Awful sound from B&W's: Break In needed?

I completely agree with Bojack. Run in the speakers for a few weeks. If you don't like their sound after that, replace the speakers with something else instead of trying to fix the problem by changing the rest of your system. There are a lot of options to the B&W.

I had a pair of 703 that I "broke in" for 4 months, still harsh, even with tube gear. I ended up selling them.

i go with 1st impressions,if i hate a peice of gear as soon as i get it its outta here,i had the same experience with b&w speakers,i dont think your sound will change enough if your unhappy right from the start.

Thanks Bojack, Gretsch6120 and Tvad. I'll give them a chance to surprise me...If the sound continues to be harsh after 1o days, I'll do an upgrade to audience 52 or something else. In the $1000-1200 range, which loudspeaker do you think really stands out?

Yes, give them time. If B&W is still using Kevlar drivers, it is pretty stiff out of the box. They also use a rubber material for the surrounds instead of foam, which needs to loosen up.

I own 5 pairs of B&W speakers (out of many more pairs). None of them sound bright and harsh...

B&W speakers also tend to be pretty neutral. So while some say change the speakers again and don't mess with the system (maybe); you could be spending the rest of your life looking for the right speakers to fit what may be a harsh sounding system to start with. What prompted the change in the first place?

It could even be many things in combination, including the sources, cables, even crappy electric power. Your favorite CD for demos may even be poorly recorded, and the old speakers masked it.