How about B & W 803S

Dear Hifineubee,

Thank you very much for your kind reply.  I can see that you are quite familiar with B & W speaker series system. One of the audio dealer also has same opinion about the lip &mouth's friction (high frequency) produced by B & W's tweeter.  Also, I can aware some abnormal high frequency response on the B & W D seriesspeakers on the Youtube. The obstruction of the high frequency sounds odd. That means they are not smooth.

As for the 805D3, I have seen HiFi + web review that the speaker need to be played with higher volume. I think it would not be normal for I have heared the speaker,but with high volume, it would bring stress either on the ears as well as psychology pressure.

Recently, I pay attention to the listneing surroundings in HongKong's audiophiles. As you might know that most of Hongkong's home are rather samll, but as I notice  that many of the audiophile in there have owned more than one system or with complicated accomodations with various accessories to bring up their sound better.  You can find they have small speakers more than one pair, but also they have various gears to serve them. Some small space also use big size speakers. 

I'll consult with the experienced audio dealer in Taipei about your opinion and hope I can get the conclusion for my next step with better sound.  Anyway, thank you very much for your generous sharing of precious knowledge about B &W speakers.

See you again.

Dear Hifineubee,

Thank you again for your kind response.

According to your opinion, I have to re-arrange my system either in hardware such as DSD DA and software such as high resolution software which cost a lot. 

I can't deny that splendid recording would be able to add sparkling in the music appreciation, but I do not want to drop up what I have now except some poor or sleeping stuffs ( I mean software). When I visit to the audio shops, some times I can discover something unknown before.

The key issue is that I can't afford to spend much to re-tool my current gears.  What I can do best now is to find out the way or to squeeze the best C/P on my current system. Or with limit budget such as US$3~5000, make some improvement investment  even though my ear are pretty not bad on music appreciation and audio comparison.

Do you live in Taiwan, if you would, we can change Line for easier communication.  My Line is:faust061168    and my name is Mr. You.

Thanks a lot once more.

Dear Hifineubee,

Thanks for you to take so much precious time in replying my inquiry.

Though, I have long time of music listening experience. But I am in short of technology knowledge about audio except the listening. I can tell the difference with the changing of the wire or toe in angles, but I don't know the change of ohms such kind of technical terms.

I have 1000 pcs. of LP before, but long time ago, I switch to CD. The player I am using now is Quad CD99 player which was made in China, but it sound is quite OK (thickness, details, sound stage, positioning of performer...).  Also,  I use an optical output for the D/A converter which brand is California Audio Lab, a bankrupcy old brand with one 12AX7 tube inside. 2 years ago, I went to consult with an audio shop, the boss told me that even I switched to use the one he sold, Naim, the sound improvement is quite limited. So, I just kept on using my old D/A.  Generally, I don't have much time for music listening for I need to spare some time for watching satellite business news from Japan for I am still at work.  It is kind of my hobby to learn new business management stuffs either in the library or in the video media. Also, some of the Japan's satellite programs have advantages: They spend money to produce good programs and you can enjoy them on free basis. Of course, they have paid channels either.  But since I don't have much time, it won't bother.

As the Amplifier, I have an Accuphase C275V (15 years, I bought a 2nd hand one) which is a mid level pre, and the A-47  (2 years) which is also a middle A class power.  The wire I am using is mainly Onix (an England brand but sold to Taiwan audio distirbutor boss who also acts as German's MBL's distributor in Taiwan.).

In fact, I do listen to the satellite news mostly on earphone, Grado open air for comfortable consideration and won't bother other family members. I spent lots on earphone system with good wire, powerline, headphone amp. (Sara Lee, England brand) and Senheiser HD 600 with the Mobius wire (1.5m) for clarity sound. The power line for earphone is Telos (local brand, but expensive).  Once I try to change the power line for the earphone with a cheaper wire, but my ears won't accept the changing of sound.  

