[mjabel]

Well I've finally narrowed it down to two speakers to begin the revamp of my front stage, the sleek M20 and the classic N805.


I thought I had made my final decision in favor of the M20's, but then I saw a set N802's poking their heads up in the Episoide II music video and I decided to give B&W one more shot. Now the N802's are nothing short of phenomenal, but I really can't afford them so it was on to the little N805's.


Well, now I need a little input from the knowledgable members of this forum. I've heard both of these speakers a number of times and while both are excellent and would make a fine addition to my hometheater, that's not what I'm all about. I want the best of the best or to be more specific the best of the best in monitor speakers (no floorstanders) for less than $3000 with an appropriately excellent matching center channel.


So which would it be if you had to choose N805's or M20's or the ever confusing other?


-Matt

 

[lolittle]

Which center do you prefer, the HTM2 or the C30? That is a VERY important consideration...

 

[KeithR]

Go look at the Dyn 1.3SEs...they are the best of the best monitors I have heard....including 805s and M20s

 

[rich wu]

WHAT! - no recommendations for Divas? I have a pair of Revel M20 and I would recommend it.

 

[Justin Doring]

While the Revel M20 and the B&W N805 are both excellent mini monitors, if you have a $3000 budget, get a pair of Dynaudio Contour 1.3 Mk. II SEs. They list for $3500, but can be had for less. They're the best mini monitors I've ever heard.

 

[lennyr]

After auditioning about a zillion speakers, with more or less your same budget and space constraints, I also came down to these two speakers.


I ended up getting the M20s, which I felt were a little warmer and fuller sounding, and had what I felt was a better range in terms of the kinds of music to which they are suited. Also significant in my choice was that I felt the C30 was a more natural sounding center which blended more smoothly with its mates.


I thought both were very fine speakers. The 805s are definitely cooler looking.

 

[mjabel]

First off, thanks for the input.


To the Dynaudio dudes. I've heard the 1.3 mkII and while it does have more precussive snap then either the N805 or the M20, I feel the M20 is simply a better all around speaker. I'm sure the 1.3SE is much better than the 1.3 mkII, but I've heard it's a complete bear to setup and it is over a thousand dollars more than either the N805 or the M20.


To the M20 cats. What are you guys using to drive the M20's with and what do the rest of your systems look like?


To the B&W boys. Where the hell are the N805 supporters?


Thanks again for all the help.


-Matt

 

[rsg_1]

Matt,


Just to let you know. Madrigal (Revel's parent) customer support is superior to B&W. You can talk to the designers at Revel in California and they will help you out, if you have a problem.


Both of your choices are excellent.

 

[lolittle]

"Just to let you know. Madrigal (Revel's parent) customer support is superior to B&W."


B&W has customer support? I love my Nautilus 804s, but my experience with B&W customer support has been less than adequate. Support from my local B&W dealer is excellent, however...

 

[scooter_29]

I have had nothing but the best experiences from B&Ws customer support... I have also visited the support center and spent time talking with the people there while they fixed my speakers... The service tech originally said on the phone it would take a few days but when I showed up, he dropped everything he was doing and fixed it immediately.

 

[John Desmond]

Have only herad the Revel in passing so I really don't have an opinion on it. Have listened to the 805 extensively and IMHO my ACI Jaguars are far superior in many ways. Dynamics, low end extension, overall soundstaging and upper end smoothness. As far as customer support, ACI is second to none. Only problem is the new Jaguar LE is not due out for about 2 months yet. In the meantime, if you can find a pair of used Jaguars on Audiogon you'll really have something. As to a center, I've not yet heard ACI's new Veritas but it looks to be an awesome performer with built in woofer amplification and parametric EQ. Perfect for precise system and placement matching.

 

[Tim_S]

A few months ago, I had decided on the M20's in this competition but then heard about VMPS speakers and decided to give them a try, http://www.vmpsaudio.com/ . For the price of the M20's with stands you can get some floorstanders that will beat the 802's or some monitors which will at a minimum beat the M20's quite handily At least in my opinion and I really liked the M20's. FWIW, I got the RM 1's.


Tim

 

[KeithR]

The 1.3SE is leagues better than the MKII...in fact, it is probably the best Contour speaker period.


Not sure what you mean by setup issues...i have mine 3 ft. from the wall, and it is dazzling...birds eye maple finish, separate crossover boards for tweet and woof, tricked out tweeter/woof...it was built with no pricing point in mind. Superb coherancy and midrange that the others in this group simply do not have.


