I’m on the verge of getting a pair of the B&W 804 D3’s. Keep in mind, my room is a hybrid multimedia/2 channel setup (due to limited room in my basement) so I needed a speaker with at least a moderate sound stage presence, but with greater musicality than I have right now. From what I’ve heard from the new 804’s, I’m impressed and anxious to hear how they sound in my system paired with my JL fathom dual subs, etc. Plus, I’m getting a great deal on these at $6k for the pair. Does anyone have these and/or have an opinion about these speakers? Any input would be great.
Your post title may confuse readers and limit the number of replies? The title of the post is “Anyone with experience with the new B&W 800 D3 series” and in the text you ask explicitly about the 804 D3’s. I know grammatically the title is correct however I initially read it as you were asking about the 800 D3 speakers. The 800 D3’s are I think a bit rare atm. It might help if you updated the title to 804 D3’s.
Thanks Frank. I was really interested in any input from owners of the B&W 800 series, any model, since there are more owners of 805, 803, and 802s out there than just the 804s, and I wanted all the feedback I could get. I understand what you were saying though.
As it turns out, I went ahead and started auditioning the 804s and they are marvelous! (definitely buying them) They are very tight and with wonderful accuracy across the board. I finally understand the term “air” I think! And they integrate masterfully with my JL subs, which is awesome. And the voicing of the midrange is amazing! Vocals and horns are mesmerizing. So smooth and life-like. I still can’t get over how much better the attack is on these than my old DefTecs. Such an upgrade. Granted, I’m also hearing changes that are partly due to my new DS Sr DAC, so it’s really like Christmas for me!
I’ve heard the D3’s and D2’s in the same room, at the same HiFi dealer, although the amplifiers did vary, and the two listening sessions were a long time apart.
Originally, big Chord amplifiers & Devialet 800 (pre-upgrade) driving the previous 802’s (and down).
Then Parasound JC pre- and amp driving the new D3’s (which happen to be my current amplifiers, full disclosure, in case it’s a point of bias).
Very big, noticeable improvements going to the new D3 series. I could happily live with the D3’s, but could not live with the previous generation. I’ve also heard the previous generation B&W with Naim gear - not to my liking.
I like the size & height. So, given how many people loved the old ones, price and value would be my only remaining concerns.