If by main, you mean your front left and right speakers, try out the B&W 703s.
If you mean all of them you could always go for B&W 7 series setup w/out a sub and save up for a new sub later.
2 * 703 = 3000 (fronts)
2 * 705 = 1500 (backs)
1 * HTM7 = 750 (center)
Which would be $5250, and if you know how to deal with a dealer you could get a 12% discount and get it down to $4620, which would leave you 380 to save up towards a ASW 650 ($700), or ASW 600 ($500), or better yet an ASW 700 or 750 ($1300 or $1600). (prices as per MSRP on B&W website)
I have the setup above with a ASW 750 and I absolutely love it... I plan on upgrading my front left and rights to 803d speakers and the center to an 8 series in two years or so and will move my 703s to surround channels and 705s to rear surround for a 7.1 setup. |
If you can spend the extra money I would get a pair of 803Ds (or at least audition the 803S, which I never did, but is in your range if you get 12% discount). As far as bass on the 703s, the bass extension seems great to me when playing in stereo (two channel bypass through a Bryston SP1.7 into a Bryston 9B SST Amp using a Meridian G08 CDP). I've read reviews that mention it as surprisingly deeper than expected.
3-way vented-box system, 2 x 6.5" paper/Kevlar cone bass drivers, 6" woven Kevlar cone FST midrange driver, 1" alloy dome tweeter, 38Hz-25kHz ±3dB, 8 Ohm impedance, 90dB sensitivity, 120lb/pair.
I liked the 703's better than the 804S when I auditioned both. Definitely worth audtioning both IMO, or any choices you are considering for that matter. I auditioned the 803D and 802D and wept inside... If I had known how much I would love that 802D, I would have bought those and filled out a 5.1 system later. Anyways, I didn't, so now I will add those later and move the rest of my equipment to other positions when I can. I don't see why people wouldn't like B&W speakers here, their speaker models seem to be excellent values at their price, and they are well received across the board in every publication I have read. |
If I were you, and since you do have a lot of money left over now, I would just use the same speaker for everything, except the sub. Lay one on its side for a center (or don't depending on your TV setup) and get two for the rears. I've heard it is a terrible idea to mix brands or sometimes even series within one brand. My biggest worry is that the 801D won't match well with the rest of my speakers which are 7 series.
Oh, BTW I may be getting the 801Ds instead now, I found a demo pair for half the price of retail! I can't pass that up if he gives me that price. This also means I could own them in two or three months now (and I'll save up for the 2 channel amp later). |
Look for speakers that don't require gobs of power and also sound like music. Not something arid, cold, and lacking dynamics.
I think any poster that sums up an entire speaker company's speaker lines in such generalized (obviously negatively prejudiced) terms, is likely not worth listening to. You don't see anyone else in here knocking anyone else's speaker choices... I don't see any of the professional reviewers out there saying anything of the sort about B&W speakers, and I wager they have much more experience than Judy. I think Judy may be trash talking to sell what he/she stocks. I love my 7 series speakers and I listened to different stuff in the same range at a few different stores (Boston Acoustics, Sonus Fabers, etc). If I could go back, I would probably go with the 8 series now though, so the 803Ds or 802Ds would fit in a little better with the rest of my setup when I buy a pair. It was more a price consideration at the time. I doubt it will make a huge difference since I choose to play things in stereo even when playing High Def formats. I doubt I will notice incongruity when playing movies... though I may have to upgrade the center channel to an 8 series. From what I have heard, it is best to stick with the same company than to mix and match companies with speaker sets, even if you do go one line up or down in quality. |
Aren't the Rocket speakers reviewed as a litle "rolled off the top"? I would be careful with mail order direct speakers. I don't trust items I can't go to a store and hear next to other well-received speakers. I suppose you could ask your local dealer if it would be ok to bring them in and compare them to another speaker. They give you 30 days or something to try them I think. I personally don't trust that kind of thing, especially since a bunch of people were running around other fora awhile ago acting like hooligans trying to coerce people into buying those speakers, and bashing anyone who said anything negative about those speakers.
IMO nothing can replace a local dealer whom you can drop your speaker (or other component) off with if something goes wrong, and who will give you a replacement to use while it is being fixed. |
Also, Rotel is now owned by B&W, so they are supposed to be well mated. Not sure if this is true, but it would seem to hold to some degree that the company would want to insure that their products would mate well. I almost bought those same Rotels, but ended up going with the Bryston SP1.7 and Bryston 9B SST. The 20 year warranty and send-in hardware upgrading was too much of a good deal to pass up. Upgradeability is also the same reason I decided to go with a Wadia 302 over a Meridian G08. Still playing around with the G08 while I wait for my 302. |
The posts were on AVS Forum and Audioholic forum. Not sure if there are others, but when I researched the company those were the sites I found them on. |
BTW, I thought they were manufactured overseas in China? |
I haven't heard anything bad about them except what I said above: "Rolled off top-end", in reviews, and strange online marketing tactics. It is hard to tell because of the latter whether the enthusiasm seen in the past in fora like AVS is due to hidden salesmanship or happy customers, but when those people start harassing others, it becomes transparent. I did see a good review here and there online, but none in the well-known magazines (which I trust a little more). Then again, it is hard to look through back issues of magazines, while you can browse through previous months/years of online reviews.
I would compare them to other speakers in person by bringing them to a Cain & Cain and/or B&W dealer (or insert other choices here). I don't like my music rolled off at the top end personally, but some people think it is warmer that way.
Ultimately, speaker choice is about personal, subjective preference, which is why there is no substitute for direct listening comparisons through the same equipment. Since AV123 is so close to you, you shouldn't have a problem doing this before making a purchase. I think AV123 was sued by B&W awhile back for one of their designs which placed the tweeter outside the cabinet like one of the B&W lines? I thought I read something about their Swan line on Audioholics in one of those crazy threads with all the fighting.
I didn't bother auditioning any Direct Seller speakers because I would have had to order them then send them back if I didn't like them (I had looked at AV123, Axiom, Aperion). I also wanted to buy something that would have resale value for when I upgrade. Also, it didn't make much sense to me to buy $20k worth of HT components then buy speakers over the Internet that would not give me comparable pride of ownership. I admit, I am a peculiar, if not egotistical, fellow... As I'm sure my wife will admit. |
Cool looking speakers (just looked at their site). My wife might actually go for those in an area of the house that I don't control, like the bedroom. She just agreed, by not saying "no", that I could put some floorstanders in the bedroom in a year or two with an amplifier and my Wadia 302 as a preamp (when I upgrade from my Wadia 302 to something else - like a high-end separate transport and DAC). We need good stereo music in there... and Niles Gloria system in-ceiling/in-wall speakers just don't cut it for anything but busy party music listening. |
During this time I was trying to decide between upgrading my fronts to B&W 802Ds or 803Ds. I finally decided to go all out for my room size and save up for the 802Ds with a Bryston 14B SST for the extra 2 channel amp to bring my system up to full 7.1 surround. It'll take 6-8 months to save up for it. :( |
Hey Oakiris, my dealer hooked me up and let me trade back in all my B&W 7 series gear at the cost I payed to put towards a pair of 802Ds. I'll have my 802Ds delivered this coming Tuesday. Guess I'll have to start saving up again to make my hi-fi back into a home theatre and surround system. Unfortunately, the 801 demos that were for sale were not the diamond series so I passed on them.
Cheers! |
