joey_v Posted July 31, 2017 Author Share Posted July 31, 2017 Hello Tanny I have not tried the 80xD3 with tube amps, but I have had tube amps (Cary 211FE) that I used on the previous version of the 802D2. I liked it but there was definitely a drop off in bass reproduction. I would suggest making sure that you are OK with that character. The voices were ethereal however, on tubes. I have settled for tube preamplification with SS amplification as my defacto choice of attack. Re the interconnects, I believe good interconnects can save you money on speaker cable, that's definitely true. Congrats on a fine system Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tianyu Posted August 3, 2017 Share Posted August 3, 2017 Thanks for the reply Joey. I decided to change the main speakers to jbl k2 s9900. I think the 800d3s too much bass and more unsuitable for my untreated and relatively small room. I expect/hope the jbls are easier to drive speakers. I'm not that much of a bass guy, but a good discount on the JBLs sealed the deal. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joey_v Posted August 9, 2017 Author Share Posted August 9, 2017 @tianyu Hope you enjoy the JBL, I am sure they are great. Re the 800D3 bass, I think if the room is rather small or smaller, the bass can get overwhelming. You really need a good 11-13 feet from the speaker plane (baffle plane) as well to ensure good coherence with the 800D3. As for me, I went back to the 802D3, the 800D3 even for a treated smaller/mid size room like mine was not the perfect fit. Overall, the bass was just a little too much and I preferred the more balanced sound coming out of the 802D3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewp Posted September 2, 2017 Share Posted September 2, 2017 Hi guys Anyone have anything else to add re the 800d3 at all? Id be also interested if anyone has come across any credible reviews of the 800d3 in particular. Thanks in advance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rogerthat Posted September 3, 2017 Share Posted September 3, 2017 (edited) On 02/09/2017 at 7:01 PM, andrewp said: Hi guys Anyone have anything else to add re the 800d3 at all? Id be also interested if anyone has come across any credible reviews of the 800d3 in particular. Thanks in advance Make sure you have the room for it. Edited September 3, 2017 by rogerthat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankn Posted May 20, 2018 Share Posted May 20, 2018 On 2 September 2017 at 6:31 PM, andrewp said: Hi guys Anyone have anything else to add re the 800d3 at all? Id be also interested if anyone has come across any credible reviews of the 800d3 in particular. Thanks in advance Might be too late for a reply @andrewp- have a look at the May/June 2018 Australian Hi Fi magazine. They have a major review and measurements. They seem to like what they see, hear and measure. Couple of quotes: The B&W 800 D3 returned a flatter, more extended frequency response than any other non-DSP corrected loudspeaker Newport Test Labs has ever measured................ and if I were on B&Ws design team I'd be very proud too. Listening comments: The piano sounded just right with its tone accurate across all the octaves. The orchestras sound was also completely full and powerful (Griegs A Month nor, Op 16).......... Imaging was perfect, the best I've ever heard. The glorious sound of Jane Peters violin (Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto Op 35) beautifully contrasted against the orchestra. No shrillness, just extraordinary clarity....... And the price has dropped too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewp Posted May 25, 2018 Share Posted May 25, 2018 I cant get over their fuglyness..! TAD R1s now doing the business and OMG what a totally stunning speaker at every level!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davewantsmoore Posted May 25, 2018 Share Posted May 25, 2018 On 20/05/2018 at 11:20 AM, frankn said: Couple of quotes: The B&W 800 D3 returned a flatter, more extended frequency response than any other non-DSP corrected loudspeaker Newport Test Labs has ever measured. Yeah, but the problem traditionally with B&W (which they didn't measure) is that the frequency response is quite lumpy at other angles. Here's a chart of the 800D, for example... showing a big dip/lump at 2-6Khz when moving out of a narrow listening window. 1 hour ago, andrewp said: I cant get over their fuglyness..! It's not the best is it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankn Posted May 25, 2018 Share Posted May 25, 2018 Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Have to wait until someone measures that then - there's little point in using 7yr old plot of a design that has been updated. Here is the little brother the 802 D3, followed by JA comments on that speaker (2yrs ago) - the plot is a lot smoother, 800 may be better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art Vandelay Posted June 12, 2018 Share Posted June 12, 2018 (edited) The Australian Hi-Fi reviews highlight a prime difference between the 800D3 and the 802D3 in the bass alignment. The 802D3 is a lower Q alignment with a lower port tuning, so there's less bass in the 30-50Hz region. IOW, the engineers have designed it to work with typical boundary