Quote:
Originally Posted by RebelMan
Correct and with spikes they are taller than the 800D2s on casters. Kal mentions in his review that the 804s get no respect but in reality it may be that the 803D/D2s don't. In all the years I have witnessed it, the 803Ds have never been setup to demo their strengths. The midrange simply sits too high almost 6" higher than the 804D2. I thought this would be a problem for the Marlan models also (specifically the 800D) but it isn't. Unfortunately for the 803Ds it's a big problem. To deal with it you either have to sit a considerable distance back (much more than typically done in domestic settings) and/or tilt the speakers forward (using the spikes) which then causes some time smearing and/or you got to be fortunate enough to have a 4" platform from where to listen otherwise the 803Ds will sound just okay and certainly not well enough for their asking price.
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They are quite tall and come to think of it they did sound a bit out of focus in the smaller demo room where they were set up. I have the original N804 by the way. It is adequate. It is a little lean sounding. Very sensitive to where you sit in terms of sweet spot but even laying on the couch the midrange is in a good spot. Sitting up the midrange is at a perfect height for a smaller room.
I have always considered the 803D to be a compromised speaker for applications where 802 is not practical. I mean there is a purpose behind that midrange sci-fi housing on the 802. I mean the 802 is a serious installation. I can see how the positioning of the drivers could be a problem on the 803. When I bought my speakers the 803 was a different speaker entirely. Perhaps the 803D was designed for people of means with large rooms and wives with enough influence to veto the alien looking 802. People who entertain and stand up on occasion. Socialite audiophiles? lol
The 802D or 800D would be my choice if I had the space and the amplification. Honestly though my dad has the N802 (small room) and the rabbit hole goes DEEP with those speakers. There is no limit to how good they can sound. Every upstream upgrade and tweak yields a massive improvement. And they were brutal before every power cord was upgraded and every weak link was shored up. The 803D would not work in that room I am sure. So your point is well taken.