BOWERS and WILKINS 805 D4 Take it to the Limit
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- Опубліковано 27 вер 2021
- Steve listened to the Bowers & Wilkins 805 D4 at Stereo Exchange, stereoexchange.com
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Since they’re from the UK, surely the tweeter tube would be Alu-mini-um
Blimey!
Correct 👍
The US had a letter shortage once. They've never recovered.
Is that kind of material available in the UK at this time?
🙄
I see the good old Klipsch RP-600M speakers are back in the room. These are my favourite bookshelf speakers !
Do you know the what company manufacturers the accoustic treatment
disperspersion panels behind those speakers?
I'm wondering if dispersion panels would be a worthwhile tweak for my vintage B&W CDM-1NT bookshelf speakers.
I don't believe they cost that much.
I have no need for bass traps. The low frequency output is fast, tight & very musical sounding...well articulated.
TX
Great review. Took note of all music recommendations. Thanks.
A lot like window shopping for me but I always love your walk through the vast forest of audio choices.
I almost choked on the sweet roll I was eating when he said the price.
Sound United speakers now...
@@streettails8045 The 800 series are made in England . All the other speakers made in china
I spent an entire day listening to various music on these, and then the next day with the JBL 4367. I'm a believer. We're talking about comparing a small bookshelf at $8000 versus a huge speaker at $15000 and I couldn't tell you which one I liked more. I think in the end I liked the larger sound stage of the JBL But that diamond tweeter is the REAL DEAL.
4:53 I made some speakers from scratch using my 706s as a reference guide. And the made speakers have an 8" coaxial and a 10" woofer. A 3-way monster. It also just gets better the more you crank it. Doesn't get louder, just gets bigger.
Glad to see some good quality parts in the crossover, which is also very simple. An indication of the quality of the drivers and the installation I think, as they’re clearly not fighting any nasty resonances. I’d love to hear them.
There is a saying that the second happiest day of a boat owner's life is the day he brings the boat home and the happiest day is the day he sells it. My father in-law can confirm that. I had a pair of 804N's, and feel exactly the same way. And I bought them just as my kids were starting to get expensive, so I was stuck with the speakers for more years than I care to admit. I managed to get them to sound really good on the best recordings, but many old favorites were rendered unlistenable.
Two pieces of advice for anybody considering B&W's. First, make sure your room matches B&W' s requirements. In my case, I didn't have the specified 10 foot listening distance. It would have been nice if the dealer had asked about my listening room. If you think the small size and 6" woofer would be good for a small room, think again.
Second, yes, you need McIntosh/Luxman level of electronics. Tubes or tubey sounding transistor electronics are highly recommended. Forget about 'detailed' (i.e. bright and zippy) class D amps. In my case, silver cables made my last few years of ownership a bit more tolerable.
Living vicariously through Steve
Eno and Philip Glass is a great segue for a playlist
I like hearing about the music you choose. Major influence.
Listening to Blue Elephant right now. Here Come the Warm Jets was the first Eno album I purchased back in the day if you don’t count For Your Pleasure...
Back in 2018 I listened to the 805 d3’s + sub. Sounded good however I missed something. Then I listened to the 803’s without sub. I couldn’t believe the difference. I went for the 803’s + center. Powered by a Parasound a51. Still loving it.
Thanks for the review, Steve.
$8000 a pair at 3:37 - OK, thank you; now I’m just watching for fun.
I usually stick around for these reviews that are prohibitively expensive because i am curious as to what Steve's listening to. He's hipped me to some truly incredible stuff.
Lol, I stick around to hear what tracks Steve
Uses to review….then I look it up on Apple Music and add it to my Steve G playlist to listen 😉
Hello from Madrid-Spain, Steve. Here's a great recording for testing speakers... The Moody Blues "Question of Balance." Saludos. Love your channel!!
I would love a test using Supertramp's Live in Paris cd. That is some spectacular sound. Saludos desde el otro lado del charco!
Very beautiful speaker. Also you don't really see often specs for distortion and cable requirements. Very nice indeed
Hey Steve, great stuff, thank you for your quality content, i cannot find the full review of BOWERS and WILKINS Formation duo you promised on few occasions, is it lost somewhere on your channel?
