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B&W 800D4 series

tecnogadget

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It's a judgement made by the listener. A subjective assessment that large numbers of B&W purchasers obviously don't agree with. Nobody buys speakers based purely on measurements.
I have bought speakers/headphones blindly based purely on measurements and I have never complained nor regretted, but nailed it 100% of the time. Are you almighty enough to know what EVERYBODY does and decides? Jesus!
 

sq225917

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I remember when the original 602s came out in my student days. I owned a set with a rotel amp and cd player, they sounded great for the money, really enjoyable. As a student i couldn't give a rats ass about neutral, I wanted volume and something that made me tap my feet.

B&w know their audience, uneducated music lovers who like a nice looking object...
 

thewas

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TrevC

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I have bought speakers/headphones blindly based purely on measurements and I have never complained nor regretted, but nailed it 100% of the time. Are you almighty enough to know what EVERYBODY does and decides? Jesus!
I'm omniscient. Never forget that.
 

TrevC

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I remember when the original 602s came out in my student days. I owned a set with a rotel amp and cd player, they sounded great for the money, really enjoyable. As a student i couldn't give a rats ass about neutral, I wanted volume and something that made me tap my feet.

B&w know their audience, uneducated music lovers who like a nice looking object...
Like Abbey Road studios.
 
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sarumbear

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B&w know their audience, uneducated music lovers who like a nice looking object...
A music lower doesn't necessarily be a Hi-Fi enthusiast. I am a Hi-Fi enthusiast but I appreciate the awesome sound a big 800 series generates, so does the guys at many recording studios. Hi-Fi is not a requirement for enjoying music.
 

tecnogadget

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I've learnt a lot. The speakers that I really like are in fact shit.
That is the conclusion reached by those who do not want to face reality or whose ego has been scratched.

But it has been repeated ad nauseam that these speakers are not bad, they just don't make the cut to be considered perfection in sound reproduction as the brand's narrative sells to its customers and the press.
 

sarumbear

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I've learnt a lot. The speakers that I really like are in fact shit.
Not correct. As I explained in my post, just because a speaker is not Hi-Fi it doesn't mean it has no value nor it is enjoyable. Your learning in fact has just started :)
 

caught gesture

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I've learnt a lot. The speakers that I really like are in fact shit.
I really thought that my B&W 805S were excellent hifi speakers. I then read the review of them here on this site. I must admit, my ego initially took a bit of a dent. How could I who values sound quality so much be so fooled by my speakers! I’d even built a whole listening room around them. I came to the realisation that they are not ”shit”, just flawed. With some judicious eq, I’ve corrected them somewhat. Thing is, I still love listening to music through them. When they eventually give up and break, I’ll be buying something else with a better educated basis on which to make a decision. Look at it as a positive. In the meantime I’ll keep loving the discovery of new music and listening to old favourites.
 

beefkabob

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I've learnt a lot. The speakers that I really like are in fact shit.
LOL. No. Just overpriced and mediocre. Maybe even pretty good with enough EQ. Great might be asking a lot.
 

beefkabob

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I really thought that my B&W 805S were excellent hifi speakers. I then read the review of them here on this site. I must admit, my ego initially took a bit of a dent. How could I who values sound quality so much be so fooled by my speakers! I’d even built a whole listening room around them. I came to the realisation that they are not ”shit”, just flawed. With some judicious eq, I’ve corrected them somewhat. Thing is, I still love listening to music through them. When they eventually give up and break, I’ll be buying something else with a better educated basis on which to make a decision. Look at it as a positive. In the meantime I’ll keep loving the discovery of new music and listening to old favourites.
When you hear all the good of your BW (likely low distortion) plus some excellent frequency response/directivity, you'll be blow away, methinks. Go find a place that sells Genelec and/or Neumann. There must be some in Italia.
 

Momotaro

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... And lets not talk about that port resonance, there is no way in hell you are going to tell me that is what B&W thinks that's anywhere near acceptable. It wouldn't be acceptable in a $150 speaker, let alone a speaker in this price range. ...
Surprising some people are still going on about port resonance, when Atkinson made it clear he thought this was an artefact of the port type and measurement method. To (otherwise) capture the port's output, the mic is inserted between the speaker cabinet and the floor plate. Analogous to inserting the mic well into a regular port tube. Data is one thing, interpreting it is another.
 

Koeitje

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Surprising some people are still going on about port resonance, when Atkinson made it clear he thought this was an artefact of the port type and measurement method. To (otherwise) capture the port's output, the mic is inserted between the speaker cabinet and the floor plate. Analogous to inserting the mic well into a regular port tube. Data is one thing, interpreting it is another.
Plenty of flaws left though, especially for a speaker in this price category. If it was $1000-2000 a piece we could argue about if the flaws are worth it, but these speakers are more than 10 times that price. That puts them in the price bracket of speakers that run absolute circles around these.
 

beefkabob

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Plenty of flaws left though, especially for a speaker in this price category. If it was $1000-2000 a piece we could argue about if the flaws are worth it, but these speakers are more than 10 times that price. That puts them in the price bracket of speakers that run absolute circles around these.
Worth it if you value looks over sound reproduction. Furniture grade speakers!
 

Koeitje

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Worth it if you value looks over sound reproduction. Furniture grade speakers!
For sure, in terms of finish I have no complaints even though its not my style.
 
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