BW802D with good electronics is an ANIMAL!

McLoki

billbillw wrote:

I was just trying to point out that $5k for a CD player probably qualifies as something we could deem insanely priced.

Insanely priced for any hobby is about 150%-200% above what the speaker could comfortably spend on any item.


I have a $30,000 car, insanely priced for me starts around $75,000-$90,000

I could comfortably spend about $1,000 on a amplifier. Knowing that, insanly priced for me is over $3,000. If you could see actually spending $2,000 on an amplifier, I am guessing an amp for $4,000-$5,000 would be insane. (especially only 2 channels)

Sanity is measured against your own definition of it. Based on that, anyone with more than you can ever realisically see yourself having is insane. (then again - maybe they are wealthy enough to earn the title of eccentric instead)

Michael

zombie boy 2000

Excellent post Michael

madmax

$5K isn't overly insane for a good CD player. I would pay that much if I had it to pay. Of course you better have the rest of the equipment to support it otherwise you just paid $5K for something that sounds the same in your system as the $500 cheapy model would.
madmax

Joey_V

TroyD wrote:

Sibilant tweeter?

My experience with the Nautilus line has been that they will reveal imperfections upstream but they, in and of themselves aren't inherently harsh. Just my .02.


BDT

BDT,

I'll take back my statement about the overly sibilant tweeter.... that isnt a characteristic of the new Diamonds so it doesnt apply here. I was posting on a pocket pc and I wasnt thinking straight.

Joey

LuSh

Ayre K5xe had probably more to do with the overall sonic bliss then the CDP, and this is coming from the yahoo that use to preach about source. I still contend a modded Museatex Bidat/Bitstream with transport (your choice make it a good one) would beat the Ayre CDP by a pretty wide margin, and for only $1500 (DAC used).

While I haven't done a direct comparison I know people that have stopped doing comparison's to digital against the Bidat and now focus on comparisons to vinyl such as an SME20 and Linn LP12. A few inmates (Bwhite and Romy) own very expensive vinyl rigs and have done such comparisons. They stopped the digital comparisons after using the likes of Mark Levinson, Meridian, Musical Fidelity Tri/Vista, dCs etc...

The pre-amp on the other hand is one I've wanted to hear for over a year now because it's the same pre that my relative from out west heard in what he described as "the best system I've ever heard in a private dwelling". What amazed him the most was the person was in transition with amp's and was using a $1200 NAD amp with a $6k pre-amp and he still walked away scratching his head. The souce was a tube CAL player and Hales speakers. Even the owner of Calgary's famous Audio Room had to admit defeat as he still hasn't been able to put together a system that could touch their mutal friends.

I also like the fact that you can update the Ayre stuff and progress with it. It's nice after awhile to stop changing and just work with a sound you enjoy.

I've also heard several good things about the new D series from B&W which is odd as their is usually a very divided camp on previous B&W speakers. I've heard a few MAC owners have had alot of luck with the new 800D series speakers. If I ever could build a dedicated room I'd have the B&W's at the very top of my list but I'm afraid I couldn't do the speakers any justice with my current space limitations.

Joey_V

Lush,

It may have been the preamp, who knows. BUT, the entire system was kept the same except the CDP were swapped out. This means that the preamp was the same with both CDP.... and the difference between both reference CDP was quite large.

It was easy to tell one from another in a single A/B and the Ayre was definitely the superior one to my ears.

Joey

LuSh

I don't doubt the Ayre was much better, and don't get me wrong I've heard nothing but great things about the Ayre. Having said that I don't think many people would consider Classe a great digital company which has historically built their reputation with their amps. SimAudio, Krell, Levinson all fall into that same category. Again, I wasn't trying to slight the Ayre. I'd love to hear one, although I'd be surprised if it could sound as analog as a Museatex.

Dennis Gardner

Insanity isn't in the pricing, its in buying new/retail:D ....................cars, audio gear, bikes, anything that tanks in value. If it goes down 40% in the first 2 years of ownership, it becomes reasonable in year 3. I find this true regardless of how much the gear costs. 100% of the audio bliss for half the cost is the game I prefer to play.

sucks2beme

Dennis Gardner wrote:

Insanity isn't in the pricing, its in buying new/retail:D ....................cars, audio gear, bikes, anything that tanks in value. If it goes down 40% in the first 2 years of ownership, it becomes reasonable in year 3. I find this true regardless of how much the gear costs. 100% of the audio bliss for half the cost is the game I prefer to play.

This is my current plan of attack too. There are several audio shops that have fantastic trade ins. High end, well taken care of, and much cheaper.

Dennis, it was, of all places, Norman Oklahoma, that I heard this set up.
I've been drooling over the Classe' pamplet I picked up there. 80 friggin' pages of reviews and detailed inside and outside photos of the gear.
Audiophile **** at it's best!

Joey_V

sucks2beme wrote:

This is my current plan of attack too. There are several audio shops that have fantastic trade ins. High end, well taken care of, and much cheaper.

Dennis, it was, of all places, Norman Oklahoma, that I heard this set up.
I've been drooling over the Classe' pamplet I picked up there. 80 friggin' pages of reviews and detailed inside and outside photos of the gear.
Audiophile **** at it's best!

My plan of attack too... used is the way to go and if it comes with warranty, then... double wow!

Regarding the Classe brochure... wow! 80 pages!!??

I wan that!

Joey

Dennis Gardner

Ask for the B&W brochure.......it comes with a DVD on the speakers and great DTS sound tracks. I'm holding out for a pair of 800Ds myself with the Classe' 400 watt monoblocks.

Audio Dimensions is way cool. Mr. Kim is in the top 5 B&W dealers in the nation. Super nice guy with a true love for audio. A real immigrant with a dream story.

mantis

F1nut wrote:

It's all perspective. $5k isn't that much for what you get, an excellent CDP.

Oh yeah, I haven't heard a B&W speaker I liked.

I assume you haven't heard many of them. I would love to own 802D's. What a hell of a speaker. Man if I only had room in my budget for them....

Dan

F1nut

Never assume, Dan.

venomclan

I listened to some 800D's using Mark Levinson amps, really nice sound. I later heard some 803D's using Lexicon gear, not so good. The dealer later sent the 803D's back to the factory for testing to see if something was wrong. Turned out the Lexicon gear did not have strength to run them well enough. Gear makes a difference and Classe is top notch.

One thing that irks me about the D series is that not only are they 40% more than their predeccesor, but the Diamond tweeters are very fragile. I know a few guys that blew them and paid anywhere from $1000-$2000 to replace each tweeter. That is insane. Warranty did not cover it because his amp blew a channel and shattered the tweeter. When my tweeter blew it was $100.
Venom

shack

I've demoed lots of B&Ws and never cared much for any of them. I have heard the 801s and 802s very briefly. Good gear (McIntosh) but a bad room. They sounded good but not great. Set up right in a good room they should be much better thant the 300, 600, 700 and CM series I've listened to. Those series have always come across as to bright, sterile, harsh....whatever. Just not to my liking.

Joey_V

LIke I said... it's all about the electronics now. With speakers as good and full of potential like the 802Ds, feed it great electronics and they respond in full force.

Joey