B&W 801 or 804S or 805S?

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I have decided to buy either of the following: A 1980s version of the B&W 801s, or the B&W 804s being a few years old, or the 805s being even newer. I'm sure most of you will be typing 801 very quickly, but my room is only 14ft by 9ft, and the speakers will be put against the long wall; that said, they are very nice speakers! The 805s however, are suited perfectly to my room, but I'm weary of the bass being not deep enough and them not being able to deliver the dynamics and volume I want.

Which one would seem best?
 
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Anonymous

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SHAXOS:Actually i was wondering are you some sort of child prodigy or just minted via parents? :)

I earn my money by working in the music shop and by being the singer of the school jazz band - and my parents chip in at xmas and birthday, but usually I ask for CDs, vinyls and books. No child prodigy here, unless you count my ability to fix electronics at my age (which no-one seems to be able to do at my age!)
 
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Anonymous

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Octopo:My heart says the 804, but my head says the 805.

But which one rules? My heart said Naim, my head said Arcam...I trusted my head and I regret it!
 
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Anonymous

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Hughes123:Octopo:My heart says the 804, but my head says the 805.
But which one rules? My heart said Naim, my head said Arcam...I trusted my head and I regret it!

I'm sorry to say I think the 804 would be too much for your room.ÿ
 

Don Guess

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A guy I know has 804s in a room about the same size and they sound great. The front porting makes a difference here I think. I've also read reviews that say they are a bit bass light for their size. Perhaps that's why they work in smaller rooms.

YMMV of course..
 
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Anonymous

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Don Guess:A guy I know has 804s in a room about the same size and they sound great. The front porting makes a difference here I think. I've also read reviews that say they are a bit bass light for their size. Perhaps that's why they work in smaller rooms.

YMMV of course..

My Wharfeys are front ported, but I have to stick a sock in them (no pun!) to calm them down in the 30-60Hz region. The problem with my room, is that I have a huge wardrobe in it that resonates very badly.

But I think there is one other speaker I should try: The Ruark Talisman III...I've heard it, what does everyone else think of it in my size room?
 
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Anonymous

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Saying that the 801 is supposed to be a nice speaker, although I'm not keep on the aesthetics. Saying that your room would be all speaker and wardrobe and no Hughes!
 
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Anonymous

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Octopo:Saying that the 801 is supposed to be a nice speaker, although I'm not keep on the aesthetics. Saying that your room would be all speaker and wardrobe and no Hughes!

That wouldn't be good at all!
emotion-2.gif


I think therefore, I must test both the 805S, and Talisman III in my bedroom and tell which one is best (the only problem is, my dealer asks for a full price deposit when home-auditioning...is this normal?)
 
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Anonymous

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It's not unreasonable, I put full down when I home test. I guess you will get discount if you know them really well but they expect you to have the money if you intend to buy.
 

SHAXOS

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"Shaxos - how do you find the bass on the 805s as notice on paper its very similar to the focal 908s in terms of low frequency range and i notice you said you found them bass light "7

Hey There!
To me the 805s are excellent. They wont shake the room but the bass is definatly there and is not flabby or overwhelming. Its also quick. For me they were a far better buy than the focals but they are a bit more pricier. I just remember being underwhelmed by the focals. They were good but not for me.
 
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Anonymous

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SHAXOS:"Shaxos - how do you find the bass on the 805s as notice on paper its very similar to the focal 908s in terms of low frequency range and i notice you said you found them bass light "7

Hey There!
To me the 805s are excellent. They wont shake the room but the bass is definatly there and is not flabby or overwhelming. Its also quick. For me they were a far better buy than the focals but they are a bit more pricier. I just remember being underwhelmed by the focals. They were good but not for me.

And why am I seeing that Bel Canto on ebay at the moment? Hmmm...please tell me you are upgrading! LOL.
 

SHAXOS

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"And why am I seeing that Bel Canto on ebay at the moment? Hmmm...please tell me you are upgrading! LOL. "

Hey? Youve lost me? Whats my bel canto gear got do with the speakers?
 

SHAXOS

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Oh also im probibly downgrading as i need the cash or saving up for something later. Im moving to uni soon so probibly wont be able to use my speakers anyway for a month or two so its all good.
 
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Anonymous

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Another factor to consider is whether or not they will fit into the next place you live. I can imagine that you'll either go to uni or move out, both options usually involving small or "socially linked" rooms.
 

Tear Drop

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Unless you plan to get some serious amplification (monster high power/high current solid state or very high quality push-pull valve) as well, you shouldn't even be considering the 801s. Room size is also a very important factor. The 801s are notoriously demanding speakers. They are by no means the last word quality-wise either.
 
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Anonymous

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hughes, i have to agree with teardrop - you would need a serious beast of an amp to drive those 801's - something in the order of 200wpc from what ive read.
with regards to the others, well id go for the 805s as they seem to be most appropriate for your room size. i am surprised though that Thaiman hasnt been on here singing the praises of Usher speakers. speaking of which i have seen an advert for a pair going s/h (for the same price as the 805s) that states they are in a different league to the 805s. http://www.adverts.hififorsale.com/results.asp?dbfield=All&dbsearch=usher
copy and paste the link and you will see the offending advert.
goodluck
 
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Anonymous

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I am struggling to understand why you are even considerring 804 nvm the 801s. Your room is very small. If you placed the 801s flush against the long wall you would have about 2m to the opposite long wall so you would probably sit about 1.5m from speakers the size of wardrobes ... perhaps you could cut doors in them and use them for storage.

Room accoustics play an important role and there is no point going for the biggest, loudest just for the sake of having a big set of speakers. The 805s would be more than adequate for a room of your size. Anything bigger would overkill , wasted and probably sound worse by not being suited to your room.
 
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Anonymous

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ear:girls stay and go.,..speakers don't have legs.that's why Im here...cannot buy the girl i want lol

My sincerest thoughts go out to you my dear, dear ear.
 

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