I traded in a pair of Bang and Olufsen speakers for a pair of B&W DM5 bookshelf speakers in the mid ’70’s, and still love their sound. I also own a pair of B&W 802 series 80 floorstanding speakers whose crossovers were modified brilliantly by Walt D’Ascenzo of SoundMods. These were made in 1981 at a retail cost of around $4,000, which was a pretty stiff price then.
I first heard the B&W’s with diamond tweeters when they first appeared driven by Cambridge Audio monoblocks and was blown away by their sound. I believe they cost around $15,000. Certainly out of my reach but I don’t think they were overpriced in that they performed better than anything else in that price range. Personally, I’m drawn to them because they sound human. A peculiar way to describe an electronic box, but like a Greek marble figure that comes alive in stone, the music emanating from the B&W’s resonates with my being. I’ve heard some new B&W’s in a showroom that didn’t do it for me, so if I were to make a switch, it would probably be an older version in the Diamond series.
I first heard the B&W’s with diamond tweeters when they first appeared driven by Cambridge Audio monoblocks and was blown away by their sound. I believe they cost around $15,000. Certainly out of my reach but I don’t think they were overpriced in that they performed better than anything else in that price range. Personally, I’m drawn to them because they sound human. A peculiar way to describe an electronic box, but like a Greek marble figure that comes alive in stone, the music emanating from the B&W’s resonates with my being. I’ve heard some new B&W’s in a showroom that didn’t do it for me, so if I were to make a switch, it would probably be an older version in the Diamond series.