I've auditioned both. The B&W where more dark & velvety and on the warmer side of neutral. The Thiels 2.3s, which I own, sound three dimensional and tonally neutral and musical (except for the bottom octave- which is just not present). The Thiels require proper system matching and proper placement (All is documented on their website). My system Pass x-250, Pass x-1, Harm Tech Pro Silway II and Pro-9, Sony SCD-1. Thiels are placed 7 ft apart slight tow in, 4 ft from the sides and 3 ft from rear. Sweet spot is 10ft away. I use 2 Jon Risch DIY Bass traps and 4 sound panels. Im in awe.
Enjoy
Enjoy