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Heard the B&W N804d3s ...

I've owned the original iteration of the N804s since I bought them new in '01. After 15 years, I thought perhaps it was time to upgrade to a newer model. So, I auditioned the new N804d3s at a local retailer. They sounded great, and are an improvement over the originals in the areas of bass slam and airiness. However, that step up to my ears is equivalent to about 10-15%. Not sure that that sort of improvement justifies the price ($9K for the d3s vs. $3,500 for the original N804s), although "upgradeitis" tempts me to pull the plug. Is it just me, or does the law of diminishing returns apply in this case? Your thoughts on this or the qualitiative differences between the old and new Nautilus lines would be most appreciated.

rlb61

Showing 2 responses by why0why

why0why
70 posts
 
I have some old B&W 602's in my office system.  I have tried different amps and pre's with them.  I am currently running 2 Carver 65x2 amps that I just had serviced and recapped, one to each speaker biamped.  They sound great.

My local Best Buy had a pair of open box CM5's that they gave me a great price on.  I brought them home and they were very slightly better.  They had a bit better sound stage and clarity, but the difference was minor. I am also a huge believer in diminishing returns and I didn't think it was a $900 upgrade.

I have been looking for a replacement bookshelf, but haven't been able to decide what to get.  I have demoed speakers that are much more expensive and running on better gear and I don't think they sound as good as what I have.  I agree that you need to demo in your own space.
why0why
70 posts
 
A used pair of 805's have been what I really want to use, but many on here have talked about the Ascend Sierra 2.  There are a fair number of good choices in sub $2000 range.

Now if life would just quit getting in the way with medical bills and car breakdowns :)
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