Good review as always. 8k vs 12k. For the price point vs sound, the 804 d4 sounds like a better value for a more deep bass response and probable better lower-mid to mid range. I would venture to say it's probably a fuller sound as most towers are in comparison to book shelves. Just my opinion.
Excellent. I think Steve is by far the best reviewer on UA-cam. I enjoy very much the background with the paintings on the wall and the books. Old school NY intellectual. Are these B&W standmounts good for big orchestra and chorus symphonic music? I am not sure
I think that 805 D4 doesn't use that new spider type. Only models that have FST midrange, so floorstanders.
Correct. The mid base driver of the 805 probably has too much displacement for that.
This was another excellent post Steve, thank you. I've seen a few breakdowns of this new model, but yours was the best and I feel you gave more information than most.
Also love your choice of test music, some truly excellent choices.
I was fascinated to see the room where you demo'ed the units was packed with other speakers! Are you not bothered by the resulting colouration this introduces? Whilst I know there are limitations on what can be done - speakers at this price point should surely be used in a room where other speakers are not moving with the sound pressure and colouring the sound? Be interested to hear your views.
Really enjoyed todays video - thank you for sharing your enthusiasm!
Thanks for your kind words. Well yes, I heard the 805‘s in a store. With all of its limitations, true. But as I said I could not get the speakers at home due to supply chain shortages. Thing is, I have urged viewers to whenever possible to listen before they buy any audio products, in stores. Yes, in-home auditions are the best, but not always possible, especially with high-end, expensive, products.
That's a good point. There are plenty of reviewers or presenters on YT who perform speaker reviews or presentations with other speakers in the room, sometimes even large (even though powered off) subwoofers in the background. E/g 'Sound Sommelier' or 'Pursuit Perfect System' just to name two out of many. There is no doubt all these driver membranes and cabinets are activated by external sound pressure - and do colorize the sound perceived.
$8000! They've gotten too expensive. I remember hearing the B&W Matrix 805 back in 1995 at a store. They cost $1600. That's around $3000 in todays money.
Well, Sound United needs to recoup the acquisition cost when they acquired what remained of B&W.
Yes.... Ridiculous high price for a small box 2 way ..... Elac at $600 is just as good
That is a lot of money for the book shelf speakers. Even if with the stands, $8K is way to much. Please tell me that price includes the stands. Does it?
$1600 in 1995 is now at least $5000 with inflation.
@@LiuMav True, F@….ing COVID crisis
Yesterday i did a 3 hour session with the 803 d4,with 4 diferent amps and response of the speaker was amazing to the diferent amps.
The first thing you noticed compared to the d3 series,is that the new s4 play very well with great tonal balance at low volumes.
@@streettails8045 have you been atthe factory?in china?
@@streettails8045 ok,ive been at the factory in Brighton England two times and the 800 series are made there in house.the nautilus are custom painted in the brighton factory too.
Cool video Steve. Sending my respect from the UK 🇬🇧. Anyways, I'd rather have a pair of Dali Epicon 2s, you should give them a try Steve, because they're absolutely beautiful speakers. Anyways, take care Steve. 🙂
This speaker is too rich for my blood, but I just listened to "Baby's on Fire" over my Tektons and had a moment of musical bliss. Thanks Steve!
Just ordered some Tektons and can’t wait to find some movie and musical bliss as well!
...i have Tektons too. They never seem to do comparisons against the Tektons
Which Tektons do you guys have, I really like the idea of them but have never heard them in person?
@@markucla I have the lore reference and the Electron se...
@@markucla they are awesome
Two setups with the Ortofon 2M Bronze cartridge makes me happy this morning. I'm a fan of the Bronze.
Thanks for the tip for the Jazz album, just purchase it.
I love high end standmount speakers. The Audiovector r1 arrete is another great speaker.
What about Wilson Benesch p1 or Borresen z1 for a little more moneybthan these
@@toneswinger yes they are good speakers too
@@toneswinger but more expensive don't always equal better.
