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[sidvee]

Hi Sidvee

Try and listen to a Neodio cd player. .

Thanks Prem,
Will do. I am planning to go for a DAC plus Music PC plus CD transport configuration as I am really enjoying the convenience of my music PC, so not sure how this will fit in.
Cheers,
Sid

 

[ranjeetrain]

I forgot to add one more speaker that I loved very much. It was the Kef q35 which I bought in 1998/99. With the UniQ driver, this small floor stander had imaging to die for, though it was quite light through the bass frequencies

I can relate.

I did an A/B between QEF Q30 (or was it Q10) and B&W CDM1NT. The KEF was cheaper of the two and to my ears completely blew the B&W away. I was shocked how detailed it sounded and how muddled in comparison the B&W did.

 

[captrajesh]

I was shocked how detailed it sounded and how muddled in comparison the B&W did.

Don't mean to ruffle any feathers but I found B&W to be more hype than mettle.

 

[corElement]

I agree, I too find b&w overly hyped.

 

[sidvee]

Don't mean to ruffle any feathers but I found B&W to be more hype than mettle.

Capt. that depends on which model. IMO most of the 8 series has many gems and they are comparable to any high end speaker out there, but there are many compromises in the lower end versions, just like any other brand.
So it is hard to generalize.
I, for one am planning to audition their new PM1 which many claim is better than their 805 diamond(something I can relate to as the 805 diamond sounded mediocre to my ears).
Cheers,
Sid

 

[ranjeetrain]

Don't mean to ruffle any feathers but I found B&W to be more hype than mettle.

I have always avoided hurting owners of specific brands, but I can't get over the feeling that B&W must be the most loved and hyped brand around.

 

[prem]

The B&W 801s are very nice. Hear them with Mcintosh solid state amps.

 

[sidvee]

I have always avoided hurting owners of specific brands, but I can't get over the feeling that B&W must be the most loved and hyped brand around.

IMO the reason for that is that it is one of the largest speaker manufacturers in the world, consequently lot more people buy their products, and talk about it so there is bound to be both positive and negative feedback, as compared to speakers that have less owners/or people auditioning them. I have owned models from almost their entire range (book shelves only) and felt that the N805 was the best - at its price range - during the period it was produced. I have also compared it to more modern speakers (Usher Be718 for instance or ATC SCM19 - not sure how old the ATC's are) in my own system and the 805's easily proved themselves.
Cheers,
Sid

 

[malvai]

I can relate.

I did an A/B between QEF Q30 (or was it Q10) and B&W CDM1NT. The KEF was cheaper of the two and to my ears completely blew the B&W away. I was shocked how detailed it sounded and how muddled in comparison the B&W did.

Most B&W speakers in their price range would outdo the other brands... The only catch is that they would sound as good/ or bad as the amplification....

 

[ranjeetrain]

I think their name that sounds similar to BMW also gives them a psychological edge. Their brand rings a certain "upmarket" bell in consumer's mind. So much so that even their ordinary sounding entry level gear are admired. I hope I am not the only one with this feeling.

I agree with the 8xx series being good stuff. Those are the only B&W that live up to B&Wsque hype.

 

[ranjeetrain]

Most B&W speakers in their price range would outdo the other brands... The only catch is that they would sound as good/ or bad as the amplification....

My observation is not the same. My observation is that entry level B&W are mostly outdone by other speakers in the same price class. I also find entry level B&Ws to be colored. However, it could just be me, because there are lots of B&W fans in India and the world

 

[GeorgeO]

I happened to hear some high end B & W speakers in the US recently and was impressed-these sell for $3000-12000 a pair.

 

[ranjeetrain]

GeorgeO, why not post some listening impressions? We all will benefit from them.

Oh btw, that is only the price of mid-range B&W. High end B&W go much higher than that. This is from my memory, but probably the price of B&W Nautilus was around USD 60k.

 

[sidvee]

I have been an active member on Audiogon since 1999. I can tell you confidently from my 15-16 year experience there that the most actively sought after brand of speaker regardless of series, is B&W. The lower end (6 series) hardly last a few days when advertised. And not only quick sales but resale values are also the highest - 60-70% of new - so that shows that the brand is not just getting dumped. The higher end, upto the 800D last no more than a couple of weeks.
Not sure what this means pertaining to the current discussion, but the US, as I know is the largest audio markets in the world with literally 100's of brands at competitive prices, so it means something that B&W can inspire this kind of sales - that too pre-owned. I know what you all are thinking - btw I have hardly ever seen a Bose on sale on Audiogon, and when I did they languished for months:lol:, so it is not just marketing hype that buys this kind of loyalty.
Cheers,
Sid

 

[ranjeetrain]

Everyone wants to own a BMW.

Err I meant B&W

 

[sidvee]

Everyone wants to own a BMW.

Err I meant B&W

:lol: Not sure about this confusion, but BMW is just one amongst the luxury brands in US. In fact for many years, Lexus was the top selling luxury brand in US (I worked in the Automobile Industry in Detroit for 16 years) and the most trouble free per J.D. Powers Automotive rating.
Cheers,
Sid

 

[captrajesh]

Capt. that depends on which model. IMO most of the 8 series has many gems and they are comparable to any high end speaker out there, but there are many compromises in the lower end versions, just like any other brand.
So it is hard to generalize.

I had listened to their 801D many moons ago at Delhi. I have also listened to 800/802 (don't remember the model No.) at Mumbai a couple of years ago. I was not impressed at all; neither did my friend who accompanied me, whom I pulled along to make him experience 'hi end sound'

they would sound as good/ or bad as the amplification.

May be it is the amplification I'm not sure. I've not auditioned any of their other stuff.

 

[SatMumbai]

This may be a bit of digression, but I agree that the B&W range is not up to the performance. My HiFi journey started with JBL Floor standers but then could not blind myself to the B&W hype and so owned DM series, 601S3, 686, 685, 684, CM7, CM1, CM9 in that order. Out of all these 684 was the only one which I think was worth consideration.
My current take on B&W speakers is that do not consider anything less than 8 series as the tweeters in the entire rest of the range is too metallic sounding to my taste an drove me crazy after 20 minutes of listening. However the 804D are my favourite of their 8 series as they are at the cusp of the price to performance.
Ofcourse, if I have space (and money) I would buy Vivid Audio!!

 

[sidvee]

I had listened to their 801D many moons ago at Delhi.
May be it is the amplification I'm not sure. I've not auditioned to any of their other stuff.

Maybe it was some other factors Capt. I have listened to the 801d extensively and they sounded excellent to me - of-course maybe my listening taste could be entirely biased in their favor . I would have considered these at some point for my system but room size is very important for these. The current 805d, however, could not entice me.
Cheers,
Sid

 

[captrajesh]

Maybe it was some other factors Capt. I have listened to the 801d extensively and they sounded excellent to me

When I said they didn't impress me, I didn't mean that they sounded bad or ordinary or anything like that. They sounded good but the performance was not jaw dropping, especially at their price points; something like (for example) Lyrita Horns' midrange reproduction that I had experienced. May be, I had carried unrealistic expectations to the listening room.

Of course, I must admit that I do not have the extensive experience listening to top end commercial brands unlike some FMs like you.