Thomas is such an honest and interesting guy for audiophiles, someone you can trust.

These are the absolute best type of videos. Rather than watching a review I much prefer “hanging out” with your audio buddies and checking out the great gear they try.

@ThomasAndStereo

6 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed!

I said to my wife " want some diamonds and leather for your birthday" before I bought the model before these? Luckily she agreed! The d3 doesn't have leather, lol. Got 3 sets of b&w's, the original 600 bookshelves, 40 years + in the woodshop dm3000's, 36 years old in the dining room, and the 802d2's in the living room! None will ever leave! Their all fantastic in their settings. I somewhat find it amusing, all the comments about harshness of the 800 series. I personally don't think there's many that have wrestled these 200 lb speakers into place and had complaints other than a bad back. Once you get them tuned and synergistic with the rest of the rig, their pretty damn special!

Definitely enjoy this type of behind the scenes video. I enjoy tagging along with you as you hang out with your Montreal based audio community. I wish I had the same in Toronto. But since COVID I don't want to hang out in strangers houses so it is not going to happen.

@ThomasAndStereo

6 ай бұрын

Awesome, I will film more this kind of videos in the future. Not just product review.

Totally enjoyed it Thomas....keep em coming.

@ThomasAndStereo

6 ай бұрын

More to come!

Thanks Thomas for a great Video love the BW D3 and for sure as you mentioned in a different league then the mid level speakers. keep up the great reviews 😊

@ThomasAndStereo

3 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it

So good to see a new video from you Thomas...thanks and keep them rolling in sir! It's kind of shocking the difference in the B&W's high end line to say the least.

@ThomasAndStereo

5 ай бұрын

More to come!

Love the video. Thanks for sharing your experiences.

@ThomasAndStereo

5 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching!

I have the 802 D3's and use them with the mc901 amps. The biamping definitely achieves a great experience. I think it overcomes some crossover deficiencies relating to the mid and Tweeter drivers. Powerful amplifierS as well as the tube influence on the upper drivers is quite nice.

@ThomasAndStereo

6 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing!

Enjoyed this video. A lot of insight.

@ThomasAndStereo

6 ай бұрын

Glad to hear it!

I agree with Thomas, this is how you set up a top B&W speaker, well done with the Mcintosh ma9500 pairing. And yes the spikes will clear up the bass plus if you had a foot extra space to the side walls. Well done!

THOMAS 🤗 I LOVE ❤️ THESE BEHIND THE SCENES VIDEOS…ESPECIALLY WITH YOUR FRIENDS…WHO HAVE THE MEANS TO EXPERIENCE THE DIFFERENT EQUIPMENT AND SHARE REAL LIFE CUMULATIVE EXPERIENCES 🧐💚💚💚

Can only dream of gear like that. Have to do it with my 2008 600 serie 5.1 system. For what it is I still get exited with the main speakers after all the years that I own it

@ThomasAndStereo

6 ай бұрын

Yes, me too.

Story time!! Love these presentations!

@ThomasAndStereo

6 ай бұрын

Glad you like them!

like these high end b&w models

Good job, again Thomas….

@ThomasAndStereo

6 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching.

I heard them at a best buy running mcntosh gear and 2 750 w power amps and it was one of the best systems I heard

They still use B&W in Abbey Road in fact they use whole bunch of them.

I heard the 802d4 (I think) during a audio show and it was a huge speaker in a small hotel room. But unlike in most rooms where they played music at high volume to showcase the composure and power handling, the 802d4 was playing at moderate volume. I was drawn to those spkrs...definitely a standout during the show for me

@Philear4124

6 ай бұрын

Find a big difference between the D3 and the D4, I prefer the D4. Grtz Phil

I like to try and own different stand Mount speakers and my B&W n805s are honestly among the smoother ones. However you must pair it with good/the right front end or it can change personality and not in a good way 😅 They are currently delegated to TV speakers duty in the living room and working super well with the modest Rega Elex-r. At the going rate on the used market, the price to performance ratio is very very good IMO.

I have owned a bw801n for 20 years and I love it . before I had the Wilson Watt puppy combo from Watt one to four. when I got my 801 I felt like I was listening to music again not to the speakers

@ThomasAndStereo

6 ай бұрын

Yeah, I like the N series too.