Yesterday, I visited a audio shop who is concentrated on the expensive LP system.  The boss is selling LP player around US$150,000 & the Swiss cartridge cost US$25,000. He told me that I might unable to accept the speaker sound other than Dynaudio such as England's PMC, Tannoy, ATC, except B & W which has Diamond tweeter. He regards that England speaker's high frequency response is a bit dark. That is why Tannoy sell super tweeter to cover it's shortage.  He suggests me to consider Dynaudio Contour 30 which is the successor of Dynaudio's mid level speaker system with standing floor design which can reproduce better bass when compare with my current 1.3SE which is a bookshelf type. At current, I just try to listen more in comparison, I have not made any decision yet for it might be my last speaker in my life..............

Tks. for your reading my long expression........

Best Regards,

faust

Dear Hifineubee.

Thanks for your detail expression of your idea. You have caught my taste in audio & music almost like a tighten rope.  I haven't menioned the experience I had about 1 month ago when I paid visit to a Harbeth dealer and then went to the B & W dealer in Taipei with a hi-fi friend. We are astonished to find the new discovery on 2nd store, a pair of Maserati, made by B & W with the components of B & W 805 D3 together with the mark of the famous sports car.  The price (with stand with Maserati on it ) is US$12,000.  Generally, the 805D3's selling price is US$ 8,000 without stand. My friend ask the staff of the shop for a short listening with his CD disc, we were astonished to find how good the pair responsed.  The intergrated amp. is Macinitosh M8900. I forget the CD player brand, but the importance was the reproduction of very musical sound with the short listening experience. You can easily find out the good stuffs with a short listening with so many years of being an audiophile.  Many years ago, I also had shocked by a small pair of speaker name as Magico, a new Amercian brand when Hifi is still hot then. The book shelf speaker was shown on a rather small space, but the sound quality was the best I ever experienced. Of course, the price was pretty expensive either. I can't remember clearly, but it's priced beyond the imagination of the book shelf speaker.

I have heard 805D3 for a couple of times in the local dealer which the boss have almost 30 years experience in handling hi-fi gears and also he is a concert goers often. I have impressed by the sound it produced transparency, very good penetration, very fine instrument defination, and clear sound without muddy, very detailed, and the high frequency is beautiful and harmony in all the spectrum except the slight shortage of low frequency which is not solid or responsive. But that doesn't matter for the speaker protrayed very splendid sound reproduction with almost every kind of music (electric or heavy metal are exception for these are not my tastes).

The same shop also has 803D2 which I have listened for many times, but I have reservations for the coherence of the spectrum. I mean the intergration from low to high is not so well connected. 聲音的連結性不是很好, Maybe it is a good speaker, but I can't feel it's special features. Maybe I will call the shop next time if the speaker is still available. Last time, I take a short visit and find that the boss has changed to a pair 802D2 for demo. Generally, the boss uses Burmeister pre (expensive one) and the power plus the Burmeister CD player for audition demo.

Burmeister is a solid design, but it sounds like analogue, esp. in the hi-end.  It is interesting that the boss himself went to his shop to listen to Berlin Phiharmonic digital hall (he subscribed at 160 EU. as annual fee) with the equip. in his shop for better A-V effect. (He uses Sony's 9400 75" Hi end LCD TV as monitor.).

After many years of experience, he is quick in finding out problem with quick solution always.   His opinion about England speaker is the short of high frequency response. In another words, it is a bit dark in tweeter.  That is why Tannoy is selling super tweeter which is capable of enhance high frequency response with more fresh air..

I think I will consult with the boss's idea because I bought Accuphase A47 from him but in the begging period of time, the sound is so so. After 2 years of run in , it sounds much better now.  Generally, it still takes 2 hours of run before you can get better sound.

It is a long experience, though fun, but it is kind of money and time spending...

