Let's play Critic - whatcha make of B&W speakers?
09-13-2010, 01:41 PM
#16
Drifting
Anthony,
I'll be honest and tell you I have never heard of Adams....But you seem to know your stuff. I Googled and not a lot of info. What model specifically are you talking about? Where did you hear them. I am intrigued.
I'll be honest and tell you I have never heard of Adams....But you seem to know your stuff. I Googled and not a lot of info. What model specifically are you talking about? Where did you hear them. I am intrigued.
09-13-2010, 03:50 PM
#17
Formula One Spin Doctor
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Probably one of the most successful (by sales volume) speaker brands ever.
Eveything from inexpensive bookshelf speakers right on through the Nautilus design study and resulting N801 monitors, N800, N802 etc. Soooo... what's the verdict from the experts?
1. Great marketing company?
2. Great R&D company?
3. Great quality products?
4. Great sound?
...or none of the above?
I am much more into music than gear, and quite happily run a 35 year old Mac integrated - but I know that B&W (like McIntosh) elicits some of the most polarizing opinions.
Let 'em rip!
Best,
Matt
Eveything from inexpensive bookshelf speakers right on through the Nautilus design study and resulting N801 monitors, N800, N802 etc. Soooo... what's the verdict from the experts?
1. Great marketing company?
2. Great R&D company?
3. Great quality products?
4. Great sound?
...or none of the above?
I am much more into music than gear, and quite happily run a 35 year old Mac integrated - but I know that B&W (like McIntosh) elicits some of the most polarizing opinions.
Let 'em rip!
Best,
Matt
All of the above is true , B&W is a serious speaker company , successful and profitable. There Products are notmy cup of tea, but I'm sure they are still so to many others and again a very good company.
I always enjoyed the DQ-10's. I had a friend who had a pair when they initially came out and another who you might call an audio archivist with over over 30 pairs of speakers and equal quantity of vintage equipment. He is torn over the DQ-10's being one of the better pairs he owns. I am not so sure I would call them the best pair of speakers ever made but a great pair of speakers none the less.
09-13-2010, 04:29 PM
#18
Formula One Spin Doctor
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Interesting comments.
I come at this foremost as a music lover. Rock, blues, jazz, heck I'll admit it, some (non-"Nashville") country too. Opera? Who-style, for sure! The "gear" is frankly of distant 2nd importance to me, but a necessary, and fun piece of the puzzle.
Let me throw this out there: there's no question that the single most important contributor to the sound of your 2 channel system is the room itself. No amount of money thrown at gear is going to remedy a bad room. That said, most of us do not have dedicated listening rooms, and so make do with a system we can "live" with - like a living room vs. an acoustically treated bunker in the basement.
Sooo... I've been looking to upgrade my vintage/worn out Mac system (XR7 and Ma6100) and have started my quest looking at speakers. I plan to match source/pre and monos based on what works best.
Hence the interest in Nautilus D (800,801,802) speakers. Are they the best speakers out there? Nope. Are they overpriced? Yup. That said, they have a lot going for them:
1. They are not rare/finicky/obscure. They sell a lot of them, hence a good likelihood of having MANY years of service and parts availability.
2. They look good. Tastes vary for sure, but for something that has to live exposed in your living room, they are some of the better looking speakers out there IMHO. Like Sonus Faber, there's definitely an attention to aesthetics that sets them apart.
3. They sound good. Clear, revealing - too much so? Perhaps. But good, for sure.
So, if you were in the market for the best current porduction speakers that can be had (used) for ~$10K or less, what would be looking at? Assume preference is popular music (not classical) and a readiness to buy good powerful SS monos to drive them.
Best,
Matt
I come at this foremost as a music lover. Rock, blues, jazz, heck I'll admit it, some (non-"Nashville") country too. Opera? Who-style, for sure! The "gear" is frankly of distant 2nd importance to me, but a necessary, and fun piece of the puzzle.
