B & W 800D

Dear Cyrus I have heard the speaker and it is very very good, but can be equalled at a lower price point. The Manger 103/3 is a solution or the Manger Swing with 2 subs.

I have 801D's. After listening to both the 800D and the 801D i preferred the 801's bass - slightly tighter due to the two smaller woofers vs. 1 large. Both are incredible values for the money. You need a high current amp and good cables (I use Transparent Ref XL) to get the most out of them. I've had exclusively B&W speakers since the early 90's. Don't think....buy!

I don't have 800D's but recently bought a pair of Signature 800's. I replaced a pair of N801's. Both are great speakers, and the S800's actually pass the WAF.

I have never found the Nautilus or Signature tweeters to be harsh (the S800 has a different tweeter than the Nautilus per B&W's engineers). I use Bryston 7B ST's with a Musical Fidelity A308CR preamp.

The S800's image very well and dissappear. They seem to throw a higher image than the N801's, maybe due to their height. They are not overly critical of room placement, but toe in made a big difference in imaging. They are also really nice looking speakers. I highly recommend them.

I purchased a pair about 8 months ago to replace my Thiel CS7.2s. They image better and have a better low end response than the CS7.2s. Speaker position in the room appears to be less critical with the 800Ds. Build quality is excellent. I am using an old pair of Krell Audio Standard mono blocks with MIT Oracle cables and my room is 18' X 25'.

I think it's a great sounding speaker. I heard it in a showroom with Classe amplification. Very enjoyable to listen to. I haven't heard anything with the diamond tweeter that I haven't liked so far (Avalon, Kharma...). I get the impression that it gets you "in the door" for a relatively good price, but I haven't compared it to everything.