reinforcement in a small-medium listening room, whereas the 800D3 is designed to be installed in larger rooms with plenty of breathing space all around. Edited June 12, 2018 by Art Vandelay add pic 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankn Posted June 12, 2018 Share Posted June 12, 2018 Good to see you back @Art Vandelay 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rantan Posted June 12, 2018 Share Posted June 12, 2018 Just now, frankn said: Good to see you back @Art Vandelay Heartily agree. Welcome back Art, you have been sorely missed mate 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art Vandelay Posted June 12, 2018 Share Posted June 12, 2018 2 minutes ago, frankn said: Good to see you back @Art Vandelay Just now, rantan said: Heartily agree. Welcome back Art, you have been sorely missed mate I didn't think it would take long to be noticed. Someone in the control room saw fit to let me back in yesterday, after what's been a very long time, so here I am. Nice to be back of course, and thanks for the welcomes. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georgehifi Posted June 12, 2018 Share Posted June 12, 2018 3 hours ago, Art Vandelay said: The Australian Hi-Fi reviews highlight a prime difference between the 800D3 and the 802D3 in the bass alignment. The 802D3 is a lower Q alignment with a lower port tuning, so there's less bass in the 30-50Hz region. IOW, the engineers have designed it to work with typical boundary reinforcement in a small-medium listening room, whereas the 800D3 is designed to be installed in larger rooms with plenty of breathing space all around. Woohoo!!!! Arty's back, see Marc does have a heart, he just couldn't find the key to the Iron-Mask for a couple of years. https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/0a25de681b9e9b8ee721d24d915227a3 Dunno about that avatar though. Welcome back Arty. Cheers George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
husq2100 Posted June 14, 2018 Share Posted June 14, 2018 On 12/06/2018 at 1:39 PM, frankn said: Good to see you back @Art Vandelay Importing/exporting can get very busy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Awiseman Posted June 14, 2018 Share Posted June 14, 2018 I heard them last week running with a pair of Krell reference mono blocks. Stuff I love on my system, I didn't t like on that system, but other things we played on it was dreamy. But it was a vastly different sounding system than mine, and based off that demo, I prefer my system, but I'm sure if I'd spent days with it, I'd prolly prefer that system. They were a very honest speaker to say the least. Yes I agree totally, I’ve seen B&Ws paired with amps that just do not do them justice and lead potential buys to other speakers. It’s in best invested interest to chose the right amps and cables (IMO). Being a b&w owner for many years, having the right setup is a must and rewarding due to the speakers characteristics. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
todagt Posted June 15, 2018 Share Posted June 15, 2018 (edited) 2 hours ago, Awiseman said: Yes I agree totally, I’ve seen B&Ws paired with amps that just do not do them justice and lead potential buys to other speakers. It’s in best invested interest to chose the right amps and cables (IMO). Being a b&w owner for many years, having the right setup is a must and rewarding due to the speakers characteristics. This you cannot stress enough, especially the whole 800 series, they have been some of the best sound I have ever heard (and owned) but pair them up wrong, or set them up to close to a wall and you'll be running out the door. I think that goes for all the top speakers from any brand as they all seem far less forgiving. Edited June 15, 2018 by todagt 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satanica Posted June 15, 2018 Share Posted June 15, 2018 5 hours ago, Awiseman said: Yes I agree totally, I’ve seen B&Ws paired with amps that just do not do them justice and lead potential buys to other speakers. It’s in best invested interest to chose the right amps and cables (IMO). Being a b&w owner for many years, having the right setup is a must and rewarding due to the speakers characteristics. You'd think if it was that important, B&W would also sell you a perfectly matched amplifier and perfectly matched cables to go with their speakers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Awiseman Posted June 15, 2018 Share Posted June 15, 2018 (edited) .. Edited June 15, 2018 by Awiseman duplicated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Awiseman Posted June 15, 2018 Share Posted June 15, 2018 33 minutes ago, Satanica said: You'd think if it was that important, B&W would also sell you a perfectly matched amplifier and perfectly matched cables to go with their speakers. Yeh, I guess I'm hearing what you are saying, maybe not so restrictive to that degree, I hear criticism of B&W speakers (based on tastes) and I think it helps the speakers if they have a suitable match, and paring may be more narrow a choice than other speakers, I guess its trying to make the most out of the speaker which can be quite unforgiving at times. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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