Let me throw this out there: there's no question that the single most important contributor to the sound of your 2 channel system is the room itself. No amount of money thrown at gear is going to remedy a bad room. That said, most of us do not have dedicated listening rooms, and so make do with a system we can "live" with - like a living room vs. an acoustically treated bunker in the basement.
Sooo... I've been looking to upgrade my vintage/worn out Mac system (XR7 and Ma6100) and have started my quest looking at speakers. I plan to match source/pre and monos based on what works best.
Hence the interest in Nautilus D (800,801,802) speakers. Are they the best speakers out there? Nope. Are they overpriced? Yup. That said, they have a lot going for them:
1. They are not rare/finicky/obscure. They sell a lot of them, hence a good likelihood of having MANY years of service and parts availability.
2. They look good. Tastes vary for sure, but for something that has to live exposed in your living room, they are some of the better looking speakers out there IMHO. Like Sonus Faber, there's definitely an attention to aesthetics that sets them apart.
3. They sound good. Clear, revealing - too much so? Perhaps. But good, for sure.
So, if you were in the market for the best current porduction speakers that can be had (used) for ~$10K or less, what would be looking at? Assume preference is popular music (not classical) and a readiness to buy good powerful SS monos to drive them.
Best,
Matt
We did do a speaker shootout a few months back against 802's and the sound was very underwhelming and closed in to me.. We were comparing it to a ribbon hybrid speaker and while the B&W was more efficient and easier to drive ( we had to switch amps ) the sound was more hi-fi than live ....
Around 10 K you have a few good options...
1. Magnapan ( maggies) 1.7 with stands and a pr of VB-12 Digital drive velodyne subwoofers , Very good sound but you might have an issue with the aesthetics and they need to be 5 ft from the rear wall. ( sound B +)
cost : 7K approx
2. Same setup , but Maggies 3.6 instead of 1.7 ( sound B+ ) Cost : 10K
3. Thiel CS3.7 a bit more ( 12K ) but worth a listen if you are looking at B&W's.. (Sound b+)
4. Vandersteen quattro wood sig 2 ....... 11K
I have not heard these , but an associate migrating from DQ10's loved these.
I wil give this some more thought , the aesthetics is important , sometimessss ahhh!!!
09-13-2010, 04:54 PM
#19
Addict
Rennlist Member
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My current musical needs are being fed by the Aerials and the DQ10's are back at my father's.
I'm currently (literally) trying to complete the design of the low voltage setup for the new house and working on the layout of the new listening room (plus the distributed audio feed to the "garage").
09-13-2010, 05:11 PM
#20
Formula One Spin Doctor
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Are you coming down to Homestead for the IRL and HSR races?
My current musical needs are being fed by the Aerials and the DQ10's are back at my father's.
I'm currently (literally) trying to complete the design of the low voltage setup for the new house and working on the layout of the new listening room (plus the distributed audio feed to the "garage").
My current musical needs are being fed by the Aerials and the DQ10's are back at my father's.
I'm currently (literally) trying to complete the design of the low voltage setup for the new house and working on the layout of the new listening room (plus the distributed audio feed to the "garage").
Good luck on the setup , the feed to the garage is very important ..
09-13-2010, 06:20 PM
#22
Rennlist Member
https://rennlist.com/forums/7882389-post2.html
09-24-2010, 11:40 AM
#23
I love them. I have a set of 801s in the living room (with the 800 subwoofer), a set of 803s, the 800 sub, the inwall dipoles and 805 rears in the media room, have 8" in walls all around the house and even have a small set in the kitchen.
I bought my first set years ago. I really liked them because IMO they were neutral but tended to warmth. They sounded like my first set of speakers (JBL 4311s) which I actually still own but they're in the basement needing work.
Having said all this I did get to hear a set of Dynaudio Evidence Masters in a proper room a few months ago...if I only had the money.....those are the nicest speakers I've ever heard in my life. Just sublime.
