Waiting on 802D3 to arrive -- Will I need a sub?

@dekay --> yup. Thanks for asking. Best Buy Magnolia bought back the 804d2's I had purchased from them a couple of years back. Couple that with opening a credit line from them with 3 years no interest and a couple of other sweeteners and ... well, I pulled the trigger. So they will pick up the 804d2s when they deliver the 802d3s. To your comment specifically, I still had 5K cash set aside for the preamp which is what the other post was really about (As an update to that I've ordered the PS Audio BHK Signature Preamplifier which has yet to come in).

Thanks for everyone's posts today about the subwoofer topic. I did a lot of critical listening today with my DAC connected directly to the Pass Labs feeding my 804d2.  They sound a lot better than they did with the emotiva xpa-2 I recently sold. I would describe the sounds as more transparent and warmer. It felt less brassy to me. The low-range of the 804 sounded nice, but they definitely need a sub.  It will be interesting for me to see if the 802d3 circumvent that need.

I think the advice is solid that I need to just get the 802's setup before deciding if I will need to get new subs. I heard that advice loud and clear and that absolutely makes sense.  I'll be sure to report back!

Thanks again for the great comments and feedback. It's been truly valuable and most appreciated!

@shadorne Is that for the 802D3?  That scared me a bit, but when I went to the measurements on sterophile, I see a different graph that is a bit flatter.  

https://www.stereophile.com/images/616BW802fig3.jpg

Thanks!

I want to just thank everyone for all the input and advice.  I've thoroughly enjoyed hearing folks from both camps. You all are certainly experts with well thought out opinions.  The one thing that is truly clear is that at the end of the days it will be left in the 'ears' of the beholder.  The 802d3s arrive on Tuesday of next week, so I'll know what suits my ears soon enough. 

The deal to sell my two B&W ASWCM10 (not the cm2 mind you) subs fell through, so I actually still have them.  I'll just hold on to them so I can do some a/b testing with them.  I don't know if they will do justice to the towers the way a b&W flagship sub like a DB-1D would but at least I'll have them to make that call here shortly for myself.

Again, I've enjoyed the hell out of this conversation and send a heartfelt thanks out for some seriously great engagement on the topic from this community.  Thanks for the help!

awww.  Thanks... NOW I'm with you, ha ha.

Hi @timlub --> I'm with you but just fyi.. we are talking about 802D3 :)

@gat3 -> regarding your comment on power required for the 802d3: Your passlabs 350.5 are significantly larger than the passlabs xa60.8 I have. Do you think the 60.8 will do justice to the speaker?

Good point @timlub — will do!

@gcobb22  --> you just voiced by current biggest fear. I just purchased the two Pass Labs XA60.8 here on Audiogon  two weeks back so they are brand new to me.  That is actually what started this whole revamp of my system. I then ordered the 802D3's which are to be delivered this Tuesday. I've been somewhat concerned that I've gone and gotten too much speaker for the amps.  If that turns out to be the case then it will have been a very expensive mistake to be sure. There's no undo on those amps though, so I need to find a way to live with them for a good long while. Thanks for the feedback! 

@joey_v -> Sorry about that.  Your posts have been very valuable. I'm sorry I didn't respond directly, but I was definitely listening to your posts and hanging on to every word. The fact that you own the 802d3 plus have the additional experience of the 800's is really a great testament to my expectations.

I don't have space in my room the way that it's oriented to accommodate the 800D3. I may be pushing it with the 802's even. I'm going to try to link to a photo I just took to illustrate.  I think the 802's are going to fill that space to each side of the cabinet with nary any room to spare.  If I ever did need subs then I think I'd have to think about installing them sidewall.  

In the photo, if this works.. there are the 804D2's I have now.  I have an appointment window on Tuesday for the 802D3's. 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/cd7waxvxb3sgews/IMG_0643.JPG?dl=0

Thanks for all your feedback. I'm also glad to hear that you feel like I won't have any issues with the 60.8 driving them!

Thanks,
Bryce

Thanks @joey_v !  

You are right about the chair and the sofa.. both from dwr :)

"...I run the 802D3 with a Boulder 2060..."

I want to be you when I grow up! ha ha

@auxinput, you and several others who told me not to worry were absolutely right in regards to the Pass Labs amp power. These XA60.8 monoblocks have no problem at all driving the B&W 802D3's. There is MORE than enough power to drive them. I've found that I've been sitting with the volume around 45-50 (out of 100) on the preamp for my listening sessions so far. If I get the volume above 65-70 then it's really too loud to listen to for any length of time. 75+ is enough to get the cops called on me, ha! 

