BoredErica
Addicted to Fun and Learning
Maybe bad sound was their intended design choice. 
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Because you aren't listening to an actual orchestra in your living room, but a recording of it?
Hard to figure out if your question is genuine or bait....
B&W pays zero attention to directivity. If its good its good by accident not by design. 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.
And why not just have a flat FR and equalize it to taste from there? Don't forget the Harman Target curve is basically a slope. Preferences are mostly based on the angle of the slope. Nobody prefers a rollercoaster of a frequency response that goes up and down randomly. Smooth is the keyword.
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BoredErica
Addicted to Fun and Learning
It's infuriating sometimes reading posts of people who know very little talk about things they don't understand with such confidence. 
People who criticize measurements almost never understand them at a basic level..
People who criticize measurements almost never understand them at a basic level..
OP
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Now online.
Bowers & Wilkins Diamond Series 804 D4 loudspeaker Measurements
Sidebar 3: Measurements I used DRA Labs' MLSSA system, a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone, and an Earthworks microphone preamplifier to measure the Bowers & Wilkins 804 D4's frequency response in the farfield. My primary axis for the measurements was level with the tweeter, but I also performed a...
www.stereophile.com
Have you heard the 706 S2?
Yes, total mess of a speaker.Have you heard the 706 S2?
It's hard to tell if your answer is genuine or bait.
I think you failed there and misunderstood why it was hard to figure out if your original question about concerts was bait or not. But whatever, I'm not going to bother to explain things that are elementary.It's hard to tell if your answer is genuine or bait.
Perhaps you take life far too seriously, but my question was valid. Why would you want rolled off treble when in your listening seat?
Because it occurs with our natural perception of sound due to the dampening effect of the air to high frequency sound waves and is somewhat the build in reference of human frequency response perception that we perceive as natural or neutral.
You may experiment with it if you have a calibrated measurement microphone at hand and a multi-band equalizer. Probably some who are writing in this thread will be so kind to link to the appropriate academic papers and research done on the issue, I don’t have my bookmarks at hand atm.
You may experiment with it if you have a calibrated measurement microphone at hand and a multi-band equalizer. Probably some who are writing in this thread will be so kind to link to the appropriate academic papers and research done on the issue, I don’t have my bookmarks at hand atm.
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Because a steady state frequency response at the listening position captured by a typical omnidirectional mic doesn't really tell how humans perceive the tonality. Humans mainly perceive the tonality above the transition frequency from the direct sound, which is a reason why many automatic room correction products make things worse, more about it here in the first link of my signature.
I'm not going to explain elementary concepts which you can figure out by simple deduction to you.
Looks are the ultimate subjective judgment. I think these look silly.
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.
Very descriptive. I think they sound excellent, especially on orchestral works.
The tonality is a bit odd. Bass is pretty good, but the high midrange and treble feels unbalanced. Sometimes its a bit recessed, but at other times its very bright. If you compare it side by side to good loudspeakers its pretty evident.
True, they can help you find loudspeakers you also like. So if you like B&W you like an uneven frequency response and measurements will help you find more loudspeakers like that, so you can more easily find loudspeakers you enjoy. Like I said before, not everybody aims for high fidelity.
Is that true? As a B&W owner, I know that my next speaker purchase will be based off of a selection of speakers based on good measurements auditioned in my own listening space. This will be different to my purchase of my current speakers. They were bought under the influence of an audiophile friend and his subjective opinion. I’ve since educated myself. Measured distortion, port resonance, off-axis response, etc, are all measurable and all have an impact on what a speaker will sound like in a space. That is all useful information that informs a buyer. To ignore it seems naive and somewhat ridiculous. Would you buy a car not interested in its fuel economy, brake horsepower, number of seats, baggage space, etc? Ignoring measurements is to ignore incredibly useful information that informs a good purchasing decision.
Back in 2003 I was building a house and splitting the music room from the home theatre. B&W Signature 800 speakers were B&W's top of the line models. I heard them at Abbey Road. They sounded awesome. I bought a pair. Life happened and I haven't spent much time listening music. A few years later I was back to normal and started using my music room more often. What I heard was a shock. Yes, the sound was still awesome but totally wrong. I spend a decade recording top class musicians. I can understand when I hear a speaker is not reproducing Hi-Fi. I must confess it took me a good six months to convince myself that those are not Hi-Fi speakers. They however, as I keep repeating myself, create an awesome sound. The energy is incredible. Just not Hi-Fi.
I had another visit to my old stomping ground and talked with the current generation desk boys (and girls I must happily add) about the speakers. It was interesting to say the least. The guys (used for both sexes) in Studio 1 who mostly records big orchestras, had the same reservations I had, the other smaller studios where modern music is made are impressed with the awesome sound (in fact I barrowed that term from them).
On my back home, I called my dealer from the train and asked him to find me something else...
I had another visit to my old stomping ground and talked with the current generation desk boys (and girls I must happily add) about the speakers. It was interesting to say the least. The guys (used for both sexes) in Studio 1 who mostly records big orchestras, had the same reservations I had, the other smaller studios where modern music is made are impressed with the awesome sound (in fact I barrowed that term from them).
On my back home, I called my dealer from the train and asked him to find me something else...
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The speakers I decided on, the 706 S2, were bought because of good reviews from many sources on the proviso that I could exchange them if I didn't like them. I love them. Sadly nobody has measured that particular model AFAIK so, I had nothing but the manufacturer spec to go on. Most speakers on the market haven't been independently measured and tested in that way, unlike cars.
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We are united in this place not because we want to continue with lucky shots but quite to the opposite, to educate ourselfs on the reasons why loudspeakers excell or why they have unpleasant edges. Arguing against this is misplaced, there are forums for the lovers of mysteria. For example, the crossover mismatch the B&W 800D4 features at 6.4k will be audible. This is nothing we have to discuss, it is strong and will be heard. Also, exaggerated highs will be audible, especially when they are more in the HF presence region and not only in VHF brilliance. You may get away with tuning the brilliance hot and add some air on top, but elevated presence, as in this case, is only for old ears: to insert contrast where the perceptive apparatus is worn out. Admittedly, these speakers are build for elderly men that posses money but are dispossed of their bodily abilities. It would still be better to EQ a proper speaker to their hearing curve.
All the science will not persuade these, who set their mind to prove the opposite and resist the available insight, this is always the case. Which leaves us with experimentation. Maybe, you can get yourself a speaker with an even off-axis radiation pattern (heard the Kali's are budget performers), a measurement microphone and check it out! This experience will tell you what we cannot and it does not break the bank, at least when we are already talking B&W speakers here. You will quickly learn how there is a difference between something that is sounding "good", but is a detrimental effect in the long term, and a truly balanced speaker. Trust me
All the science will not persuade these, who set their mind to prove the opposite and resist the available insight, this is always the case. Which leaves us with experimentation. Maybe, you can get yourself a speaker with an even off-axis radiation pattern (heard the Kali's are budget performers), a measurement microphone and check it out! This experience will tell you what we cannot and it does not break the bank, at least when we are already talking B&W speakers here. You will quickly learn how there is a difference between something that is sounding "good", but is a detrimental effect in the long term, and a truly balanced speaker. Trust me
