Sterling Sound audition and comparison.)

[joey_v]

Originally Posted by BuffaloBill

Recommend you try and hear the new D3 yourself. Your impression could be totally different from mine. I thought the D3 sounded very ordinary, imaging and soundstage offered nothing unusual. I found the D2 to sound warmer than the D3 which was noticeable brighter and possibly more lively. Some might describe the D3 as being more accurate but I wouldn't. (At normal listening levels I doubt if anyone could tell the difference between the 803 D3 and the 804 D3 which was consistent with the finding at the recent Sterling Sound audition and comparison.)

I'm going to listen to the 804d3 vs the 803d3 and see if I come to the same conclusion.

802D2 sounded grainy and brighter in comparison, everyone in the room agreed.

803D3 did not.

And, I may add... where you heard it:

You forgot to omit that you were listening on an all Rotel system, against the corner of room, with subpar spacing between speakers. I will post a pic of the 804D3 in their listening position... there's probably 5 feet between speakers and minimal work on toe in and room loading.

You can put a pair of Wilson XLF in that corner and it wont have any staging.

[joey_v]

803d2 vs 804d3

Notice it is not optimal spacing. You can't expect to audition the 804D3 like this.

[joey_v]

Originally Posted by BuffaloBill

On a similar note, I happened to be in the Best Buy Magnolia store yesterday in Fresco, Texas and listened to the 804 D2 and 804 D3 side by side.

And btw, I know Frisco Magnolia... they do not have 804D3 and 804D2 side by side.

If you moved it to the other room, then you're running it through receivers.

Unless you moved it onto the MAC 452 or 601 set up, you're not doing yourself any service with that comparison. No one's going to run Rotel or receivers on the D3.

[BuffaloBill]

Originally Posted by joey_v

You forgot to omit that you were listening on an all Rotel system,...

This is correct, both the 803 D3 and 804 D3 side-by-side comparison was on Rotel gear which is of course is owned by B&W and I assume designed for use with their speakers, i.e., apples to apples.

[BuffaloBill]

Originally Posted by joey_v

If you moved it to the other room,...

This is correct, we moved the 800 D3 to the other room with the 800 D2. However, we used a McIntosh MA5200 to perform the comparison, i.e., apples to apples. (As ron-c has explained, the MA5200 is a "giant killer".)

[joey_v]

Originally Posted by BuffaloBill

This is correct, we moved the 800 D3 to the other room with the 800 D2. However, we used a McIntosh MA5200 to perform the comparison, i.e., apples to apples. (As ron-c has explained, the MA5200 is a "giant killer".)

You mean you brought the 804D3 to the other room with the 804D2?

You guys put it on the long wall with the cheap connectors going into the wall where the Right channel 804D2 barely works and has static and they have to finagle with it just to get the right channel speaker to play?

This room is poorly done, you have all the speakers on the long wall and the seated position is probably no more than 7 feet from them... I can't even get good stereo from any speaker in this room. This room is only good to get a quick A/B idea of sonic characteristics of the 2... standing from off center.

[joey_v]

Originally Posted by BuffaloBill

This is correct, both the 803 D3 and 804 D3 side-by-side comparison was on Rotel gear which is of course is owned by B&W and I assume designed for use with their speakers, i.e., apples to apples.

You're not going to get any staging with that set up (5 feet apart, straight out at you, corner of a room). All you're going to get is centerfill. Not a fair assessment on the D3 ability.

What you should be really stating is that the Rotel system was not impressive... since really that's all you heard on the D3. And also that putting the speakers 5 feet apart in a corner of a room is not helpful to staging.

Have you seen a Wilson speaker set up?

You think they'd put it in the corner of a room right about 1.5 feet from the wall facing straight out and 5 feet apart?

Why do you think they spend hours at your house doing the WASP and positioning the speakers?

Ask Bill (metaphacts) of former Sumiko fame... ask him what putting a pair of speakers in the corner of a room will do. And 5 feet apart.

I don't mind if you share your opinion, Bill.

But let everyone else on AA know what the status was of the room and the audition was. People are looking at these preliminary reviews as a guide and you gotta be fair and transparent.

[BuffaloBill]

Originally Posted by joey_v

I don't mind if you share your opinion, Bill.

Thanks, next time I will clear my thoughts with you first.