I have listened to B&W 803D3 in a double system basically, one side was based on McIntosh stuff, and the other on Rotel Michi. And the Michi system with it was better to my S my dream system. And I very much prefer the 803 model to the bigger brothers, as I felt they were less balanced with a bit too much base. It was even more noticeable with McIntosh compared to Rotel. I love that speaker, and I love Rotel.

I think they are bright, but with the right amp (A mac) they are nice speakers. Perfect bass. Grtz Phil

I have the B&W Preference P5 (from 1994 when they we're still made in the UK.) Paired with exposure 3010s2 mono's and they sound wonderful. I used to have them paired with a Marantz pm7200 KI and they where a little bright with some types of music. I think this was because it's an 8 ohm speaker that drops down to 3,7 ohm witch was to much to ask of the Marantz.

@matthiasbroek8055

5 ай бұрын

I had the p6 great speakers but they need some serious amplification. I heard the newest 700 series but to me those sounded hollow and overly bright with no low end. Could be the amplification though. Although I liked the p6 I always found they lacked a bit of emotion in my system. But for critical listening they were great.

I auditioned the first iteration of this speaker when it was released about 8 years ago with NAD electronics. Voices sounded amazing and the sound was very clear but not bright or fatiguing. It is my end game speaker. I just tried to calculate how many instant noodles i must eat and my brain fried lol

@ThomasAndStereo

6 ай бұрын

And make sure you get the cheapest instant noodles to speed things up!

@ivanfilatov7913

6 ай бұрын

NAD isn't a good matching, sounds lifeless on any speakers.

The pre Diamond 800s are still a little harsh, but yes, I agree the higher end 800 is better balanced.

Hi Thomas. How is with presentation of natural sound - timbre of instruments? Compared to Mofi's or Sibelius or even to real instruments? I got a chance to listen to D4 version of floorestanders and interesting and strange -disappointment one experience at the same time. Somehow I can go along, I can partly agree with some your descriptions, but in some aspect my impressions were very different. Also listen to some entry level B&W's... paired with middle tear Marantz Int. amp. Played: Esbjorn Svensson Trio, song: From Gagarin's Point of View. Also I was at EST's studio concert many years ago. Maybe paring D4 with top Michi gear not the optimal matching??

I have this speaker's little brother...805D3. I first listened to them driven by a Macintosh amp. I didn't like the sound. However, when I got them home, they sounded like different speakers driven by my Hegel H390. I no longer have the Hegel and now power the speakers with a Parasound A31. Both the Hegel and Parasound pair with the 805D3s far better than what I heard with the Macintosh. I don't find the 800 series to be bright either. Beautiful sound!

@ThomasAndStereo

6 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing

@MasterofPlay7

6 ай бұрын

So why don't you like it? Is it cuz they lack air for the pairing?

I wish u played an audio clip of them. Even if through a phone mic.

You hit the nail on the head! People associate all B&W speakers with the 700 line and below, and the 800 line are totally different animals! They are brighter than say a SF homage series, but then those are dull to me. I personally prefer the Focal Kanta and up lines as they split the difference between the B&Ws and SF's but I could easily live with the 800 series.

@ThomasAndStereo

5 ай бұрын

Yup, the 800 series is definitely different.

This change seems to have occurred with the generation 3 which were at Axpona 2022.

Thomas if you don't mind throwing in your thoughts here. I am considering changing speakers :) from Sonus Faber Venere 2.5's to: Paradigm Founder 80F's or Audio Vector QR 3's or Q Acoustics Concept 50's. What which way would you lean? Thanks.

@ThomasAndStereo

6 ай бұрын

I have not heard any of those but I like Audio vector arrete 3

it would be very epic if the one behind you was a new Magico S3 😅

I was waiting for a comparative review with FOCAL... ;) too.

@ThomasAndStereo

6 ай бұрын

I need to bring one in to do that! Another 150lb + speaker.

@ProfessorJohnSmith

6 ай бұрын

@@ThomasAndStereo didnt you say you had some back problems before? i would not risk lifting heavy objects either way.

How long was the burn in time before testing with the amps? :) Such a beautiful speaker!

