Thread: 802d4

After a few years concentrating on building my dream front end and evaluating the state of the art for headphones, I have returned to two channel audio. Choosing a speaker was very easy. Over the past 30 years I have owned three versions of B&W's 800 series. They punch way above their (considerable) weight in terms of transparency, imaging, bass control and value for the money. When it was time to commit, I called Mike at Suncoast who set me up with a pair of 802D4's. These are ideal for my smallish room. Their transparency makes them a great choice for my Wadax/CH Precision front end. The speakers give you exactly what you give them, for better or for worse.

Mike and his crew graciously agreed to help set them up for me this week even though I know they are consumed with getting ready for the Florida Audio Expo. This is just another example of the superior customer support and service they provide each and every time. More pics and a review of the entire system when it is in place to come.

Eric

Welcome back to 2 channel musical enjoyment. The D4 series are fantastic speakers and are certainly a great value. Your digital front end and amplification will make them sing beautifully. Enjoy!

PS - Yes, Mike is a terrific guy and dealer.

The Suncoast Audio crew placed my speakers today. Thankfully, I have an elevator in the house so many vertebrae were spared from injury. Like all 801/802 speakers the 802's are hefty. I should have the rest of the system in house (except for wall treatments) by the weekend and will report shortly thereafter. The speaker placement will likely change. We'll keep edging towards the side walls trying to get the maximum soundstage while maintaining focus. My experience with previous versions of these models is that 9-10 feet usually works best if side wall interactions do not overwhelm. I have them far from the front wall to give them room to breath. That may change also.

In almost any successful product, it's the little things that push it over the top. With these speakers, the plinth and spike design dropped my jaw. On my other three models, spiking the speakers dramatically improved articulation across the frequency band and focused the imaging. The bad news was that you had to lay the speaker on its side to install the spikes. That was nerve-racking to say the least.

This iteration has a genius design. The wheels on the bottom of the plinth are permanently mounted. When you are ready to spike, you use a long "bar" to turn the four pre-installed spikes like a windlass and lower the pointy end below the wheels. All of this is done with the speaker upright. You can then lock the setting in place with a screw lock that spins down onto the spike's shelf. As if that weren't enough, there are also installable studs (two per speaker) that act as outriggers to stabilize the speaker plinth so tipping will be very unlikely. Bravo B&W.

The fit and finish of this British made speaker remind me of Bently and Aston Martin auto interiors. Everything is where it should be and is buttoned down neatly. I'm very happy with the purchase even before the speakers have played a note. My expectations for that event are very high based on several years of experience with the brand. More to come.

Looking very good!

Eric-

Enjoy the sounds in good health on your new speakers!

John

Wow - super-duper triple kudos to Mike and his team for doing this during trying to set up for the show. I would have waited until after the week of the show and had Mike over for a beer to set them up and talk about the show!

Glad you are liking the speakers! I've strayed away from B&W's over the years but I hear they have their mojo back with this latest iteration.

Today Mike's team delivered and set up the companion B&W subs (DB-1D) in my system. These are truly remarkable products. They have an internal 2000W Class D amp that is light and cool running. The two speakers are both powered and run 180 degrees out of phase. The typical set up is one powered and one passive, a cheaper and less desirable configuration. The result to my ears was instantly noticeable in the firm foundation the subs gave to my system sound. Did I mention the Class D amp makes the speakers light enough for a normal human to lift and adjust?

The set up was genius via a smartphone app. The room was calibrated with test tones to find the modes and the appropriate cuts were made automatically. The crossover between speaker and sub was also automatic as the 802's speakers were listed in the app as a menu choice. Workmanship and build quality were remarkable even for a product that should cost twice as much as it does. This is what I have come to expect from B&W and they deliver.

Mike's team was on time as usual and they made quick work of the setup. Can't recommend the Suncoast Audio team or the B&W product line highly enough.

Eric