I have compared my Audiovector r1 arrete speakers to Focal Sopra 1, and Kef Referance 1, both much more expensive than the Audiovector, but the Audiovector held it's own, i actually prefer the Audiovector speakers
Reminds me of the Triangle Signature Theta in terms of design (which i ll soon be reviewing)
The folks that care :
The Brits that actually make the Speaker,
The folks that distribute,
The folks that will need service over the horizon
The folks that are concerned about Re-Sale residual Values.
Please, don't say "for those that care" in a Sarcastic Manner. To Care is a good thing.
Tony in Venice Florida
ps. I'm glad D.Wasserman has em, he's a great guy!
I'm curious to find out who makes those acoustic room treatment
dispersion panels behind Steve?
Couple minor points, BTW I subscribed around 20k. Congrats on achievements! 1st, early when talking about tweeters, ya said "you think" they're the same . @8k a pair would like to know for sure. 2nd, Ya liked the system including the Mac. In the past when talking about Mac, your impression always seemed luke warm at best. What makes this one different?
I doubt anybody buying $8000 speakers is going to use this video based on one listening session as their sole research.
For $8k I'd get the KEF LS50 meta speakers, a used McIntosh integrated amp, and good used CD player that's been serviced. Seriously, the B&W costing more than 4 times what the LS50 metas cost is too large of a price gap for most people. The Paradigm founder series bookshelves likely compare toe to toe with the B&W for 1/3 the price. B&W is a sound United company now.... RIP real B&W.
the 805 eat by ease the kef ls50 meta and paradigm founder by 1000000 times... its like comparing apple vs gold
@@simonspeaker for +$6,500 more...they better
Hey Steve! Thanks for the first real-listening review on the 805 D4’s and it was a good one, too! I couldn’t resist noticing the Luxman Class A integrated amplifier on the bottom shelf of the rack. Looking at the color of the meters and the top cover my best guess is that it was the Luxman L-550 AxII. With 20 WPC class A (70+ in class AB) it might have been a nice match for the 88dB sensitive 805 D4’s. Did you get a chance to listen to that combination? You had the right CD player…. Best of luck and thanks for all you do!
Thanks, didn’t try the Luxman, I guess I should have
Personally I enjoyed Luxman AB amps more paring with my 805D3, I am using a L-509AXII right now. And the combination sounds fantastic!
@@GlaciaDay Luxman: So many choices in amplifier topology all made with artisanal quality! I would love to hear the combination of the 509 and the D3’s. My dealer had the 590 to audition with the D3’s, not the 509, but it worked for me. Congratulations on your purchase!
Just curious - 'heavily compressed, etc ' - what would you say about the later Beatles recordings, the Revolver etc mid 1960's discs with layers and layers of playing with tape ? 'new' editions, better. or worse. ?
Hi Steve,
I see you got a chance to use the EAT Csharp! I recently purchased one and am in love, but I would love to hear what your thoughts on it are? Always respect your thoughts on audio gear
Have you ever reviewed the gr research xls encore book shelf diy speaker kit. Just wondering what you thought of it.
Great content :)
I'm sure they're nice speakers Steve; Bowers and Wilkins have made some good speakers through the years, but eight grand seems a little steep. There are a lot of choices out there for those willing to spend that amount.
Different sound but for around the same price I prefer Harbeth HL5 xd
Holy crud, Eight Thousand dollars !!! I LOVE B&W... have owned 3 pairs over the years. I had a pair of 805s back in 2000... which cost me $1200. The 606s2 are great at 900 pair. I have considered saving my pennies to buy pair of 705s2 at 3K pair. But i feel a little betrayed... new 805s are 7 times more expensive than they were in 20 years ago.
There's a sub in the pic of the system too.
@Philly B Yes they virtually think outside the box and avoid costly to manufacture cabinets like we see in here. Agreed!
Audiovector R1 arrete 👍
Afternoon Steve👍
.. side note last weekend I found the Sennheiser HD 414 having a good time with them so far quite different sound in compared to my HD 420 ..
What I ended up purchasing in 1972 after listening to a pair of B & W speakers. The ‘phones cost me $AU23.50 IIRC!
I have the HD424, the deluxe version of the 414. I've had them since the mid 70s
I can afford the music! 🙂Thanks Steve,
Hi Steve, how would you say they compare to the Dynaudio Heritage Specials?
