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-   -   B&W 802D3 Owners Club (https://www.audioaficionado.org/showthread.php?t=34301)

SMC23 01-09-2016 12:13 AM

B&W 802D3 Owners Club
 
Just got my speakers unpacked and breaking them in. Now that I had over 20hrs break-in, I can already conclude I am loving every bit of this new generation over my former 802D2. :banana: They have been worth every penny despite the huge upgrade costs!

Unpacking & Setup - simply straightforward and very pleased by the new D3 packaging. Once the boxes are placed in the same listening room, literally one person could set them up by rolling them into place. Koodoos to b&w for this!! I thought I needed a second hand with unpacking them, despite +200lb weight of each speaker, but I was able to roll them out of the boxes and into my listening room by myself.


Looks - they are stunning in real life! Bottom line...pics don't do these speakers justice at all. I really recommend seeing them in person. I love the modern clean look of the speakers over the D2 series. I initially had reservations about the new Turbine head's smaller proportion over the main cabinet, but now after staring at the speakers from afar and in my listening seat, they look well suited. Oh and the new continuum's silvery FST adds a nice contemporary touch to my decor. I prefer them to the yellow cones. The speakers appear to be less bulky than the 802D2 too. If I had to make one change, they do look slightly too long by an inch or two, but this doesn't bother me as I don't see the side profile as much. Importantly the front profile looks gorgeous. They are truly works of art!!


Sound - who needs a sub?! I have the speakers on full range for break-in and I can immediately tell the Aerofoil bass drivers are leagues ahead of the prior series. The impact, detail, and depth is certainly there in spades. I was playing scenes from my favourite action movies and could swear both my F113s were on but they were completely off. I was skeptical about the new frequency response but the 802D3s surely do reach down very low, much more so than the prior series.

The new continuum midrange and tweeter is extremely open. I couldn't stop grinning at the size of the soundstage. The speakers disperse so far too the sides and even somewhat to the back it's incredible! I have a preference to multichannel and movies and the new speakers perform so well. They disappear into the room more so than the 802d2. I'm still going through break-in so hoping these blossom even further...


To be honest I took a big hit selling my 802d2's to upgrade to the new D3, and I can certainly say they are a worthwhile upgrade. With the limited time I had with them I can already sense they are going to be very special. These will be the last speakers I get in a very very long time. :music:

Looking forward to hearing any other new owners impressions...please share them!

2fastdriving 01-09-2016 01:20 AM

Congrats! I heard a pair, they are a very nice improvement over the previous gen, I agree.

rghanbari 01-09-2016 01:56 AM

For me, the break in process and room adjustments have been a very slow and measured process. Striking how big even minor changes can be. When hefting around 200 pound speakers, not a fun process without a crazy golden ear partner to help (room and placement tuning is definitely not for civilians)

Patrick Butler 01-09-2016 10:30 AM

Hi SMC23,

Glad to hear that you are happy with your new speakers!

Best Regards,

Patrick
B&W Group North America


Quote:

Originally Posted by SMC23 (Post 751856)
Just got my speakers unpacked and breaking them in. Now that I had over 20hrs break-in, I can already conclude I am loving every bit of this new generation over my former 802D2. :banana: They have been worth every penny despite the huge upgrade costs!

Unpacking & Setup - simply straightforward and very pleased by the new D3 packaging. Once the boxes are placed in the same listening room, literally one person could set them up by rolling them into place. Koodoos to b&w for this!! I thought I needed a second hand with unpacking them, despite +200lb weight of each speaker, but I was able to roll them out of the boxes and into my listening room by myself.

unboxing1
unboxing2

Looks - they are stunning in real life! Bottom line...pics don't do these speakers justice at all. I really recommend seeing them in person. I love the modern clean look of the speakers over the D2 series. I initially had reservations about the new Turbine head's smaller proportion over the main cabinet, but now after staring at the speakers from afar and in my listening seat, they look well suited. Oh and the new continuum's silvery FST adds a nice contemporary touch to my decor. I prefer them to the yellow cones. The speakers appear to be less bulky than the 802D2 too. If I had to make one change, they do look slightly too long by an inch or two, but this doesn't bother me as I don't see the side profile as much. Importantly the front profile looks gorgeous. They are truly works of art!!

stunning

turbine head

Sound - who needs a sub?! I have the speakers on full range for break-in and I can immediately tell the Aerofoil bass drivers are leagues ahead of the prior series. The impact, detail, and depth is certainly there in spades. I was playing scenes from my favourite action movies and could swear both my F113s were on but they were completely off. I was skeptical about the new frequency response but the 802D3s surely do reach down very low, much more so than the prior series.