If I were spending $10K now I would consider the 802s (I don't think they even make 801s anymore), but also the Dynaudio's and Avalon's in that price range and the stuff noted here. IMO, when you're spending that much money you owe it to yourself to sample as many as you can- they are all different, they're all good and there are a lot of variables- the type of sound you prefer, your room, the type of music you listen to, what you're powering them with etc.
I bought my first set years ago. I really liked them because IMO they were neutral but tended to warmth. They sounded like my first set of speakers (JBL 4311s) which I actually still own but they're in the basement needing work.
Having said all this I did get to hear a set of Dynaudio Evidence Masters in a proper room a few months ago...if I only had the money.....those are the nicest speakers I've ever heard in my life. Just sublime.
If I were spending $10K now I would consider the 802s (I don't think they even make 801s anymore), but also the Dynaudio's and Avalon's in that price range and the stuff noted here. IMO, when you're spending that much money you owe it to yourself to sample as many as you can- they are all different, they're all good and there are a lot of variables- the type of sound you prefer, your room, the type of music you listen to, what you're powering them with etc.
09-24-2010, 12:40 PM
#24
$10k, that allows for a lot of options.
If I had that much to spend, I htink I would look at and listen to some Orions:
http://www.linkwitzlab.com/
If I had that much to spend, I htink I would look at and listen to some Orions:
http://www.linkwitzlab.com/
09-25-2010, 01:41 PM
#25
Rennlist Member
B&W AND OTHERS....
I have been in the high performance audio video industry since the early 70's and I have been a B&W dealer since 1982. (I have visited their research facility and their UK factory). I have yet to find a speaker manufacturer that "over all" has made as many wonderful speakers that sound great in a variety of situations.
Yes, there are many other great speakers and speaker companies (Wilson, Dynaudio, Revel, Martin Logan, Magnapan, and Magico to name a few), but over all, B&W is hard to beat. They also make wonderful "affordable speakers" like the 600 series.
Everyone has their own expectations and criteria...that's why there are so many speakers manufacturers (Good and Bad).
Your ears are your guides (with a little toe tapping and smiling)........
Yes, there are many other great speakers and speaker companies (Wilson, Dynaudio, Revel, Martin Logan, Magnapan, and Magico to name a few), but over all, B&W is hard to beat. They also make wonderful "affordable speakers" like the 600 series.
Everyone has their own expectations and criteria...that's why there are so many speakers manufacturers (Good and Bad).
Your ears are your guides (with a little toe tapping and smiling)........
09-25-2010, 02:22 PM
#26
Formula One Spin Doctor
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
I would concur ,
Speaker manufacturering is more than just producing good sound and B&W is second to none with there manufacturing , distribution and continuity of product...
Dat aside , love the Wilson's instead of B&W's in your room......
Speaker manufacturering is more than just producing good sound and B&W is second to none with there manufacturing , distribution and continuity of product...
Dat aside , love the Wilson's instead of B&W's in your room......
01-11-2011, 08:03 PM
#27
Rocky Mountain High
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
This is an interesting thread. I'm planning to upgrade my home theater system in the next couple of weeks, and I've been out shopping at high end audio stores. I'm looking to spend about $5K, so nothing too crazy. I just listened to the Bowers & Wilkins 600 series, and I was impressed. They weren't as bright as some of the others in my price range, like the Definitive Technology products, but they did sound a little warmer to me. I'm not sure what I'm going to choose at this point.
Any recommendations from this group that I should consider in my price range?
Any recommendations from this group that I should consider in my price range?
01-11-2011, 08:21 PM
#29
Three Wheelin'
Agree with the above. B&W does great 'trickle down'. Think one can do better at the top of scale as has been pointed out. I use flooring standing 600 series speakers in my 'man box'. Sound great with Luxman gear when I'm working on the car, etc...
01-13-2011, 05:32 PM
#30
Rennlist Member
Have B&W for my center channel and rear surrounds, never use them for music listening. They are upper tier speakers. But if you really think about it, it's your ears who should be the judge!