B&W 805 D3


Does anybody here own the B&W 805 D3? I just happen to read about this new model although it was launched sometime last year. Apparently the long-surviving Kevlar driver had been replaced by the new Continuum driver in the all new 800-diamond series now in their 3rd generation. Is the new Continuum driver a huge departure in sound quality from the previous B&W models which are on the Kevlar?

Is there a significant difference going from the following iterations :-

Nautilus 805 => 805S => 805 Diamond => 805 D2 => 805 D3 (new Continuum driver)

Any thoughts would be appreciated.


ryder

Speaker technology has changed dramatically yearly. Going forward with the use of different materials and computer has really allowed the engineer to generate better sounding speakers across the whole spectrum.

Yes, 805 D3 will have a significant different in sound and technology than the N805.

It would be an excellent opportunity to buy a pair of the older 805's on the cheap.
Has technology evolved?  Definitely.  Is there a "huge" difference in sound...that's a very difficult question, that each person has to hear for themselves.   I did an audition, and the difference wasn't huge in any context of the word, at least to my ears.

I've owned the N805 and 805 Signatures, and did a lengthy audition in a well-treated and equipped room between the 805 D2 and 805 D3.  Did the D3 sound different - yes it did.  But the difference was not "huge", to my ears and my perception.  There's another thread here about these speakers and I'll post here what I posted there on the same topic - my immediate reaction, after hearing the D2 and D3 side by side, was that I imagined buyers might use the D3 introduction as an opportunity to pick up D2 models on sale.    They were close enough that the D3 introduction seemed to me to be a great chance to get D2 on clearance.  If I was going to make a purchase that day, that's how I'd have gone.   Interestingly, out of the three of us (Magnolia rep, myself, my wife), both the rep and I preferred the D2 and my wife the D3 so she was outnumbered :-)

Short story long, I like Jafant's post before me - 805s on the cheap seems a great move.  They were fantastic when they were introduced, and still are today - all the technology in the D3 doesn't minimize how good the originals were and still are. 
I agree with bcgator.  After auditioning 802D3, I decided to grab 800D2. To my ears 802D3 were not substantially better to warrant their somewhat hefty asking price.  

Now this may not be a fair comparison but since my dealer so eloquently claimed that new 802D3 rivaled the performance of 800D2.  Well not to my ears, 800D2 was bit more transparent and offered much tighter bass.  The mid-range on both speakers were equally good.  

I still own a pair of 803s. IMO, B&W made biggest improvements from Nautilus to S series and then to Diamond D1 & D2's. 

If money is no object by all means grab the D3. Otherwise, any used D2 series speakers are easily the best bargains in already over crowded world of high end speakers.