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B&W N802 vs FOCAL 937Be

I have the opportunity to buy either one of these Speakers for $4,500-used. Both are less than 2-yrs old and in excellent condition. On paper they seem very similar with the one major difference being the 937Be's high-freq. capabilities which go all the way up to 37Khz, while the N802's only go up to 22Khz. Both Speakers use a pair of 8" Woofers and the low-freq. are within 1hz of each other. I casually listened to the N802 a couple of years ago and briefly listened to the 936 (not 937Be) only once. From memory the N802 was a bit forward/midrange-centric and the 936 a bit laid back/very-smooth. These 2-models fit my room, amplifier, budget and have great asthetics + both are made by whom many consider to be the two top Speaker Manufacturers in the world.
Any other opinions out there on these two?
jamieklz873a

Showing 1 response by courtvision21cbcc

courtvision21cbcc
32 posts
 
If you're going to spend about $4,500 and want to keep an open mind to other products, try looking into the Von Schweikert VR-4 JR or the Krell Resolution 2. The VR-4 JR will cost way cheaper than $4,500 on the used market, but would not be embarrassed by the B&W N802 and FOCAL 937Be. In fact based on my past auditions (I heard the B&W N802, but not the Focal), I think the JRs, if set up properly, will sound more like real live music than the B&W. Not saying the B&W is bad, as I almost bought a pair last year myself. But the VR-4 JRs just sounded more real and better to me. The Krell Res 2 which costs a little more closer to the $4500 range offers almost the same characteristics as the VR-4 JRs, but with subtle flavor differences, are pretty nice too. If your room is big, then the Krell Res2 might be a better choice, but if your room is not too big, the VR-4 JRs will do nicely and save you money. As always, see if you can audition them first before making any purchase....$4500 is no chump change, so be careful.

Good luck !
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