I find Wilson more harmonic sounding in the bass than B&W. I would call the B&W more accurate but many prefer the warmer sound of Wilson (as many prefer a tube amp)......so it depends what you like...both are, of course, very good speakers.
Wilson W/P 5.1 vs B&W N802
I'm considering one of these two (used) Speakers. My budget is $6K (max). The room is 20'x26'x10'(H) with good acoustics.
I have 2 local Dealers that carry both Wilson and B&W, both insist that the W/P 5.1 is a much better Speaker then the N802 with no comparison between the two. In 1999 B&W launched the N802 and Wilson replaced the W/P 5.1 (6).
I've heard and liked both in the past, (not at the same time, no A vs B).
Are the Dealers right? should I forget abount the N802 and focus my search on the W/P 5.1? Is this a no-brainer (at this price range-between these 2-models)?
Both models appear often enough here on A-gon, so the purchase won't be a problem.
Thanks!
I have 2 local Dealers that carry both Wilson and B&W, both insist that the W/P 5.1 is a much better Speaker then the N802 with no comparison between the two. In 1999 B&W launched the N802 and Wilson replaced the W/P 5.1 (6).
I've heard and liked both in the past, (not at the same time, no A vs B).
Are the Dealers right? should I forget abount the N802 and focus my search on the W/P 5.1? Is this a no-brainer (at this price range-between these 2-models)?
Both models appear often enough here on A-gon, so the purchase won't be a problem.
Thanks!
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- 11 posts total
IMO one of the most overpriced speakers on the market is the WP 5.1 and earlier models. I can't speak to the later models because I haven't heard them. The I heard with Krell electronics in a store in the DC area. It was brittle on the high end and had a pronounced mid-bass hump. Other listeners have reported the same. A pair of Magnepan 3.6's with good electronics is a much better value. |
[email protected] - 1 A/B comparison is more valuable than 10,000 other peoples' opinions. Disregard them all, and decide for yourself. |
For less than $6,000-you could buy a brand-new (discounted) pair of the new Focal/JM Lab 1027 Be Speakers which I have auditioned twice and found to sound amazing, IMO, close to the B&W 802D in detail, imaging & clarity, which I auditioned on the same day. Stereophile magazine recently gave the 1027 Be an "A Rating". A great deal for the money, probably 90+% of the sound of a pair of cost-no- object-Speakers, plus they look nice too. |
- 11 posts total