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So I heard some B&W Signature 805s today...

...at a local dealer, and to be honest, I wasn't that impressed. I listened with a goldmund amp to VTL pre from a Rega P9 with a high-level grado cart.

I'm trying to find a no-compromise stand-mounted monitor speaker that I can live with for a very, very long time. I don't think the B&Ws are it.

They did do some things right - imaging was superb, they do have a very big-spacious sound which I enjoy, bass was pretty good... but! there was something not right in the midrange, that I couldn't quite pinpoint. It was as though the sound got mushed in the middle, and didn't resolve right. It just wasn't a clean, clear good sound. When pushed to moderately-loud volume, the speakers were fatiguing. I just wanted to turn it down. The tweeter was a little metallic sounding and excessive for my tastes as well.

So that you understand my tastes a bit better... I think the Wilson Sophia (~$12k) sounds absolutely fantastic. Detailed yet smooth, excellent soundstaging, wonderful tonality. The B&W sound that I heard was much heavier in the middle, in a not good way.

Has anyone else had a similar/different experience with these speakers?

Do you have any other recommendations for a no-compromise (other than low bass) monitor for me to audition? I would LOVE to find one that sounds (to me) as good as the wilson Sophia, just without the low bass. I'll add a REL. I have a small room (14.5 x 13 ft).

Right on,

Todd
goatwuss

Showing 2 responses by unclejeff

unclejeff
1,313 posts
 
After reading so much about the B&W Nautilus speakers I decided I would not buy my speakers until I auditioned them.

I did not like them at all. From your post, I suspect you might like the new Kef Referance 207 speakers.

I eventually settled for the Kef 205s, although Tannoy was a real close second. But again, from your post I doubt you will like the Tannoy.

Check out the Kefs!
unclejeff
1,313 posts
 
No, I did not audition Harbeth's. I also can't comment on the quality of the Kef tweeter, except to say that i like it.

I would have bought the Kef 207s had I had the amp to power them, although the size of them would have made it harder to convince my wife to like them. What I was able to do was to bring her to the store and tell her how much I liked the 207s, and then allow her to 'compromise' me to the 205s.

There is no speaker for everyone; it is just that the Kefs sounded so much better than the B&Ws while still maintaining the big room presence.
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