B&W 800 D3 - Impressive

Uk Paul

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Sep 27, 2012
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I have been fortunate enough to have spent a little bit of time with a friends relatively new (200hrs) 800 D3 this past week, and can only say I have had trouble sleeping, working out how I can get a pair into my system. They have proved to be a real revelation compared to my previous experiences with the top end Bowers & Wilkins speakers. Effortless and utterly clean extension to both high and low end, with the new mid cone proving to be very effective in comparison to the kevlar cone that made B&W so distinctive. I can envisage the 800 or the 802 becoming a part of the family in the future :)
 

bonzo75

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Feb 26, 2014
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I have been fortunate enough to have spent a little bit of time with a friends relatively new (200hrs) 800 D3 this past week, and can only say I have had trouble sleeping, working out how I can get a pair into my system. They have proved to be a real revelation compared to my previous experiences with the top end Bowers & Wilkins speakers. Effortless and utterly clean extension to both high and low end, with the new mid cone proving to be very effective in comparison to the kevlar cone that made B&W so distinctive. I can envisage the 800 or the 802 becoming a part of the family in the future :)

The 802 D3 is indeed very good, I have heard it with Naim, burmester, and symphonic line Kraft. It sounded best with the Kraft, and Kraft and B&W is a popular combo in Germany
 

Uk Paul

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That's good to hear, did you hear 800 D3 at all? I will be arranging a store demo sometime between 803, 802 and 800..
 

Jazzhead

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Aug 26, 2012
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Never been a fan , so was pleasantly surprised to hear them doing well at Munich with the complete Esoteric Grandiso chain . The D3 series seems to have overcome the shortfalls of the previous B&W 's , pretty competitively priced as well.
 

bonzo75

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That's good to hear, did you hear 800 D3 at all? I will be arranging a store demo sometime between 803, 802 and 800..

No, if it's a weekend let me know
 

heihei

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Heard them in Munich and thought bland but was a very poorly set-up room. Local dealer reckons they need a ton of running in, and really ragging them to loosen them up. Have also heard some interesting comments about how B&W go about designing their bass drivers
 

Jazzhead

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Aug 26, 2012
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Heard them in Munich and thought bland but was a very poorly set-up room. Local dealer reckons they need a ton of running in, and really ragging them to loosen them up. Have also heard some interesting comments about how B&W go about designing their bass drivers

Was this with the Grandiso chain , agree on the room if it's the same one .
 

Uk Paul

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Sep 27, 2012
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Heard them in Munich and thought bland but was a very poorly set-up room. Local dealer reckons they need a ton of running in, and really ragging them to loosen them up. Have also heard some interesting comments about how B&W go about designing their bass drivers

That's surprising unless as you say the pair on show were not fully run in as from what I have heard this makes a big difference. 300 hrs is what it takes apparently..

Certainly a lot of B&W's considerable R&D resources have been involved with the development of this range, and just from the short time I heard the 800's, they have done a great job!

Kedar, will keep you posted.. :)
 

heihei

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Yuliy

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Apr 28, 2018
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Ok.

Tell me please, gentlemen, what is the difference in the sound between B&W 800 D2 and B&W 800 D3 ?
 

art vandelay

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Nov 1, 2017
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Ok.

Tell me please, gentlemen, what is the difference in the sound between B&W 800 D2 and B&W 800 D3 ?

Haven't heard them side by side but have heard both in the same listening room. No doubt the 800D3 is better overall. The bass is really clean and defined and the lack of distortion from the bass drivers allows the new continuum to really shine. Overall, the drivers seem to mesh together more perfectly too, so improvements are top to bottom.

I bought 800D2 back in 2013 and I've been tempted to upgrade, but will probably wait until a D4 model is rolled out, which will probably happen in 18 month's time.
 

Uk Paul

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Sep 27, 2012
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I would think that a D4 may be some way off for B&W, considering the amount of work that went into the D3. The general concensus is that the D3 is as you say much better overall with integration of the mid driver and speed / clean sound with reduced colouration being clearly better.
 

Yuliy

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Apr 28, 2018
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Given that they D3 developed for 8 years, I do not think that D4 will be released so quickly.
The mid-driver is very looks like Kevlar, is it really better is playing!?
 

art vandelay

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Nov 1, 2017
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Given that they D3 developed for 8 years, I do not think that D4 will be released so quickly.
The mid-driver is very looks like Kevlar, is it really better is playing!?

Timing of a D4 release will to some extent depend on D3 sales and other marketing related strategies, but it was leaked in 2016 that B&W was already working on the 800D4, so the engineers obviously do have a few new tricks up their sleeves. If you look back at the 800 timeline model updates seem to be roughly at 5 year intervals.
 

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