BTW, I owned Wilson Cub IIs (10k including stands), and still feel the Dyns outperform (except I loved the titanium finish i had) in just about every single way. In fact, a buddy of mine bought them the day after hearing mine....and he heard over 30 speakers with me on my "speaker tour"


As far as cost, when you put the ridiculous cost of stands in on the 805s, the SEs can be had for similar pricing if you look around, or email some folks around here. Even at 3k, it is well worth the extra $1k imho....and this is coming from a guy who almost bought 805s 2 years ago. I would also recommend the Osiris stands on audiogon that are superbly built, and very aestetically pleasing.

 

[lennyr]

Quote:

To the M20 cats. What are you guys using to drive the M20's with and what do the rest of your systems look like?

I use an Anthem MCA5 MKII and an Outlaw 950, driven by an HTPC with an nForce mobo, using the onboard sound. My surrounds are Paradigm Titans (the noticeably weak point in the system). My sub is a Paradigm PSW1K, which I was not very happy with until I got the 950, but which now blends very well with the Revels. If you search on my name and look for the 950 mini-review, you can see more detailed info on my system.

 

[RuffRyder]

Matt, I was in the same boat as you and had a very similar, yet different, experience to LennyR. But I made the opposite conclusion! Toughest HT decision I had to make was between the Revel M20s and N805s, both of which also made my finals. The B&Ws, to me, sounded warmer and fuller than the Revel M20s. And I also preferred the HTM-2 as a center which clinched the deal much like the C30 did for LennyR. I thought at first it was b/c the dealer had just gotten the M20s and they needed to be broken in. So I came back a month later to A/B both lines again. Same conclusion to my ears -- so I ended up with the N805s and haven't looked back since! Just goes to show you it's all about your ears.


Happy Hunting. Either way you go, you'll end up with a fine, fine set of speaks.


Regards,


RR

 

[mjabel]

I've had a lot of great input and as I expected there are very happy people on both sides of the monitor. It looks like I'm just going to have to find a dealer who carries Revel, B&W and Dyanaudio (on the strength of KeithR's recommendation I'll give the 1.3SE a litsten), for that matter I'd love to find a place that also had Totem's so I could hear the Model 1's. I've heard all of these speakers in different systems and I know that I just need to put them side by side for a couple of hours and sort this whole thing out.


And a good point has been made, I've spent almost all of my audition time listening to these speakers with stereo music and I've really ignored the center channel, which really is an integral part. Actually, I was even considering putting three M20's across the front. It seems to work for the guys in the mixing booth's with their big B&W's, so why wouldn't work for me?


I'll have a good three weeks to think this over while I'm vacation and then I guess it's back to the dealers.


-Matt

 

[jbbaub]

Matt,


If you haven't already decided I personally like the B&W's better. I also happen to be selling my 805's and HTM-1 both in dark cherry.


If you are interested email me at [email protected]


Good Luck,

Brandon

 

[JMC]

Matt,


I listened to both the M20s and 805s, and I liked aspects of both models. Below are my impressions, but they are, of course, highly subjective impressions. You have to trust your own ears.


Anyway, with a Proceed set-up,the M20s sounded somewhat forward with a slight lack of soundstage depth, but they had a very clean, uncolored sound with some of the tightest bass I've heard, albeit without the output of a floorstander. I came away very impressed. I didn't like the looks, but that's just me. My girlfriend is pretty tough on me when it comes to the aesthetics of my equipment. I didn't get to hear the Performa center.


When I heard the 805s without a sub--which is how I auditioned the Revels--I was completely unimpressed. The bass was anemic. Then, the dealer hooked it up to the small B&W 2500 sub, which is a pretty decent sub for music, and I was very impressed. The highs were clean and open, the midrange was smooth, and the soundstage had excellent depth. In addition, the phantom center image was so convincing that I couldn't tell if the HTM2 center channel was playing or not (it was not.) For music, this combo was terrific. I was less impressed when I tried some DVDs. I think the 805's main weakness is the ability to handle large-scale dynamics. That is a weakness of any small speaker, but I did feel like the M20s were more dynamic. The M20s can handle more power as well. The B&W HTM2, by the way, is an outstanding center channel. It is very natural sounding for dialogue, and it doesn't draw attention to itself. Some may find it bass shy as well, but I think it does an admirable job overall.


Anyway, you can put together a great set-up with either of the speakers. It comes down to your personal preferences. Good luck!