It’s a good question, I think they’re comparable speakers. But I reviewed the heritage in February, and I’m not one of those reviewers that can compare things seven months apart! I have no idea how those guys can do that.
Intl' pricing without stands: UK ~USD 8,400 // EU ~USD 9,280 (!) with somewhat around 20% local VAT included. Price increase over the 805 D3: 33%....Wheh! But still there is not so much of competition. The only considerably less expensive speakers in the EU (which may marginally outperform these) coming into my mind are the made in France "VoceGrande" by J.M. Reynaud. Which cost a ~USD 1,600 per pair less, but only available in the EU for that price (they're close to 10 grand in the US).
What’s the name of that Jazz album with Brent and Ron? Could not find anything on Apple Music Steve.
Steve you should use tangerine dream tracks! Love the music selections
When will you be reviewing the new Zu Audio Soul?
Hi Steve, thanks for the review, money aside, would you say they are better than the predecessor?
Great system of the day…. 😎
How does this compare to the Dynaudio Contour 20i just asking
Hey Steve,
Great review as always, but in watching it prompted a question. A while back you reviewed the Dynaudio Contour 20i, and well before that the Dynaudio Contour 20. These two Dynaudio models have been compared to the B&W805D3. How do they compare to the new B&W805D4, particularly the Contour 20i? Thanks!
You should also consider the Audiovector r1 arrete. I have compared the contour 20i and the Audiovector.
The Audiovector's is a much better speaker.
@@henriksrensen3220 in which part is the audiovector beter?
@@theomindschrddr7983 it's more open and free sounding, with deep and big soundstage. Also more detail. But the Contour 20i has more bass output, it goes deeper too. 20i has more (not better) bass.
It depends on synergy with amplifier of course, I use a gryphon diablo 120 amplifier, it's a perfect match for the Audiovector.
@@henriksrensen3220 oke thank you
@@theomindschrddr7983 👍🙂
Links to buy the music mentioned would be nice.
Brilliant video Steve. Food for thought but personally won’t go over £5k for a pair of speakers. Take care Steve
I purchased the 805-S (last gen pre diamond) in 2005. Fantastic speaker at $2500USD at the time. ($3500 in today's $) I have followed the line to the D3 and made a jump to the 804 d3 to provide more low end and higher volume threshold. Big fan of the line but we are CLEARLY advancing well up the arch of diminishing returns. The line now lacks a gateway speaker in terms of price. I wonder if they could have kept the existing designs as a step (805/4) into the 800 line without breaking the bank. Maybe replace the diamond with the carbon tweeter and charge 60% the cost of the flagship models?
When it comes to vertical product differentiation, 700 series was upgraded with these two "signature" models 705 and 702 which may attract the ones unable to afford the 80x D4. I think they will closely evaluate their sales figures after the latest price increase. It's finally a matter of business administration (financial controlling and marketing) what to do best.
Never underestimate sales which are made in areas beyond North America, Europe, the UK and Australia. On UA-cam you may be tempted to think it's only North America, Europe, the UK and Australia which exist and where the "music plays" - as virtually no comments are coming in from other areas. But there are plenty of wealthy buyers located in the Near Eastern Gulf states, P. R. China (in particular), Japan, Russia, and more, too.
@@pickyaudiophile9898 my point was not that they can't sell the new 800s. It was that there could be an opportunity to bridge the gap between the 700 and 800 series. There is a $4k difference (2x). I'm sure they did their homework and concluded otherwise. I don't care where people live.
@@reynolds8532 I see your point. Speaker companies will always tell us about "increasing costs" leading us to believe their business purpose is to recover costs only. So B&W did. But c'mon, you know the thing™, an alternative tweeter within a range? That's quite uncommon...
Maybe the small ones plus a sub could be cheaper and you have the option of different placements of the sub for better bass acoustics.
I love strawberry alarm clock. Black butter is genius. I also have original eno pressing of here comes……..also genius.
Egads!!!!The price has just gone nuts with 800 series.Is this worth a Vandersteen Trio?I doubt it.
Hi Steve, could you do a bluetooth portable speaker review in the future? I know that might cause nervous ticks in some but just interested in your opinion. Thanks!