@ThomasAndStereo

6 ай бұрын

The amps? They have a lot of time on them, but I would say a week is enough to have a good idea.

They sound a lot better after being broken in. They improve with age 😅

Thank you Thomas. Always dreamt of owning a B&W 8xx. Auditioned 804 D3 at a dealer's with Hegel P20/H20 and a Naim streamer and was extremely disappointed by 804's colored, utterly unnatural midrange. Just another proof of how essential it is to judge with your own ear. Would love to audition 802 though, I keep open mind.

@ThomasAndStereo

5 ай бұрын

Yes, some people I met love the color of the sound while others hate it.

I have the 804 D4s the smallest floorstander and it is a huge improvement over the D3s I had before. The current 800 generation D4s are one of the best bangs for the buck in high end hifi IMO. But people who have never owned 800 series speakers keep telling me they're bright and unbalanced etcetera. No use in arguing about it, people will believe what they want to believe regardless IME.

@ThomasAndStereo

6 ай бұрын

Yeah, it seems I need to check out D4.

@michaelmityok1001

6 ай бұрын

@@ThomasAndStereo hey FYI I have heard the 802 D4s too but not in my system so I can't speak with any real authority about them, but the dealer was driving them with the same amp I use (Gryphon Diablo 300) and they were mightily impressive especially the bass weight and resolution, something you don't often get from the same speaker. Also there was zero treble glare even with Led Zeppelin's Physical Graffiti (source was Tidal via a Lumin P1). BTW when is your Class A amp going to be available and for how much?

@ThomasAndStereo

5 ай бұрын

​​@@michaelmityok1001wow you have a great amp already! The class A amp around Feb 2024. $3750 usd, made in Canada.

@elonmuskrat2830

5 ай бұрын

804 D4 worst sounding speaker I've ever heard.

@michaelmityok1001

5 ай бұрын

​@elonmuskrat2830 yes of course a keyboard warrior with a handle like yours would feel the need to troll. Even if it were true, the need to post the comment simply to get a rise out of the target speaks volumes of you and the cultural moment we are living through.

Did you try it for home theater?

B&W's do need careful pairing with other equipment, when done right they sound wonderful! Love my 804 D4 driven with an Accuphase E5000 integrated, had the 703s2 towers before a tad more cool but still sounded pretty good with Parasound/ PS Audio compnents.

@ThomasAndStereo

6 ай бұрын

Yup totally agree

@matthiasbroek8055

5 ай бұрын

I heard the 800 with some classe amp back in the day and that combo sounded great.

I have a pair of the original 705 bookshelf speakers. When they were still made in England. Beautiful wood cabinet. Not bright at all. More natural sounding than the 702 s2s I demoed at my place as well.

@ThomasAndStereo

6 ай бұрын

Perhaps the older B&W, like older kef were not bright?

@lsaideOK

6 ай бұрын

@@ThomasAndStereo Maybe being burned in for 20 years helps!

Thomas, it looks like you have the Aperion Audio V8T speaker behind you... are you going to review those? I have the V6T and would love to see a review from you...

@ThomasAndStereo

6 ай бұрын

I will review their super tweeter, not sure about the speakers.

@AP-go1ks

6 ай бұрын

Ok.. the speakers would be so much interesting as u tend to focus on high end. Many folks would like to hear your thoughts on more affordable speakers... thanks

Looks better from the back.

@ThomasAndStereo

6 ай бұрын

Yeah, the back is pretty cool

Its like your describing first class airlines, theyre all good and exceed expectations. Similar to respectable brands, their high-end offerings are balanced and more transparent to your equipment. Simply like most luxuries, you just need bags of cash, hahaha. Cheers.

@ThomasAndStereo

6 ай бұрын

Ah, good way you put it, first class.

Thanks Thomas galions look like beast !

Why does your outlet on the wall have a block of wood underneath the outlets? Looks very interesting why does it look that way?

@ThomasAndStereo

6 ай бұрын

I did not notice. Let me pay attention to that the next time I am there.

I don’t know man. I’ve heard those and yes they aren’t as bright as the 804 D3 model. Or the 804 D4. Still a bit bright though. Clarity is off the top though and super impressive.

