B&W N803 vs. Revel F30

Why not save yourself a bundle and try a pair of Maggie 1.6's, if you have the space? Huge wide and deep soundstage, and simply amazing is the best way to describe their sound. I too like the N803's allot (haven't heard the Revels), but when you hear people speak of the magical Maggie sound, it's real.

I beg strongly to disagree! If the threadhead had said his requirements were for electronic music (rock/pop/elec jazz/etc.) I would have gone with the recessed-mid N803 also, as those big woofs and searing tweeter do fill the neighborhood!....But he said Opera and Concerti for cripes sake. What's that? GREAT MIDRANGE! We know that the Revel F30 and M20 have the finest midranges anywhere near their pricepoints. Like the N803, the F30 can be tricky to place in the room to get the bass balance correct, so the M20 is actually the safest recommendation. These speakers are balanced with a flatter curve, giving less energy at the extremes than the N803, requiring much less room treatment to tame that splashy Nautilus tweeter, too.
This is NOT meant to be another B&W bash, but but this guy isn't outfitting a disco here, but an opera house. I'd suggest he try to set up the F30. If the bass is too lumpy then get the M20 and maybe a fast sub later. Or maybe the Thiel 2.4 or something else with a fine mid-high bands and crossover region...but NOT the N803 nor 804.
Good Luck.

Thank you all for your replies.

Subaruguru

this is a little B&W bashing for sure.... grant why dont you just go and listen.... you are 100% into classic.... so B&W has always been good for that. The tweeters B&W has the best to me... dont go by looks that would not be fair i have heard both the 803 and the F30 are both superb speakers... i am at the moment in the same dilema... Looking at Revel F50s and B&W 802 or maybe 800s.... my dealer told me to check out ATC maybe you want to do that same

good luck on your quest for the perfect sound..

I can't say that I'm especially fond of either speaker on your list. The F30 sounds decent but I find the looks and cabinet build quality a bit off putting. The N803 is just the opposite, good looks and build quality but a sound that I cannot tolerate (very careful amp matching helps). Although these speaker are heavily advertised and widely available I feel that there are many better options available. I encourage you to check out Magnepans, Von Schwiekerts, Josephs, J M Reynauds, Green Mountains, and ProAcs. I am a little less enthusiastic about the Meadowlarks and Silverlines but they may be worth a listen too.