Sorry, no BT speakers on the horizon!
they do use Mundorf high end cap on the tweeter , worth 200usd each ... most 8k speakers use really generic poly caps ..... that cap makes that diamond tweeter shine
As the one or the other crossover "refiner" on YT may say: "Not too much of cheesy parts in it."😊
@@pickyaudiophile9898 This could be the best grade Cap on the tweeter in a speaker under 20000usd....
Is it the silver in oil or silver & gold in oil
Steve pls review the Jays Audio Dac2 Mk3 and the Matrix Audio Sabre 3 , both new DACs around US3k , not cheap but affordable if they are great products. Both look promising. Thks in advance.
Seeing as I already own a pair of 805 D3’s, are they that much better that I need to upgrade or do the D3’s still complete well against them?
Well, since I didn’t actually compare one against the other I can’t say for sure. But if you like what you have stick with it!
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac What the hell kind of salesman are you? Newer is always better. People like you are killing the economy. Of course it's better. Why else would they come out with a new "improved" model? Buy the new ones. I'll give you ten dollars for the old ones. They were good in their day.
I very much doubt it though. I own a pair of D3 as well and I am now hesitating on if I should upgrade it to D4. I don't think the difference in sound quality is gonna justify the huge price gap. 25% more is harsh.
I'm a big fan of the 8 series, I followed them from the beginning of when the nautilus 800 were released.
@@streettails8045 not the 800 series, they are made in UK. And I doubt they don't care... That's woundnt be good for the health of the business mate.
I know the 6 and 7s are overpriced so I agree sort of.
@@streettails8045 well that's an eye opener.
@@streettails8045 you are talking BS and not bit but a lot !
I'm not a fan of the current 600 and 700 series. They have too big of a suckout in the midrange, and the tweeter is too hot, making the whole thing sound to me like a bad boombox with the graphic EQ set to a smiley face. However, the 805 has never suffered from that. The have a very full midrange and the tweeter is still hot, but not to the point of shrillness. The 805D3 sounds glorious in UA-cam videos, when paired with the right amp (I've never heard it in person), and the Nautilus 805S is one of the best 2 way speakers I've ever actually heard in person. It made me buy the 601S3, which I then ended up selling, because it too had that midrange suckout, although not as bad as newer 600 series ones. The 602S3 was much better, but was just too big and bassy for my small room. B&Ws also like to play very loud, and don't really wake up until they're louder than my ears, and room, can tolerate
KMD Orchestalls 500RT Floorstanding speakers or KMD 600R
Owned a few B&W speakers never really enjoyed my time with them. But one cant like it all and I go a very different way. Still review is interesting as always keep em coming they go great with a cup of joe.
Same, bought the 607 signature because of his review. I used them for about 20 days and they just felt wrong. They sounded muffled to my 19000hz capable young ears. I then proceeded to testing the 707 and they sounded better but still felt wrong. Ended up getting the Kef ls50 Meta when I was blown away by the clarity and soundstage at another store.
I’ve heard the 800/3 a few times in different rooms. They had a strange behavior, that the sound sometimes seems to come from the ceiling. I don’t think the artists were jumping up and down when recording..
@@hopje01 I have concluded that bowers and Wilkins are fun speakers but that does not necessarily mean good speakers.
pricey but man they are works of art.
Have a system of seven hundred and 600 series including two 610 subs. Runs a bit more than eight grand, but the music lover would love to have these, too bad they raised the price two grand.
Hi, how does that compare to the 805 messerati
I see everybody is hung up on the price but I mean the work involved is a lot. Does it sound best no, but I heard the 700 series in best buy way up on a high shelf and it was easily the best thing there and it sounded very good. Not better than my kef ls50s but hey bowers and wilkins is making fancy speaker cabinets with curves and diamond tweeters that are isolated and they give it a nice piano finish... all that is going to cost.
Steve, so I was getting ready to order these until this review. I do a lot of streaming and you said these aren't a good fit if you are streaming a lot of music. If you were to be in this budget and want a great new bookshelf speaker for streaming music, what would you recommend?!