@ThomasAndStereo

6 ай бұрын

Yeah, if they are dark, it would not be a B&W. Clarity is what all audiophiles today seem to be chasing after.

Is this Adrian who explains how to setup the speakers?

@ThomasAndStereo

6 ай бұрын

Lol

I have the new 606 S3 and they sound more balanced and smoother than the S2.

@ThomasAndStereo

6 ай бұрын

Oh, I have the S1 and the S2 sounds similar.

@Rockapotamus91

6 ай бұрын

@@ThomasAndStereo yes I think they listened to feedback on the S2 tweeter being too dominant, it has a new upgraded titanium dome which sounds better integrated with the midrange and smoother on top.

I'm curious on your opinion vs Focal Sopras

@ThomasAndStereo

6 ай бұрын

Yeah, I was thinking about that and not an easy anwser.

@ponchantos

6 ай бұрын

@ThomasAndStereo 😅. Ya me too. Went to the store and heard them both. They are both amazing even with my bias towards my sopras.

Thomas is that 22K canadian? How do they compare to Canton reference?

@ThomasAndStereo

6 ай бұрын

I used the price from stereophile, it was $22k USD at one point. Today, we are at D4.

@vicg5323

6 ай бұрын

@@ThomasAndStereo very cool and how do they compare with canton ref speakers?

@ThomasAndStereo

5 ай бұрын

​@@vicg5323Bass is more predictable with the B&W and way less bright.

B&W speakers have always sounded too bright to me, even the 800 series. I must say however that the latest 801D4s Signature I had the opportunity to demo were an improvement.

@ThomasAndStereo

6 ай бұрын

Ah, I need to go check out the D4 then.

I have owned B&W 801FS which was a very nice speaker. I currently own, since 1994, the B&W 801 Matrix series 3 (The grand piano sounds like a grand piano). The 802 Nautilus was a non-starter ---- grand piano sounded like a toy piano. B&W 802 D2 sounded horrible. Maybe I will audition the 802 D4. I have played the piano since I was a child. With 801 Matrix series 3 one can hear the difference between Steinway, Baldwin, Bosendorfer, Kawai Shigeru and Fazioli very clearly. I still say the 801 Matrix series 3 is a better speaker than the D3 series for classical piano music.

@ThomasAndStereo

6 ай бұрын

Wow, thanks for sharing.

@matthiasbroek8055

5 ай бұрын

The matrix series is still a very nice series. Although the highs can be a bit on the hot side. But for classic that shouldn’t be much of an issue.

@stevemd8947

5 ай бұрын

@@matthiasbroek8055 That is very true of the 801 Matrix Series 1 but that issue was corrected in the 801 Matrix Series 3. Plus these speakers have to be at least 9" off the floor or they will not come even close to their potential. I see lots of pictures where the speakers are on the floor.

I would love to have enough money to afford this stuff. But I can still go to my local gramophone and listen and yes it is a beautiful sound and I do wish I could have them 😞

@ThomasAndStereo

5 ай бұрын

Me too, I cannot afford all this.

The lower end B&W don’t have that human head shaped midrange housing…. That puts them Head and shoulders about the lower range:)

@ThomasAndStereo

6 ай бұрын

Lol

GM ☕️ Listening

@ThomasAndStereo

6 ай бұрын

Good morning.

@carminedesanto6746

6 ай бұрын

☕️, I believe you hit the nail on the head …they may have the B&W pedigree..but once you get into they’re more “expensive “ line up ..they begin to have a more mature “audiophile “ tuning. Once again a great video . Oh, btw, was he running them with the newer amps along with the Mac ?

@ThomasAndStereo

5 ай бұрын

​@@carminedesanto6746yes, using the preamp section of the Mcintosh and the power section of the TS A75 and TS A20

I saw the B&W 803 D4 at Hi-Fi Klubben (hifi store in Scandinavia) - with some pretty good front-end gear ($10-15K), and honestly, I was not impressed. They were precise, but too sharp and cold and did not sound very well until I cranked up the volume. I wanted to be blown away, but I was not really.

@ThomasAndStereo

6 ай бұрын

Ah, not your cup of tea.

@matthiasbroek8055

5 ай бұрын

Pairing is crucial for the 700 and 800 series

Is Canada officially metric?