For the first few hours after getting the 802's, I kept the dual B&W ascm10s subs in the room using the highlevel inputs. I would listen to music with them on and with them off.  I tweaked and played with the levels, phase, extension, etc.. but I didn't feel that those particular subs added anything at all to the sound.  The 802's frequency response is just as low as that of the subs, but I thought that it might help with pressurizing the room or giving some extra oomph to the low bass.  I just didn't pick that up at all with my ears and thus removed the subs (and quickly sold here on Audiogon).

These 802's have no problem handling musical bass in my space. They hit low enough to shake the room when I ask them to. In running bass sweeps, my neighbor (and best friend) who was inside his kitchen texted me saying that he could tell I was enjoying the new speakers. 

That all said.. I do also use the space for some television and movie watching (maybe 30%) and am currently somewhat infatuated with the Dolby vision content on my LG OLED also in the room.  For movie watching, I am thinking about adding in an ultralow sub (maybe a B&W DB2D or a Funk Audio 21.0L) just for home theater but I'm pretty certain that no sub would ever be warranted in this space for discerning music listening. I'm always experimenting though so of course I would test that out, ha.

Again.. let me say I have enjoyed all the feedback from the community here.  This thread ended up making the popular conversations section!  I'm kinda proud, lol.  Thank you to everyone who gave me advice and contributed to this great discussion.  

Ps.  I ended up with a different preamp.  The PS Audio that I thought I was going to integrate ended up being on backorder. So after much research, I decided to go with a Mcintosh C1100.  I couldn't be happier.  It's a beauty and enhances the sound of my system.  I tested going directly from the DAC into the amps and then putting the McIntosh between them and love what the C1100 adds to the overall sound.

Pss.  I'm going to post some photos for you guys to show how things turned out in my next post.

Thanks bluesy41

and @joey_v -> as promised :)

Here is a photo of how it all turned out:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/y9k440vblmme900/brycethomason.jpg

Final (I think) equipment list:

Preamp:
McIntosh C1100

Amplifiers:
PassLabs XA60.8 Monoblock L
PassLabs XA60.8 Monoblock R

Speakers:
Bowers-Wilkins 802D3 L
Bowers-Wilkins 802D3 R

Inputs:
PS Audio DirectStream Junior (DAC)
Apple TV 4K
VPI Traveler 2
Audio Technica AT33EV Phonograph Cartridge

Power:
PS Audio P5 Power Plant L
PS Audio P5 Power Plant R

Television:
LG Oled 65" 4K - OLED65B7A

Connects:
Hero 1.5 Meter Copper Analog Interconnect: Balanced Pair (Preamps to Amps)
Hero 1.5 Meter Copper Analog Interconnect: Balanced Pair (DAC to Preamp)
Bluejeans Cable? (Turntable to Preamp)
Audioquest Cinnamon 3M Optilink (Television to DAC)
AudioQuest Vodka HDMI 2M (AppleTV to Television)
Audioquest 6’ Rocket 33 (Amps to Speakers)

Pwr Cables:
Pangea Audio AC9SE MKII 1.5M (Outlet to P5 regenerator L)
Pangea Audio AC9SE MKII 1.5M (Outlet to P5 regenerator R)
Pangea Audio AC9SE MKII 1M (P5 regenerator L to Amp L)
Pangea Audio AC9SE MKII 1M (P5 regenerator R to Amp R)
Pangea Audio 14SE MKII .6M (P5 regenerator L to DAC)
Pangea Audio 14SE MKII .6M (P5 regenerator R to Preamp)

Other:
AC Infinity Aircom S8 17" quiet cooling fan L
AC Infinity Aircom S8 17" quiet cooling fan R

@Auxinput --> if you are ever in Atlanta let me know and you can stop by and have a listen, but they are actually 802's :)

I see this thread was revived, so let me just post a follow-up.  I kept the system exactly as described above for 45 days and did some great listening. There were moments of pure nirvana for me. That said, I did end up adding a Bowers-Wilkins DV2D single sub to the system. I think it came down to personal taste and auditioning with and without the subwoofer in the mix, I always favored it with the sub. 

The DV2D blends perfectly with the 802D3 (as you would fully expect). It sounds great both with the music I listen to and with movies alike. 

I don't have anything on the shopping list now, which is amazing.  I think I'm going to be happy with this for quite sometime.  Final list of my quest: 

Preamp
  McIntosh C1100
 
Amplifiers
  PassLabs XA60.8 Monoblock L
  PassLabs XA60.8 Monoblock R

Speakers
  Bowers-Wilkins 802D3 L
  Bowers-Wilkins 802D3 R
  Bowers-Wilkins DV2D
 
Inputs
  PS Audio DirectStream Junior (DAC)
  Apple TV 4K
  VPI Traveler 2
  Audio Technica AT33EV Phonograph Cartridge
  Sony Playstation 4 Pro Console
 
Power
  PS Audio P5 Power Plant L
  PS Audio P5 Power Plant R