B&W Owner's Thread - Page 395

B&W in the past always introduce new series about 5 years between launch release so I hope they will continue with this policy, BTW in this kind of economy I hardly belive that they can afford this.

Funny.

I have read here on AVS that Best Buy will often discount B&W speakers. Well I went with my boss to BB today and they said that they can only price match. How have some of you gotten them to discount the speakers and now much of a discount did you get?

I would like to know this as well. If someone could PM me information, that would be great. Thanks.

Good luck on that. I suspect if these discounts were common at BB, we would ALL know about them.
Edited by SugarmillMan - 10/30/12 at 6:32pm

On an other note do you cross over your speakers? And do you use EQ

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/Aug01/articles/usingeq.asp

Is there a manufacturer's trend now towards making direct firing surround speakers for everything (music and movies) ? Are dipoles becoming a piece of musical history?
Edited by SugarmillMan - 10/31/12 at 8:46am

Hard to say. I don't think dipoles have ever been a recommendation for music. I think what might be factoring in now is the increase in 7.1 and now 9.1 (using wides). When we only had 5.1 dipoles were great for giving a larger sense of space but with 7.1 you physically have speakers beside and behind so perhaps just having direct firing simply accomplishes the same effect. With 9.1, well there is even more space being filled up by sound coming form a direct source so even less need to try and create sound from a location that does not have a source via dipoles.

Oh, didn't realize that.

Okay, 800D1, 800D2, 802D1, 802D2, 803D1, 803D2, 804D2, 805D2.

D1 = 1st Gen Diamond
D2 = 2nd Gen Diamond

Then in the future,
D3 = 3rd Gen Diamond.

I mean D = diamond, Di = diamond, Dia = diamond, very confusing.

What would they call the 4th Gen Diamond?

The easiest thing would be 800D4, 802D4, 803D4, etc.

And what would you call the 3rd generation and 4th generation of diamond speakers when they come out?

Some good points. I have to ask out of ignorance, what do theaters use?

I'm pretty sure theaters use direct firing speakers because they have so many. That's why the dipole was created, setting up so many speakers in the home was impractical so a way of reproducing the effect was needed thus the dipole was born, I think

Luckily that is not our problem but B&W's; they will figure out how to put that on the box. The previous generation was marked as 80xD on the box and the current one as 80x Diamond. You should know because you have (as I have) 802 Diamond thus 802Di.

The numbering system (802D1, 802D2..etc) is just easier to understand and IMO should be used around these forums whether B&W wants to use it or not, until of course they come up with a better naming system.

Thank you very much.

On the official parts list, B&W actually lists the second generation as 802D2, 800D2, NOT 802Di, 800Di.

http://www.bwgroupsupport.com/parts/partslist-bw

I rest my case.

OK. I have 804D2 speakers for my fronts, and a HTM2D center. (I think)
I've been using some old Polks as surrounds and want to upgrade to better surrounds. However, they must be wall type speakers. (WAF doesn't want any bookshelf speakers on the wall or on stands.)

What should I be looking at for a 7.2 system? Budget is 2-3K, room is 18 x 18 x 10. Movies/ music 50/50.

The B&W 682 In-Ceiling or the B&W 7.5 In-Wall speakers, of course.

They retail $1200/pr, so $2K/ 4 speakers should be fair out the door.

Also check out the B&W VM & FPM speakers.

http://www.thestereoshoppe.com/loudspeakers-b-w

http://www.bowers-wilkins.com/Speakers/Theatre_Solutions/FPM_VM_Series/Overview.html

Flat panel wall speakers.
Edited by AcuDefTechGuy - 11/1/12 at 9:53am

I'll give them a look. I hadn't thought of in the wall stuff. Might be one option to consider. Thank you.

I would look for some used SCMS or DS8S. Both are former 800 series speakers and would probably match much better timbre wise than anything else with your 800 diamond series front end. Both are wall mount speakers. I think they sell within your price range.
Edited by Rod#S - 11/1/12 at 9:46am

If anyone does want, the 800s and HTM4 ARE for sale now at a crazy price. Message for details!

New or used? If new, please PM me details. Thanks.

I hope you get a sale and make someone very happy Personally I think going with the Paradigms is a step backwards regardless of the version. I would easily take one of the smaller diamond speakers over the Paradigm signatures, especially the older v3's. Being an older Paradigm Reference owner (100's, 60's, CC and ADP's, all v3s) and having heard different versions of the Signatures over the years and damn near going the Signature route myself as they are very good speakers, after hearing the 804D2 the Signatures were quickly dropped as an option. A 804D2/803D2 system would be much more dynamic and true to life in my opinion. Why the interest in the older Paradigm Signature v3 models? Selling your 800's and HTM4 you could get the most current Signatures if you wanted. I know you are concerned about the size of speakers due to your small room so keep in mind the C5 is a BIG center speaker, I believe it's even wider than the HTM2D2. The HTM2D2 is higher but if memory serves the C5 is wider and deeper.

The v3 are the current signature. The models your thinking of are Studio by paradigm. It's one line down!

Ah right, got my lines and versions mixed up. The speakers I was looking at getting were the S8's, C5, ADP's and S6's for a 7.1 setup.

I agree with Rod, you have heard the 804D o 803D2? if not I'm think that you should have a audition.

I'm new to messing with speakers... I stopped by Best Buy to listen to the B&Ws. I've been borrowing a pair of 601 S2 bookshelves (time to give them back) through my yamaha RX-V663 receiver. I tried the yamaha rx-a720 receiver in the store thinking it would be the closest to mine. I brought a CD (Metallica- Enter Sandman, bad choice?) and the constant cymbals were harsh on the 685, 684, and 683. Switching to a marantz receiver tamed it down. Back at home now with the 601's and they sound good on the same track, also more full than the 685 or CM5 in the store.

Not crazy about the experience... I started with the 684, then to the 683 and I had to point out... oops, there's a subwoofer that's been added when you switched. They had some switching issues so I couldn't listen to the higher model yamahas. The Energy CF-70 speakers also got rid of the harshness through the rx-a720 but I didn't get to listen to them as much.

Could it have been a bad setup? or my ears aren't that good? or the RX-A720 just didn't work well with them? Not sure how my receiver would compare. Before I listened to anything I was mentally prepared to buy the 683s

Between the 802Di and the 800Di what are the major physical differences besides the larger bass driver, if i am going to take a guess the audio signature given by the unique design is the same between two with the exception of the 800D with deeper bass, where as the difference between the 803 and 800/2 would be larger due to the more simplistic designed enclosure on the 803.

I was shocked how many discussion my simple question gave , But i guess i now know a little more about how people think about the different versions .

This list is also very telling, kinda shocking how expensive the tweeter is compared to the other drivers.

I am more convinced about the 802D2 being my next speakers time for a few months of listening, testing, ordering.... The wait is half the fun.

Daniel.

PS: weirdly enough its youtube video's about how to unpack them and the casters that relax me logging >100lbs parts into the HT is always messy i refuse to move my 137lbs amp again.

If you can wait, word is Paradigm is releaseing a model of speakers above their Signature line. I can't remember what the talk was when they were to be expected, check the Paradigm thread for that as that's where I seen it mentioned, it's definitely not this year though.
Edited by Rod#S - 11/2/12 at 5:07am

The 800's have a different and apparently better crossover network than the 802's which by all user acounts give them a noticeably better midrange. All reports seem to indicate no differences in the tweeter and very little if any noticeable difference in the low end. I suspect there is more noticeable difference in the low end than get reported just because so many people use subs and don't run the speakers full range.