@ThomasAndStereo

6 ай бұрын

Only on Thomas and Stereo.

@budgetaudiophilelife-long5461

6 ай бұрын

@@ThomasAndStereo😂😬

I dont know about you but I have other things to do with $22k.

@ThomasAndStereo

6 ай бұрын

Like buy a Focal instead?

@fillmore1267

5 ай бұрын

But once you're done with that....

I would propose to my significant other with that diamond tweeter, but I'm afraid she would want them 8-inch instead 😔

@ThomasAndStereo

6 ай бұрын

LOL, you need a Raidho speaker then, the woofers are coated in diamond!

I like this type of video, but your editing produced some very noticeable audio artifacts at some of the video cuts.

@ThomasAndStereo

6 ай бұрын

Yeah, the software does that from time to time.

I rehearsed once this exact model because it was on my shortlist (with Classe amps). I thought it sounded fine until a brass section started to play and it got so ear piercing. Thanks, but no thanks.

@ThomasAndStereo

5 ай бұрын

Ah, maybe a different amp would make a difference.

Always bright and fatiguing speakers... finally it's smooth!but with a price too high

@ThomasAndStereo

6 ай бұрын

Yeah

I like your channel a lot. I think they are good sounding speakers, however sound is so subjective. Some have described the 800's as bright and fatiguing, to my ears they sound detailed( is detailed the fatiguing bit?). I would not mind owing a pair.

@ThomasAndStereo

6 ай бұрын

Maybe also I listened to them in a treated room so it was not bright.

@budgetaudiophilelife-long5461

6 ай бұрын

@@ThomasAndStereo🙋‍♂️JUST FYI,EVERY GENERATION OF THE 800 series has years of experience in IMPROVING the sound and like THOMAS SAID,he and MR JAZZ could hear 👂🏻 the difference 😎

I’ve heard these speakers many times paired with McIntosh and they did not impress me. They sounded good but average. Not harsh, not bright, neutral sounding and smooth but just average.

@ThomasAndStereo

6 ай бұрын

Could it be it is the Mcintosh sound that does not impress you?

@Prometheus1979

6 ай бұрын

You know I hadn’t thought about that it could be the amp. I am definitely not a fan at all of McIntosh. Very good point my friend. Keep up the good work and comical little jokes!. Happy holidays to you and your family!!!

@ThomasAndStereo

6 ай бұрын

@Prometheus1979 Happy holidays to you and your family too:)

Not a fan of the 802's D3, heard/demo with McIntosh MC452/MC462 amps with C52/C53 Preamps, they sound muffled/flat to me, lack excitement/dynamic sounds.

@ThomasAndStereo

6 ай бұрын

Sure, not everyone's cup of tea.

Sounds like the speaker needs Ozempic, no? This is interesting because I am not a fan of the B and TROUBLE YOU sound, lol! Tweeters for bats only. Human ears run away in fear, B & W, lol!

I dunno the speakers remind me of Dr. Who. Imagine seeing them move on their own, 0 O.

@ThomasAndStereo

6 ай бұрын

Haha, yes it does.

Heard the 801 d4 on some devialet expert 1000 pro duals the other day. Digitaly detailed in a very unnatural way. Sounds like that are impressive but never occur in live music, so it makes no sense to me other than technological demonstrations. Beautiful engineering but the clinical sound is not for me. Perhaps some tubes and vinyl might balance the sound.

@ThomasAndStereo

5 ай бұрын

I wonder if it is the speaker or the amp the issue.

@MegaM563

5 ай бұрын

@@ThomasAndStereo yes some tubes over this 800 series makes me curious

The large 800 series of B&W has always had a ton of cabinet resonance that produces that warm heavy thick sound ( especially with Mc electronics) that their fans love. The diamond tweeter used to be very bright and not too cohesive with the midrange driver. This issue has been resolved with the current generation. However, cabinet resonance that can come across as boomy with tube amps at higher volumes is still a shortfall. I'll take another Brit speaker ( KEF Reference line) any day over B&W 800 series.

@ThomasAndStereo

6 ай бұрын

Ah I see, Mr Jazz, interestingly did not like his Kef reference 5 because he found them too neutral.