The new continuum midrange and tweeter is extremely open. I couldn't stop grinning at the size of the soundstage. The speakers disperse so far too the sides and even somewhat to the back it's incredible! I have a preference to multichannel and movies and the new speakers perform so well. They disappear into the room more so than the 802d2. I'm still going through break-in so hoping these blossom even further...

temp setup

To be honest I took a big hit selling my 802d2's to upgrade to the new D3, and I can certainly say they are a worthwhile upgrade. With the limited time I had with them I can already sense they are going to be very special. These will be the last speakers I get in a very very long time. :music:

Looking forward to hearing any other new owners impressions...please share them!


ariess 01-09-2016 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SMC23 (Post 751856)
Just got my speakers unpacked and breaking them in. Now that I had over 20hrs break-in, I can already conclude I am loving every bit of this new generation over my former 802D2. :banana: They have been worth every penny despite the huge upgrade costs! Unpacking & Setup - simply straightforward and very pleased by the new D3 packaging. Once the boxes are placed in the same listening room, literally one person could set them up by rolling them into place. Koodoos to b&w for this!! I thought I needed a second hand with unpacking them, despite +200lb weight of each speaker, but I was able to roll them out of the boxes and into my listening room by myself. unboxing1 unboxing2 Looks - they are stunning in real life! Bottom line...pics don't do these speakers justice at all. I really recommend seeing them in person. I love the modern clean look of the speakers over the D2 series. I initially had reservations about the new Turbine head's smaller proportion over the main cabinet, but now after staring at the speakers from afar and in my listening seat, they look well suited. Oh and the new continuum's silvery FST adds a nice contemporary touch to my decor. I prefer them to the yellow cones. The speakers appear to be less bulky than the 802D2 too. If I had to make one change, they do look slightly too long by an inch or two, but this doesn't bother me as I don't see the side profile as much. Importantly the front profile looks gorgeous. They are truly works of art!! stunning turbine head Sound - who needs a sub?! I have the speakers on full range for break-in and I can immediately tell the Aerofoil bass drivers are leagues ahead of the prior series. The impact, detail, and depth is certainly there in spades. I was playing scenes from my favourite action movies and could swear both my F113s were on but they were completely off. I was skeptical about the new frequency response but the 802D3s surely do reach down very low, much more so than the prior series. The new continuum midrange and tweeter is extremely open. I couldn't stop grinning at the size of the soundstage. The speakers disperse so far too the sides and even somewhat to the back it's incredible! I have a preference to multichannel and movies and the new speakers perform so well. They disappear into the room more so than the 802d2. I'm still going through break-in so hoping these blossom even further... temp setup To be honest I took a big hit selling my 802d2's to upgrade to the new D3, and I can certainly say they are a worthwhile upgrade. With the limited time I had with them I can already sense they are going to be very special. These will be the last speakers I get in a very very long time. :music: Looking forward to hearing any other new owners impressions...please share them!


Congrats!

Did you get trade in credits with your dealer?

Sent from my iPhone using A.Aficionado

redm 01-09-2016 12:45 PM

Wow, they are so different. Big jump from the D2 compared to the D1 to D2 changes. Congratulations!

GreginNH1 01-09-2016 03:06 PM

Congrats!
 
Glad you like the new speakers. The D3s are quite special.

slayers 01-09-2016 04:01 PM

That is an amazing speaker, Only if i had the funds for the 802; i might be able to afford the 804 though

krustycat 01-09-2016 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SMC23 (Post 751856)

To be honest I took a big hit selling my 802d2's to upgrade to the new D3, and I can certainly say they are a worthwhile upgrade. With the limited time I had with them I can already sense they are going to be very special. These will be the last speakers I get in a very very long time. :music:

Looking forward to hearing any other new owners impressions...please share them!

Me too, but after my audition I know I will have no regrets when I receive my pair by the end of the month.

Congratulations again.

The system looks beautiful.

Enjoy.....:music:

slayers 01-14-2016 09:50 AM

I'm going to listen to the 802D3 today, can't wait for this treat


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