HELP B&W 802D or Revel Ultima Salon2

Bhobba. Get your facts straight. The upper bass hump is approx. 6db, not 10db. The 4db difference you describe is very large in measurement terms. If your friend measured a 10db hump then the room and/or placement is the problem. I'm not saying the B&W 802D is a purists speaker. It even has a "house" sound but then that can just about be said of any speaker line. My views of the measurements come directly from the Stereophile mag dated Dec. 2005 of which I have in front of me right now. You wonder why so many people go ga ga over them. well maybe they are fine speakers in other people's eye or ears for that matter. Stereophile gave the speakers a Class A rating. The OP wasn't/isn't interested in your preference of speakers. He wanted to find out what the comparison between the 802D and Revel Salon 2 would be. Something you did not address.

The differences between the two speakers will have to he through your ears only. If you can listen to both pairs in the same room with the same appropriate amplification. Both sound great. as a speaker should at that price point.

The constant debate over B&W speakers is nuts. the facts of B&W speakers are this...

1 B&W make their own drivers (alot of the other companies use drivers they buy from other companies)

2 The internal bracing of the cabinets is copied now by alot of the other companies. this is the b&w matrix bracing.

3 b&w's curved back of their speakers is copied by other speaker companies.

4 B&w is known for their accuracy of music reproduction, some may have heard a poor recording on the speakers and think it is the speakers fault. ever seen an older tv show say MASH, on a 1080P tv? it looks like ass, but it is not the tv's fault.

5 b&w is a larger company... everyone would have to agree that if they were a smaller company, their speakers would cost considerably more. So, if anything that should be a positive not a negative.

6 B&W have one of the highest resale prices. that should tell you a lot about the company and the quality of their products.

I believe everyone can agree on these statements, or read them in the numorus reviews. so like them or not, it is what it is.

All of the above is true, and this is why B&W is a premier speaker company. However, I feel the Revels are the better speaker, at a higher price though. For $15000 (retail) you get quite a lot of speaker for the money with the B&Ws. The same can be said for the Revels. So, to me it just depends on what you're looking for in a speaker. The Revels are more neutral and accurate, imo. But, the B&Ws have better bass, imo. It's kind of a toss up, really! lol.

Mr M here is the frequency responce:
http://www.stereophile.com/content/bw-802d-loudspeaker-measurements

People can make up their own mind about the amount of bass hump there is - I describe it as about 10 db from where it dips below 0 db but I won't get into an argument about it. Regardless of how you look at it such a hump is not the mark of a genuinely neutral speaker. All I am doing is pointing out some people don't like them - of which I am one. I could say have you ever thought the reason for that is they are crap - but I won't because I understand from listening to gear over many years with others how much personal preferences comes into it and there is no right or wrong here. All I am pointing out is if you are spending that sort of money you owe it to yourself to listen to other gear in that price range - that's it that's all. Oh and there were quite a few people in this thread that did not address a direct comparison. This often happens when someone posts about two specific products - some posts just address one or speak in general terms.

Thanks
Bill

Baranowski wrote 'The constant debate over B&W speakers is nuts'

Mate there is no debate really - they simply polarize a bit - that's all. Some love em - some find them ho hum for all sorts of reasons. I had a guy over while visiting a friend in Canberra who has the same speakers I have and who had just been at a B&W dealer that was gushing how great they were - he personally couldn't stand them for reasons I will not repeat. He liked my speakers a lot better. But another guy I know wrote me saying he was very concerned about all the negative comments about B&W but loved them - it was giving him pause about pulling the trigger. I had to explain to both there is no right or wrong here - there is a wide variety of tastes in Hi Fi - viva la difference I say.

Hear them and make up you own mind and check out other speakers as well so you have a baseline. Its that simple - nothing hard about it at all. No need for arguments, getting upset or anything.

All the OP needs to know is the B&W's polarize in opinion so be sure they are what you want before getting them.

Thanks
Bill