B&W 802D3 Owners Club

[4music]

Are you sure this is the right move? No matter how good the 803D3 is, it is still a different category from the 802D3. What seems to be the problem with the room? Maybe someone can help. I have the 802D3 and used to have the 803D3. It would be my last move to go back to the smaller speaker before trying everything else. Did you try them on the spikes? What is the size of the room and where are they placed?

Originally Posted by Jasondunbar

Yes Devialet just works amazing with B&W speakers! Especially with their SAM technology it’s amazing to get the very best out of the individual speakers.
Just having my 802 D3 for a month now, but decided yesterday to go for a pair of 803 D3 (so if anyone is interested just send PM).
I am actually quite sad because the 802 D3 are so outstanding - but unfortunately my room is too small to exploit their potential.

[Jasondunbar]

Standing 20cm from walls, with distance of 2,30 meters to listening position.
Will try spikes, think it might make that of a difference?

[sleep]

Originally Posted by Jasondunbar

Standing 20cm from walls, with distance of 2,30 meters to listening position.
Will try spikes, think it might make that of a difference?

What are your room dimensions?

[4music]

Everything makes a difference! Try playing with their positioning. Definitely push them out further in the room and away from side walls. Everything is well explanied in the user manual. Guessing from what you provide as info about your room, maybe the best option is to go for 805 + sub.

Originally Posted by Jasondunbar

Standing 20cm from walls, with distance of 2,30 meters to listening position.
Will try spikes, think it might make that of a difference?

[Jasondunbar]

It‘s 4,7meters by 7,5 meters - but I can only use part of that as the rest is kitchen / eating area. Will try spikes for sure and play with toe in etc.
But unfortunately my parameters concerning distance to wall (for one speaker, the other has no side wall as its next to the eating area) and distance to listening position is fixed.
Across the speakers (so about 1,5 behind my listening position) there is a bookshelf room-high which should be advantageous for room acoustics.

[sleep]

Originally Posted by Jasondunbar

It‘s 4,7meters by 7,5 meters - but I can only use part of that as the rest is kitchen / eating area. Will try spikes for sure and play with toe in etc.
But unfortunately my parameters concerning distance to wall (for one speaker, the other has no side wall as its next to the eating area) and distance to listening position is fixed.
Across the speakers (so about 1,5 behind my listening position) there is a bookshelf room-high which should be advantageous for room acoustics.

It seems like your speakers are placed along the 7.5 meter wall, facing your listening position, 2.3 meters away from the front of the speakers. Correct? You may be sitting a little too close to them. Is there any way you can place the speakers along the 4.7 meter wall? Then you could bring them further out into the room and increase the distance to your listening position. My room has about the same dimensions as yours, and I have my 802s placed on spikes along the short wall, with the front of each speaker about 1.4 meters out from the wall. My listening position is about 3.4 meters away from the front of each speaker, and the sound is excellant.

[Jasondunbar]

Yes you are right about speaker placement - starts from one corner of the 7.5 meters wall. Yes listening position is it‘s 2.3meters away from the front of speakers. But got no other chance maybe 2.4meters.
Yours with 1.4 meters out from walls and 3.4 meters away from front is just textbook like - great! So instead of mine your sound can detach from the speakers making it perfectly standing in front you, which is also lacking in my setup.

[sleep]

Originally Posted by Jasondunbar

Yes you are right about speaker placement - starts from one corner of the 7.5 meters wall. Yes listening position is it‘s 2.3meters away from the front of speakers. But got no other chance maybe 2.4meters.
Yours with 1.4 meters out from walls and 3.4 meters away from front is just textbook like - great! So instead of mine your sound can detach from the speakers making it perfectly standing in front you, which is also lacking in my setup.

Before you give up on the 802s, try moving them closer together; perhaps as close as 1.5 meters from tweeter center to center. You might experience a more integrated sound field at your listening position. If you replace them with the 803D3, I suspect that you will have similar problems that you are having with the 802. If you cannot get satisfactory sound from the 802s by repositioning or using spikes, you may be better off with a pair of good stand mount monitors instead. Something like the 805D3 or similar, with a matched subwoofer. At 2.3 meters away, you are almost listening in "near field" conditions, and a pair of high quality monitors plus subwoofer might sound better to you.

[Jasondunbar]

Thanks for your input! Tomorrow the 803 D3 arrive so I will have time to try different setups / positions with them and 802 D3.

[gabber]

Hi everyone! happy owner of 802 D3s here (been over a year).

Anyone has experience in pairing the 802s or 803s with Gryphon Diablo 300? My speakers are currently driven by Devialet 440 Pro CI and I'm planning to upgrade to the amp to Gryphon Diablo 300 or Gryphon Essence Stereo Amp + Streaming DAC (not sure if I really like their pre-amp without streaming funcationality) or T+A PA 3100 HV.

I have the PA 3100 HV loaner at the minute and I think the sound signature leaning towards 'clinical/analytical' although the soundstage and bass control are impressive.