Focal Aria 936 vs B&W 802d

Here’s a question for discussion..... Why do I like my son’s audio system better than mine? His is:

Arcam cd72 cd player, Cambridge audio integrated amplifier, and Focal Aria 936 speakers

While my system costs over twice as much.....:

Mark Levinson 5101 sacd player, PSaudio BHK preamp, BHK 300 monoblocks and B&W 802d speakers

onehorsepony05-10-2025 10:52pm

onehorsepony OP Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 53 posts 05-11-2025 at 10:20pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete you son has the better speaker when it comes to being less glarey in the upper midrange which makes for a more coherent presentation of music I tend to agree, I've tried so many fixes for my 802d's and I'm at a point I don't enjoy listening to music anymore. The Focal Aria 936 are a bit small for my room, 16x25. What speaker would you suggest would bring me joy with my existing electronics?
onehorsepony OP Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 53 posts 05-11-2025 at 10:54pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete i can push $30,000. But at what point does it really matter? for instance, the new B&W 802d4 run about $30,000, but most of the cost is for the elaborate cabinet. I don't care what they look like, for me it's all about the music.