Should I buy the B&W 804d's or 805d's

Ok I called dealers in NYC and Boston yesterday and spoke with some very informative personnel. Both said the 804d's would be better since they were three way rather than two. Cant go wrong with either.

The advice you got that, categorically, a 3 way speaker is better than a 2 way speaker extremely, and I do mean extremely, poor advice. Not only does it depend on what you mean by "better" but there are just a host of factors that come into play. 2 way speakers typically are easier to integrate and often more coherent. 3 ways speakers may provide more detail or separation. Bottom line with speakers is you have to listen to them yourself with your source material, and numerous times. The closer in time you can shift between the speakers the better - by this I mean minutes, not days. The type of music you listen to is a factor; some speakers excel at piano (b&w) some I have found better with vocals (spendor, harbeth). And more than anything, the sound that you like is what is important. Dealers are notoriously poor persons to ask as to which product is better as they have an interest in the outome.

Just listened to both of them yesterday and I really liked the 804d's. The 805d's are definately going to need a good subwoofer whereas the 804d's sounded good all by themselves, though a subwoofer wouldn't hurt them either. Also, I felt that even with a subwoofer the 805d's upper bass and lower midranges might still be lacking compared to the 804d's. The 805d's did sound very good for what they are but not nearly as satisfying or enjoyable as the 804d's. Also, cosmetically, I thought the 804d's looked better. I didn't care for the stands on the 805d's which also adds another $700 to the cost. By the time you add the stands and a subwoofer, you're close to the cost of the 804d's. All of this is of course just my opinion. I also listened to some Maggie's that were nice too and alot cheaper. If only they weren't so damn big! Good luck.

What are the prices for this new line?