Anyone Remember the B&W DM3000s?


Although, I had had a few other before them, the first "real" hi-end speaker I owned were the DM3000s purchased in about 1985 for $1800 during a big sale at SF Stereo...

I often wonder if they were really as good as I remember...and I do remember them being fantastic! Hearing lots of new informations, slamming bass and wonderful midrange...

I wonder where they would lay in the B&W scheme of things today...? Or speakers in general...

Do you have a speaker that you think of often...like that old girlfriend or SO that you had so much fun with but didn't want to bring home to meet Mom????

Thoughts?
jb8312

Showing 2 responses by tigerwoodkhorns

I was a die hard Klipsch fan (hence my user name here) and always heard memebrs on the Klipsch Forum bashing B&W's. I had never heard B&W's but figured they must be good if everyone felt that they had to bash them. A pair of used B&W's popped up for sale in the paper and I went too see them with no intention of buying, just out of curiosity. They were DM3000's and not set up well at all. Old Rotel equipment and just thrown together. They sounded wonderful and I bought them the next day.

I then sold my Klipsch speakers and moved to B&W N801's (the next week, lucky find within driving distance) and then my current speakers, the S800's a few year later.

I have regulued the rubber surrounds on the DM's, replaced the gril cloth, replaced the caps in the crossovers with Clarity Caps and oiled them with linseed oil regularly. Every once in a while I put them in my main system. I am always amazed at just how good they sound. The S800's are better speakers, but the DM3000's really hold their own with a serious front end. If I had to I could easily live with them in my main system.

I set them up in another room with a Jolida 100 wpc tube amp that I borrowed from a friend and they had some of the best imaging that I have heard. On Roger Waters "Amused to Death" the track with the radio voices sounded like they were comming from the far left and behind me. Pretty impressive. I liked them with that setup but they did sound better with Classe SS monoblocks in my main system.

Check out this thread:

http://htguide.com/forum/showthread.php4?t=12585

So, to answer your question, yes, they are as good as you remember, but are bettered by $20,000 speakers. Unfair comparison for sure.

I only have long term experience with the N801's and S800's so I don't know what they would compare to in the current lineup. I am guessing maybe 703's but I do not know.
"Now I'm in the market for something new and different, and I am sure there are many speakers on the market that will crush those good old B&W's."

I don't know if "crush" is the right word. The S800's are better, but they do not "crush" the DM3000's. Then again, many say that the Diamond series "crushes" the nautilus series B&W's, so many consider slight differences as crushing. I heard the B&W 300 series speakers. The higher end stuff does crush those, but we are talking major differences.

Whatever you buy, hang on to the DM3000's.