B&W 804 D2s vs PMC Twenty 26s vs Naim Ovator vs Cabasse

just1more

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Hi all,

Just moved and going to try to put together a "higher end" hifi/home theater system combo. Smaller space of 3.5m by 3.5m (empty) so I probably don't neeed 6 foot towers nor will my neighbors appreciate it. I live in Switzerland and there isn't a great selection to be honest...

I found a place with a pair of B&W 804 D2s for $6'500...

Another shop stocks both the PMC Twenty 26s & Fact 8s for $8'500... other thoughts would be Naim Ovator S400s for $4'500...and Cabasse Egea 3s for $3'800...

I've listened to a few of them..I have my favorites...but am hardly an expert.... I've read reviews and scanned the forums a bit...so...what are your thoughts on the different models mentioned? $8'500 is the upper limit (and pushing it at that). I'd be willing to consider alternatives...but again...availabilty isn't always there (I wrote one company and they had no representation here...in fact they told me to contact their London distributor).

Thanks in advance...

C
 

bluedroog

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The most important advice I can give is to trust your ears, you may not think you're an expert but you're the world authority on what is enjoyable to you.

Second I would absolutley ensure you get a home demo.

Third, spending this sort of money, take your time, listen to as much gear as possible.

Is this going to be a dedicated listening room? I'd consider looking at getting it acoustically treated to get the best out of your system,
 
See if the PMC twenty series has been reduced, as they have here in the UK since the twenty-five series was launched. Ex-demo or even second hand models come up surprisingly often, and can save you heaps.

Can you save anything by buying in,say, France or Germany?
 

just1more

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Thank you for your reply. No it's not a decicated listening room, it's the living room...I live in a city where the smallness of the apartments is only matched by their high cost...I'd love to move out nut my wife & I both have offices here and my 8 yo daughter just started studies at the Conservatory...

I somewhat doubt that Swiss stores offer "in home" trials...certainly not free...but I will ask...

Part of me wants to jump on the B&W 804 D2s before they sell...they're a demo pair and while not "cheap" they are $1'000 off the asking price and $3'000 cheaper than the D3s & Twenty 26s. Of course I'd have to go with black versus the "wood" that I prefer...but cabinet color isn't my first priority...my wife liked the Cabasse because the red wood cabinets...I haven't listened to them but I also haven't found great reviews as I did with the Twenty 26s and the 804 D2s...the Naims are 50% off so there's another pair with a financial incentive but...I haven't listened to them and have heard they are a "finicky" speaker...So...either way...with the Naim and B^W, I might not have much time if I wish to keep them as options...

Thanks again.
 

just1more

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Thank you for your reply..

The Twenty 26s do not appear to be on sale at the location I found them.

France & Germany could be an option...but shipping heavy speakers in a safe manner probably isn't cheap...and the Swiss customs folks take their jobs quite seriously when it comes to taxing anything being imported by post... so savings become iffy...especially if issues arrise and I have to ship them back & forth...in fact, I think buying from someone local is an advantage for that reason alone...they cone in, install it all, & any issues they can be back in a day or 2 to solve them...

nopiano said:
See if the PMC twenty series has been reduced, as they have here in the UK since the twenty-five series was launched.   Ex-demo or even second hand models come up surprisingly often, and can save you heaps.  

Can you save anything by buying in,say, France or Germany?
 

NSA_watch_my_toilet

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There is probably not much money to win through an import in Switzerland. Swiss border authorities are taxing 100% of what is coming in.

Just1more, the important is that you enjoy yourself. Don't make it a harrassing quest. Go into a discovery and be open. Switzerland have lots of good vendors around, and lots of good products. For 6k Sfr, you will have good speakers. My PMC fact8 where exactly this price (yes, a sale), but, if it's your sound, feel free to have a look at Phonar (I met very good deals on Ricardo for this brand of speakers, it will come again). And don't forget Piega and PSI, especially on the swiss market, you could benefit, sometimes, from some extra bargains reserved for the "locals".

The offer on the swiss market is very good and diversified. The shops are tinyer and less fancier advertised. But some are really good : AVF Factory in Morges, Kurt Bühler in Bern, Hifi Zurmühle in Luzern, Framotec TV in Bulle, Portier hifi in Geneva, Faszination Klang in Zürich... and I'm missing some.

A "home listening" is always possible. But, because this system was abused in the past, the vendors are now more careful to who and when they will give a speaker out for home listening. It's, sadly, happening too often, that you give a client a pristine pair of speaker that will come back with ding and scratches... when they not simply disappear in some shady night action.
When they are sure you will invest, but you hesitate on the final choice you are making, they will open the way to a serious home listening session.
 

just1more

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I think you might have hit on something there...with all the moving and redoing things perhaps I have been goin about it in a rather straight forward one track manner...and you're right...I should actually take the time to enjoy it and learn a bit along the way...$1'000 sale on those B&Ws isn't really much of anything when I'm popping $20'000- $30'000 down on an entire system. Might as well take my time and do it right versus rushing to get the famous "last pair".

Thank you for listing all those shops here. I'm a bit red in the face as to complaining about selection & will most certainly check them out...heck...Morges is just down the lake from me...

I auditioned 4 sets today & kind of jokingly mentioned that I had seen something about home testing online...and the guy's response was that it could indeed be a possibility.

After 3 hours of listening to speakers we set another meeting for thurs to listen to my 2 favorites again & to talk about amps, etc...

NSA_watch_my_toilet said:
There is probably not much money to win through an import in Switzerland. Swiss border authorities are taxing 100% of what is coming in.

Just1more, the important is that you enjoy yourself. Don't make it a harrassing quest. Go into a discovery and be open. Switzerland have lots of good vendors around, and lots of good products. For 6k Sfr, you will have good speakers. My PMC fact8 where exactly this price (yes, a sale), but, if it's your sound, feel free to have a look at Phonar (I met very good deals on Ricardo for this brand of speakers, it will come again). And don't forget Piega and PSI, especially on the swiss market, you could benefit, sometimes, from some extra bargains reserved for the "locals".

The offer on the swiss market is very good and diversified. The shops are tinyer and less fancier advertised. But some are really good : AVF Factory in Morges, Kurt Bühler in Bern, Hifi Zurmühle in Luzern, Framotec TV in Bulle, Portier hifi in Geneva, Faszination Klang in Zürich... and I'm missing some.

A "home listening" is always possible. But, because this system was abused in the past, the vendors are now more careful to who and when they will give a speaker out for home listening. It's, sadly, happening too often, that you give a client a pristine pair of speaker that will come back with ding and scratches... when they not simply disappear in some shady night action.When they are sure you will invest, but you hesitate on the final choice you are making, they will open the way to a serious home listening session.
 

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