KEF Reference 5 vs. B&W 802 D3 speakers - which one better? your knowledges & opinions

@fast 
yes, the sale is why im drawn to buy the kef.  So i am like u, contemplating on which one to buy.   The 802 i can get used for $15k. 

@fast how long is the break in time for the kef??

The stereophile review should be helpful. There's a pair for $6k on the other site but 1 woofer needs to be replaced.

I somewhat casually listened to a head-to-head of these two speakers about 18 months ago. I believe the electronics were Anthem separates. Unfortunately, I don’t have a good recollection of the demo, except that I wasn’t floored by either speaker (perhaps that was due to the relatively lower quality electronics, and the room wasn’t great either). I didn’t have a strong preference for one over the other - but they do sound very different, that’s for sure. Neither speaker really my cup of tea, I guess (personal preference). Sorry not what you wanted to hear and probably not helpful at all. For what it’s worth, the salesmen at the dealership all seemed to prefer the Kef (so maybe that is a little bit of useful info).

Kentrent, 
it took several (6?)  months for the KEFs to break in. When I bought the Ref 5s, I had never heard them because no dealer within hundreds of miles had them (not the best way to buy speakers). I heard the Ref 3 multiple times and really liked the imaging, soundstage and other properties.  As  one salesman commented after demoing multiple speakers: I noticed that, when I play the KEFs, you smile.  I finally was persuaded that the properties of the Ref 5 would be similar to the 3 but with increased bass.  After the 5s were delivered, I thought for a while I had made a big mistake.  They just didn’t have the same magic in my setup and I wasn’t sure if it was the 5s, the room, my equipment, the setup.  I even borrowed some competing to compare.  I’m very glad I was patient because I love them now.