Best Regards,

You

Hello, hifineubee,

I have attened a music appreciation class at Taipei National University of Arts for almost 5 years at the suburb of Taipei city. There is around 10 students or so in class, most are ladies who are fond of classical music appreciation.  On the last weekend, the teacher, a Julliard school graduate and a learned vocal music in Belgium for 2 years with the winning the 3rd award of Elizabeth vocal music contest, she told us that the boss of the radio, wanted her to terminate the program where she acted as a program hostess for more than 20 years. We can fell that she got hurt by the stopping of the program where she worked so long.

In now days, the people are changing fast, tastes, knowledge, preference, fashion, news, event............  I suppose she must be petty sad for the losing of the long time work which she devoted so much of her effort upon it. I know that some of the words she lecture on the class is unable to compare to the phrases or sentences she disclosed in the radio program for the audience are much difference at least in the sum.  We are just a small group, but tho konws the No. of audiences in the radio program......

We feel it is such kind of shame that she was kicked out in the way like this........

In now days, the sustain of a media or platform is not easy while the economy and customer tastes varies from time to time.......   How about the tastes of your music preference?  

Hello, hifineubee,

I think you should be able to read Chinese, here is my comment on the Dynaudio

Contour 30 which I listened last week.

評論說下放有名的confidence estar 高音 到 Contour new 30 ( in Confidence series grade),我聽感如下: source: CD + 數位流 +同品牌power (英國brand: Audiolab,但made in China), 一邊125W,音樂:蔡琴(有青蛙那條),人聲清析,呼吸氣腔可聞,但覺得部份樂段人聲有點粗,也就是dynaudio contour 舊款的人聲甜味沒有了..., At the pawn shop,低音也沉不下去,高音(木琴)也沒有B & W 804D3那麼滑溜.活潑,高.低音質感,雖說等級不一樣,但沒有C2好(音樂性差不少),也許是器材搭配的因素影響,郭金發台灣人:白牡丹,男聲人聲不厚,業者說說:現在speaker設計是走解析,因此,和舊型有差別....,和期待值有落差.....

價格:訂價30.8萬,折扣不多........

Hi, hifineubee,

My topic in Taiwan MyAv has raise up deep discussion between the different opinion group. That is beyond my expectation. It looks like word war.  Opposite opinion persons corssed fire on each other on the subject of audio listening experience......

The 2nd hand audio shop  where I found the 803S has sold out it's 800D and Sonus Faber Guarneri Momento (each pc. weighted about 75Kg with origin speaker stand consists of thick stone.  The shop's selling price is NT$22.5 Wan. (around US$7,500). In the meantime, there is also one same speaker selling on MyAV 2nd hand column which priced at NT$ 190,000 by the original users (not the 3rd or 4th hands.).  But the speaker color of the later is slight dark brown.

I don't know why the expensive one in the shop be able to sell faster than the much cheaper one direct sold by the user. The same model the different is the color.  Generally, the sales through the owner always have better quality and slight cheaper price.  Those sold in the shop usually selling with higher price for the boss need to mark up the profit and some need to send to the expert for fix first before the shop can display for sell.

I also know one 2nd hand shop in the not easy to find inner lane in Taipei. Though the shop's price is slightly cheaper than the above one. But once both shops are sellilng same model, the above one sold out faster even it is selling higher.

I heard some music for comparison in the youtube which there are many combination of audio system and music over there.  The posts showing various tastes the owner have, some are awful, some sounds strange ( agaist your expectation).  If you have time, you can have a try listening. With good pair of headphone you can tell the difference with easy.

Dear hifineubee,

I haven't have the chance to listen to the C1 for the consideration of it's high price in Taiwan. It costs US$11,000 here. Many years ago, it costed only half price. It is not easy to find a pair of C1, but there is a 2nd hand imported by the trade house which is C1 Signature with the selling price of US$6,000.   The problem of dynaduio C1 requires big power amp. and the turn up the volume to get the music out of the enclosures.  Big amp. also means big spending....... It is said that the tweeter of C1 has been used in the new Contour 30 which I listen once, but not impressive. Maybe the Amp. is not quite matching.