B&W 802 N vs. D


I apologize in advance since this is probably an old question, but can someone summarize for me the differences in the sound of the 802 N and 802 D? I am wondering if the D's are worth the extra $$ they go for.
diw
DIW..I believe there is a single Wilson and a single Kharma for sale on this very site or there was within the past 30 days,they are out there..and cheaper because fewer are looking for singles..My point again is simply go listen to whats avalible at that price point and judge for yourself..I think most would agree to that
KODG..Something is wrong ,very wrong with your comments..No one in their right mind would compare the new 180K Focal grand utopia or its 2 siblings to the 802D,thats just silly and unfair to B&W...The 2nd generation Utopia BE which is selling between 6 and 15 grand (depending on what model you choose) IMO smokes the 802D ..The Avalon Indra retails for under 20 grand and is head and shoulders better as well.Dont believe that,look at what speaker was used at the last Vegas show,I dont think B&W was showen(could be wrong) ..The new Wilson Sasha which I just heard is priced at under 25 grand I believe ,again a far superior speaker..The list goes on and on..So really your comments are just silly..Saying that it really doesnt matter,you keep your B&Ws and enjoy them...AGAIN, my point to the original poster was go listen to whats out there
I had 802N's, changed to 802D's when I just was too disappointed in my new purchase and told my dealer who gave me an excellent price to upgrade. I was still disappointed...the difference in tweeters and crossover components did little to let the music through. I then got Vandersteen and am very pleased. The B&W's are fuzzy, opaque, flat, and not musical - both N's and D's. Listen and compare.
know that I have everyone attention I have an idea. but first I will make a comment or two. comparing GM to B&W is a bad example period. I never had any luck w/t few GM cars (Vans) I have owned. my oldler brother has never had a problem w/gm cars/trucks in 30 yrs? so their y go, it is a matter of taste (I agree w/you). last opion I said I think the 802d is the best speaker in the world for the money, all the speakers y listed were more expensive, not $110k but at least 4-10 thousand more. I have heard heard hundreds of speakers.

I do like B&W & I like their customer service. (important to me).

I was not serious I don't think anyone else was as far as nasty stuff, it just something to do,.

I recommended if y went the 802d route to get one of t 2 daimond centers they offer, so y would not have any extra speaker, or have to find a single single 802d. (I have never seen a single 80sd/n f sale) I have the 802ds & hmt2d as my center & the tonality matches perfectly.

Personally I like my system ,but I still look for fun & to possible up-grade. my old system is listed on this site by the way. When I buy I aim a research hound! (once again searching for a hidden gem is part of the fun.)

**I was thinking of starting a small audio club. The idea was to get some trustworthy guys & purchase a Cable Cooker. I been in contact w/the company that sells the most used Cable C./there best one is like a $1000.00.

Once y cook your cables they last for a 6 months- 1 year, then Ideally should be re-cooked.(so I have been told) I would love to have one but once I cooked my cables the thing would sit their for a 6 months/year before I felt t need to cook them again.

Five guy throw in $200.00 & we rotate the cooker back & forth.(each use it for two weeks, ect.) it is kinda silly to spend a grand on something you use once & rarely after that. I would fork over $200.00 to have a cable cooker available but I don't think I would want to spend a $1000 on one.

What do y guys think?
(I think five would be a good number)

Kodg
Look guys, all of you need to fix your egotistical attitudes & start behaving like civilized men. And, also understand that this is a DISCUSSION & not a brain-washing session where you need to convince one or more men that brand XYZ is better than brand ABC! As all you zipper-heads know audio is a very SUBJECTIVE hobby & (often) one man's meat is another's poison.
Allow each contributor to this thread retain his opinion & RESPECT that opinion esp. if it does not jive w/ your own. As, I wrote before - it's subjective & bound to have vast differences. LET IT GO!

Now, in an attempt to contribute to this discussion: I have nothing to gain/lose here as I am no longer a B&W owner. However, I will say this: from my experience & from that of a good friend (who owns a 802D at this present time), the only way that you are going to make the 802D get up & salute you is to take care of the amplifier-speaker electrical interface. IOW, you will need an amp that has huge balls to drive this difficult load otherwise you are going to get a dull, lifeless, over-bloated bass, tizzy type of sound during playback.
http://www.stereophile.com/images/archivesart/1205802FIG1.jpg
look @ its impedance, phase plot.In the 20Hz-200Hz region the phase goes from + to - => inductive load to capacitative load. The amp you use will have to be capable of handling this phase lead, phase lag on a dynamic basis; otherwise, the 802D will be controlling the amp rather than the other way around. Also, in this region I note that the amplifier you use will need to have the ability to source/sink current into a low impedance load (2.5-3 Ohms) & still sound good. For most amps available in the market this is a tall order indeed. Most amps are rated for 4 Ohms & maybe even 2 Ohms but that does not mean that they sound good when driving those impedances.
From my experience at RMAF2007 I can tell you that B&W's decision to pair Classe amps with their speakers is a mistake! The new Classe amps are quite poor sonically & do their speakers a big injustice. However, what's B&W to do: they own Classe now so they have to tout their in-house brand!
So, guys, be careful mouthing off here: your experience of the 802D can dramitically change if you use the "correct" amplifier that has the ability to control this speaker. This is my personal experience - it's not hear-say or 2nd-hand experience.
The simple answer to your question is YES the d series sound better than the old n by about 40%.

I would by two 802ds & one of the (two) daimond matching centers b&w offers. I have seen some good price on audiogon for the daimond centers.

I still would like to know if y guys are interested in the cable cooker idea?

Thanks,
Dan/Kodg