B&W 803 vs. 804

I respectfully disagree with the prior posts. I auditioned the 804s and 803s side by side. The N803 bass response was marginally better but certainly not worth an extra $1,500. Face it - the 803 has two 7" woofers while the 804 has two 6.5" woofers. So, you're talking an extra 1" of woofer for $1,500 bucks. Not worth it from a money OR sound perspective. I found the mids and highs to be virtually identical.

The 804s benefit from a good amp (over 200 wpc) and silver ICs. Mine have incredible bass response (amp is a 225 wpc Musical Fidelity A300cr) and amazing mids/top end due to the use of silver ICs (Musical Fidelity Nu-Vistas).

Blackie -

Your point is well-taken. My room is a typical condo livingroom/dining room deal 22x17x8 which, IMHO, is a big room. The 804s, with proper amplification, fill up the room and sound great. Don't get me wrong, the 803s are a fine speaker, I just didn't think there was a whole lot of value for the dollar or that much of a difference in sound quality. Had I not gone for the 804s, I would've gone foro the 802s ($$$ permitting) because I think they represent a significant upgrade.

My cousin has a pair of Matrix 801s with the North Creek cross-overs. The imaging is great, but I find the bass to be bloated and the highs to be sharp and grainy. The mids are great. I much prefer the sound of the N804s and 803s to the Matrix series.