That is just not true. I own the 805 D3s and all I do is stream (Amazon HD). High quality streaming sounds fantastic. I would imagine the experience would be the same/very close with the 805 D4s.
@@mtkreger Thanks for the reply. I do some vinyl but mostly streaming with a Lumin T2. I want to upgrade my Sonus Faber Sonetto II's to some amazing bookshelf speakers. It's either the Dynaudio Heritage Specials or the new B&W 805 D4's.
I own a pair they are great with streaming
9:09 Paint it yellow and you have a Minions Edition
It's sad that the original 805 is no longer made, especially since it cost about £1600 when new. I've less and less desire for any of these outrageously expensive B&W speakers
Maby you can try to test the Marten Parkers duo speakers also Steve
My friend has a pair of B&W 802 D-2's. When you sit down to listen you would think they are too far apart, and you are sitting too close. - Until he plays something!! They completely vanish in front of you leaving a wide, perfect soundstage. ❤ That said, there is a trend with many high-end speakers that I do not agree with: They are designed basically to beam a bit as to not excite room reflections. I do not believe in that. My room is heavenly damped, and with wide dispersion speakers, the room sounds fantastic. A Maple Shade recording sounds close-miked whereas a Chesky recording sounds like you are in THAT larger space.
Steve, I love listening to your reviews. Keep up the great work. I have an opportunity to purchase a pair of 805 D3's in rose wood. I've always liked the look of rose wood (real wood) vs black speakers. The pair that I'm considering were manufactured in 2015. They are in perfect condition and the sound checks out etc. Should I have any concerns about the age of the speakers - 8 years? Should I just continue my quest for a pair of 805's that are not so old? I would like to keep these for 10+ years. How long will 805's last if cared for correctly? Your feedback will be greatly appreciated.
Hi. The premium speakers if used with good amplifier, would have no issues, if not played at extreme volume etc. The drivers would be perfect and cross over of this quality at its best, they can last you many years if taken care of.👍
How do they compare with TAD ME1 which were well appreciated by Steve?
Slightly off topic but relevant to one of your review recordings - Matt Berry. If you want to check out his strange talent, go on Netflix or Prime or wherever the Brit TV series “lT Crowd” (series 2) is playing. He is the wacky boss. Hilarious.
And 'Toast of London' and 'Year of the Rabbit'. He's definitely one of my favourite comedians.
What we Do in the Shadows also. Such a great actor, I also really enjoy his music. Toast of London is probably my favourite.
I cant find that album on Spotify. Do you have a link?
Sorry no, I think it’s on UA-cam
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac ok thanks Steve! I will check it out
11-17-70 is one of my all time favorite Elton John records. It is so cool that you were there. So what did everybody think of this Elton guy and whether he was going to make it or not?
There was no doubt Elton was going to be a big deal. I saw him a few times in those early days. I think he was best for the first three or four records.
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac I agree great through Madman and I do like Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and some of Honky Chateau. Not so much after that, but what a great pairing with Elton and Bernie. Love watching your reviews and have bought several pieces of equipment based off of them.
@@neumeisteranimalhospital2627 Thanks for watching.
Steve, I hope you will do a short vid about Hans Beekhuyzen.
Why is that?
@@Feliciano12v ua-cam.com/video/boAkTRHcZ8I/v-deo.html
Ah i see. I also follow Hans. Seen that already. Mad respect for him.
I have 703 S2s as my primary speakers with matching HTM71 S2s as matching center. Other speakers in my 9.2.6 systems are a bit of a mismash...however they are all BMWs. CDM 9NTS as front wides. DM 602s and 603s as side and back surrounds with SVS prime elevation rounding out my 6 atmos speakers. My 2 subs are SVS PB 4000s I run a Marantz AV10 with multiple amps. Primary Amps for my Fronts L/Rs 2 Emotive XPA HC1s, then a Monolith 3 channels to power my center and front wides. OSD 5 channel and olders Adcom amp powers my atmos and surround channels. Honestly during movies I don't hear any distracting difference in tones. Of course music I just listen in two channels...and this is my dilema. I want to move up the the B&W 8 series...however at this time the 805s are the only thing in my budget. I can either go with the new 702 S3s for $7k or pay $8500 for the 805 D4s. Move my 703s to front wides and CDM NTs to one of the surrounds. So the question is do the 805s, being a two way book shelf, sound better then the 702s. Bass isn't a concern as I'll cross the speakers over at 60hz and my subs will handle the rest.
