B&W N800 vs Wilson WP7 vs Revel and others

Wvick,
You have listed some great speakers. As always you can add many others and as you know many people will tell you brand X is better. I would like to make a suggestion. Go listen to as many of the above speakers as you can and buy the one that sounds right for you. If you can't listen to a certain one then remove it from the list. You will always get someone who says their speaker is the best thing going and that could be correct. But if you can't hear it for yourself who knows.

Just my 0.02 before taxes..

I personally removed Wilson and B&W from my list some time ago. I agree with the above posts which urge you to audition as many speakers as possible. I'm amazed sometimes how poorly a speaker I was excited about actually sounded.
Also, I have had luck asking employees of the better shops what their favorite speaker is. Many time it has taken me down a better yet less traveled road.

I've got Osborn Grand Monuments, which in reviews are often compared to the speakers you have listed. If your interested in listening to them, I live in the Lynnwood area(north of Seattle 15 minutes)e mail me.

Disclaimer: I am a Talon Audio dealer.

Given your list, obvious budget, and associated equipment, you should add the Talon Audio Raven-C and Khorus X to your list (we have the Khite-C and Raven-C available for audition, and will have the new Talon flagship speaker, the Firebird, available at the end of January). We are located in Boise, Idaho and in your vicinity. Please feel free to make an appointment for a listen.

Of the speakers on your list, the Sonus Faber and Wilson WP 7 are my personal favorites (never cared for the previous Wilson speakers, WAY too forward and clinical, but the new 7 is much more to my taste).

For what it is worth, I would put the new Raven-C up against ANY of the speakers you listed, regardless of price (Raven-C is $6950 retail). Ok...Start throwing the stones ;-)

Good luck in your search and a few points to ponder:

1) Trust your OWN ears. Buy what YOU like, not what someone tells you that you should like.

2) May sound corny, but the best equipment is the equipment you like the best!

3) Enjoy the search and don't let it turn into a chore (you would be surprised how many times this happens). If you start to feel overwhelmed after searching and listening after a period of time, back away for a bit and give your ears a rest.

Best Regards...Mike - Father & Son Audio

Funny that no-one has yet mentioned Vandersteens here... They tend to the mellow side, which may not be to your tastes (the speakers at the top of your list tend to the analytical side). I prefered the Model 5 to the Eidolon Diamond when I heard both at a dealer here in Portland, Or, recently (with Burmester CD and Jeff Rowland amps). I liked the WP7 (driven by CAM 350s) when I heard them, but they aren't very good value in my book. The Sophias are nice and very similar to the WP7s (I heard them driven by Levinson 434s), but again don't give you what you get with the model 5 (eg, world class bass) at about the same price. I would definitely encourage you to add the Model 5's to your list and go hear them.