@ganck1147

6 ай бұрын

I also prefer B&W 805D3 to KEF Ref 1 when i heard them side by side at a friend’s plc. The 805D3 made the ref 1 sound muffled & shut in. My friend himself also preferred the 805D3 & has sold his Ref 1s.

@veroman007

6 ай бұрын

I find it hard to believe that a company like B & W with their research department would design an expensive speaker cabinet that had resonance issues

@jiyadas

6 ай бұрын

Pff it's hard to believe that a 200 lb speaker with heavy internal metal endoskeleton and the massive metal brace at the back would result in any kind of resonance, I call is a big BS on your part!

Not easy to be a highend audiophine. Besides rich, have a big house, must be musculas

@ThomasAndStereo

6 ай бұрын

Or have a lot of friends with muscle.

803D3 is also neutral...804D3 isnt it...has a tonality to it. my recom. is b&w speakers, accuphase gear plus all out nordost frey 2 cables! try ist and you will see what i am telling about.

I never hear a good sounding b&w speaker, and i hear some of them. Cant understand why people still buy em.

@ThomasAndStereo

6 ай бұрын

I guess their sound does not appeal to you, nothing wrong with that as we all have different taste.

@jasontimothywells9895

6 ай бұрын

​@@ThomasAndStereoas well as the speakers and amplifier combos, most people would be amazed at how bad there hearing is due to the condition of there ears . As a series music dude I get my ears cleaned and flushed by a ear nose throat doc . When your ears are corrupt with wax and other contaminants dust etc, the hairs in your ears that work like reeds to transform acoustic waves into the brain transmission for sound is going to give horrible effects , so everyone that loves there music reproduction systems need to get there ears checked and professionally cleaned and flushed , it is less expensive than changing speakers and other components , our brains are easily tainted by the way we hear .

To be honest, those wizzer cone speakers are very poor quality. I heard so many at HiFi shows for over 30 years. all sound just ok on rock music, but lacked definition and detail. Put on classical music, they were awful, I really mean very bad. No detail, poor bandwidth - just cloudy.

@ThomasAndStereo

6 ай бұрын

I would not disagree except for the Sibelius, but I do find some of them excellent for voice and simple band music.

@matldn2697

6 ай бұрын

@@ThomasAndStereo That is the problem, they sound awful on classical music and bad on everything else. Then it is the cost of running those single watt amps. They are so expensive and the valves run in class A. So they wear out far more quickly. 99.999% of people do not listen to jazz or simple band music.

@Steven-Sit

5 ай бұрын

I’d completely disagree. They sound great on large orchestra like Mahler symphonies. It’s got the speed, bass and details to reproduce the large sound stage.

I put B&W on the short list of the worst sounding speakers currently sold, irrespective of the model! Whoever designed the midrange driver and that nautilus enclosure should have his engineering degree, or elementary school certificate, revoked. The 'honky' sound coming from that enclosure is unbearable. It's ok though that friend of yours changes speakers as frequenty as he changes underwear, these will be gone quickly.🤣

@iampuzzleman282

6 ай бұрын

You should try biamping speaker much better this way.

@ThomasAndStereo

6 ай бұрын

I guess it is not type of sound.

@interesting7906

5 ай бұрын

​@@ThomasAndStereo B&W comes from a long tradition of British-made speakers that sound like sht but that, somehow, have risen to legend status at some point in the late 70s-80s. You probably were too young back then, but I remember everyone and their grandpa was salivating over the B&W801 and the score of those BBC-crap monitors.. Spendor, Rogers, etc. Magazines were going nuts over super colored, super expensive monitors, with silk dome tweeters that would start crackling after you played the first classical piano piece louder than 80dB. In the case of the B&W I, and all my friends with well endowed hearing, could never get over the constrained, nasal and distorted mids coming from that stupid spherical enclosure. B&W acoustic development stopped in the 80s so other than thicker piano finish, the speakers suffer from the same issue.

Not made with one wholepiece oak, tree but severally layers off cheap garbage mdf. T

@ThomasAndStereo

5 ай бұрын

Well if you want real wood, check out the Sibelius speaker which strangely, people complaining about it costing $4k for a pair.