Great review. I noticed there's a sub in the system---do you know the brand name?
Jl audio, it wasn’t turned on during the listening session
Steve Guttenberg Audiophiliac awesome subs. Simply awesome.
Steve says high end expensive systems don't move him. Oh really? Are you sure? $8000 speakers, $11000 amps. Raves about them. We are from different worlds I guess.
They aren’t high end. More in the middle really.
@@jonathansturm4163 entry level tbh. I had a pair of 802 D9’s and a quadruple accuphase amp stack when I was 7
How would you compare these with dynaudio heritage specials?
Beat me to it... I was going to post the same question since they're similarly priced. Know you didn't compare them side by side but thought you'd still have a feeling for how they differ in character. Great review and TIA!
I had the opportunity to compare the Dynaudio Heritage Specials with the 805 D3 late this past winter. At the store I heard both pairs, side by side, on a new top-of-the-line do-it-all integrated amplifier from NAD whose model number now escapes me. The difference at that demo was obvious. I found the bass on the Dynaudio to be bloated and indistinct while the D3 was balanced and clear. The D3 tweeter, too, totally outclassed the one on the Dyna. No brightness, just clarity. I did not at all expect the vastly different presentations. The salesperson insisted the speakers were set up with care, as indicated with the tape on the floor.
@@daniannaci3258 Thanks for sharing your experience! I believe the NAD model you're referring to would be their M33 Masters Series.
805 d4 or focal towers? Im shopping for speakers..... opinions needed!!
I used to be a regular customer at SE until they started treating me like a thief by following me around. BOOOOOOOO!!
Did they get the screech out of the screamer yet?
I did. But the divorce was EXPENSIVE 😆
@@daniannaci3258 So I hear the louse who was your spouse no longer lives inside your house.
@@markfischer3626 My laugh for the day. Thanks!
@@daniannaci3258 There's two sides to every divorce, yours and
$hi+head's
8K a pair for book shelve, explains their computer/robotic manufacturing.
But how would it sound in your room. The room is 30% of the equation as most agree. We may never know.
Excellent point, however, we can fully trust Steve when he tells us what he hears, regardless of the room 👍 😉
I bought a demo pair 805D3 a couple months ago. Do you think the SVS mini sub you recently reviewed would work well with them?
Sure! SVS' price-quality ratio is second to none. May fit your smart purchase of the D3's very well if the room is not toooo big.
Have you come across the KEF sub 62?
Yes, Steve rave about how something is great if it is a phono stage, amp, TT, room and so on. Additional comparisons over the years of components to be able to tell what this case the speakers does and what the system is doing.
Those components "separates" has its own reviews that X is sounding different that Y and so on. Oh then we have that "synergy" effect..
Then Steve goes into a dealer for a afternoon and listening on a system that probably he has heard some of the individual components but in totally different setup and rooms (also more or less treated than home)..
And now he is telling us how those speakers sounds like that they totally disappeared and so on !
So either there is not that much of a difference between amps, turntables and their setups and cartridges, RIAA stages and so on and on.
That he wants us to believe. Otherwise this listening session should be impossible to conduct with all those unknowns and variables..
Or it is just a video for entertainment like a cute cat video.
Problem is that people believe the words have some meaning. (A cat is not using words anyway.)
No, all credibility went out the window for me anyway. Sorry, I just trying to make some logical observations and it doesn't add up at all.
A great entering video with music/album reviews. You are the best Steve! Keep them coming!💖🎶🎵
But thanks Steve that you point out the it is just meaningless words and only time wasting entertainment.
I’m sorry you see it that way but that’s OK. Plenty of other UA-cam channels doing reviews, as always you should shop around and find what works best for you.
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac Yes, I am sorry to. It is not about you or other YT channels.
