B W monitors too bright?

I also own the 802N and they are neutral from top to bottom. I would not characterize them as bright or flabby at all.

Paired with a Plinius 8150 integrated I found them just a tiny bit bright. I've also heard them with lesser electronics and then they do sound bright, as mentioned in other posts....or it could be me. I like speakers like Vandersteen and Vienna Acoustics which tend to sound darker.

I would second sugarbrie's comments. I have found the cdm series to be both revealing but highly listenable. The overall balance is often a derivative of upstream electronics, and with reasonably high quality-not excessively expensive-the B&W's are very rewarding imho.

I've auditioned the N805s with a Sony ES receiver (don't recall model) followed by Rotel amp (RMB985) preamp (RSP976)setup. The Sony made the 805s sound thin and somewhat on the bright side. The Rotel setup was completely different....big soundstage, decent imaging, solid bass, not bright at all.....overall warm sounding. I've also auditioned the 802s with an all McIntosh front end. The sound was not bright at all. In fact, the bass was too forward for my taste. I'd consider changes in your front end. Good luck.

I don't think you can generalize. There does seem to me to be something aggressive in the upper midrange of the 801N which I found to be completely missing in the 802N, for example. I heard both at different times paired with the Classe Omega and Levinson 332(?). If the 801Ns had had the 802Ns balances, or the 802Ns the 801Ns over-all presence, I would have bought one or the other. I thought they were quite different, however, and anyone who thinks the 801s are just big 802s, or the opposite, is going to be disagreeably surprised if they don't listen carefully to both.