I follow you all for years and been on this journey. I have also bought stuff when you all had some consensus that is great or some say the hype train. 😉
I even upgraded components within to higher qualities ones now it is collecting dust when I found better sounding (!) gear while you still use them and praise it..🤔
(Were does it leave me? When I use the same gear in my dedicated listening space and found it to be outperformed of something that sounds vastly better. I can't be deaf otherwise I could not hear any difference.😍)
Then we have the measurements guys I tested and swapped between 3 different power amplifiers. And scratched my head:
"Hmm I could not get any meaningful content for a 10 min video about their difference in sound."
I went so far that deliberate bought the by far WORST measuring power amplifier out there. Just to be able to hear the difference between something bad and something else that is better. How could I fail that?
Same thing again. Were is the difference sonically to fill a video!
This review just pointed out that there is just a smidge of difference between a good amp and another good amplifier. Otherwise this review is impossible if each component in the system has a great impact/coloring that it add.
As many times is highlighted and enlarged to a point that I highly suspect that very few would be able to pass a blind test (but do not go there). It is only a way to say that the difference is so much smaller than the big words that is spoken in my opinion and experience from trying to hear and experience what you all guys is talking about..🤔
Anyway I feel that there is still some information between the lines and the record recommendations and so on that is inspirational.
Keep up the good work and thanks.👍💖🎶🎵
Either I am deaf
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac would you consider the 805 D4 10-13% better than the 805 D3 just looking at my options if it’s a huge difference and worth the upgrade your feedback is welcomed
You talk more about your favourite music than how the speaker performs.
Eight thousand??😵💫
I hope this is B&W China reforming their abrasive sound in the direction of more natural whilst keeping the resolution. Sounds like the guff they took about the S2s had an impact.
Seems a lot of people enjoy abasive sound judging by B&W market share.
The 800 series has never had the sucked out mids and screechy highs that plague the 600 series
How about speaker?
I demoed the D4 bookshelf at stereo exhange only to find a severe lackage of bass and lows.
well i'm using 1100 what mono blocks and have good bass from my 805 D4's.....they are power hungry...don't let their small size fool you!!! They need Lots of power!!!
Steve, the album you mentioned, Matt Berris?..thanks
Matt Berry. He is an accomplished comedic actor too...
@@optimalforager thank you...when Steve compared him to Robyn Hitchcock I knew I had to explore
For $8,000 I'd rather party with some Klipsch Cornwall IV's with the volume on "11" ;-)
I prefer the La Scalas, but neither would work well in my tiny one room 300 sq. ft. apartment
Not everyone wants to party while the music is on.......or have it cranked to the moon........!!!!! Different strokes for different folks.
I agree, but then again I am kinda strange. ;-)
@@laurencerothman931 No worries......everyone is strange !!!
@@DougMen1 two gigantic garbage cans that sound like someone dumping a dump truck full of broken glass into your ears
Yes these are expensive speakers... But for comparison, an Accuton diamond Tweeter goes for $4,400 for a pair of them. A Seas Excel pair of diamond tweeters goes for over $6,000. So... With those prices in mind, It kind of sounds like the Bowers and Wilkins, while expensive... Are not too bad of a deal for a fully engineered speaker with a killer diamond tweeter.
Steve, did I miss it or did you not discuss how well these speakers reproduce vocals?
You’re right, vocals were really spectacular, very natural.
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac Good to hear. For me, that's the first and most important test of a speaker: if they can't reproduce the human voice well, then it's a total fail and I don't care what else the speaker is good at.
@@geraldschrader8511 fwiw, he said it sounds like a b&w which means it does have amazing vocals imo. The tweeter is good but I actually love the musicality of vocals on b&w over even harbeth. It's colored but it's so euphoric
@@t.j.bennett6454 Oddly I had the opposite experience: I went from B&W to Harbeth. Harbeth Compact 7ES-3 provided much superior vocals in my opinion. Granted, I had a much older and cheaper B&W speaker (CDM1-NT), but it was a similar configuration to the speaker in this review.
@@geraldschrader8511 well thats a BBC style monitor so of course the vocals are going to be superb. Most speakers don't sound like a harbeth. They go out of their way to have an overly organic and intelligible voicing. The b&w I've heard starting probably 7 years ago and to recent all have a typical speaker vocal range but very rich, tweeter ads a touch of wetness and very euphoric