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Heard a $40K rig yesterday - pretty impressive


richieb

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A local brick mortar A/V is calling it quits and I took advantage buying what I am sure is one of a last few new Samsung plasma big screens. In the "big room" - B&W Nautilus 802D, Classe 600 watt monoblocks, AR tube hybrid preamp, high end table, cables, DAC etc. totaling around $40-45K. I must say where most of us here have good if not great sounding rigs, me included, this level of gear is in a different league. And yes it sounds very, very good. Extremely clean, crisp, almost too much bass to the point of bloat but an effortless hi end sound. A real clinic on hi end "hi fi" presentation. Whatever the hell that might be. Through it all each piece showed tremendous build, engineering quality. No doubts there.

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I've seen and heard lots of different speakers and systems over the years and the only speakers that ever made me stop and scratch my head were a pair of B&W's. I'm not sure the exact model but the owner just kind of chuckled as I stared in almost disbelieve. He said, "well, that's what 12K will get you."

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As they say...pics or it didn't happen.

Didn't happen I guess - ain't going back

Maybe this will help -

Picture -

A stack of 7500 single $ in front of each speaker

A stack of 6500 single $ in front of each amp

A stack of 6000 single $ in front of the preamp

And just sprinkle the rest around for effect. Paint a picture --?

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When I used to live in Naperville, Il there is a store that has a room with acoustic treatments & the BW diamonds with classé mono blocks as well.... It did sound nice... But I felt it had a very relaxed, almost veiled sound. It would have been awesome for Jazz or something like that I think... But it didn't give me the feeling of being in the audience of a concert.. It made me feel like I was listening to a very nice stereo setup.

I like a touch of the in your face.... Which Klipsch has in spades..

The BW's were pretty.. That's for sure. But I could spend 40k on many other things & still have a killer set up.

** note ** when the fella's that worked there asked what I currently had as a setup.. They turned their noses up at me as if I wasn't worthy..

So.. That left a poor taste for B&W to me..

Edited by MercedesBerater
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A local brick mortar A/V is calling it quits and I took advantage buying what I am sure is one of a last few new Samsung plasma big screens. In the "big room" - B&W Nautilus 802D, Classe 600 watt monoblocks, AR tube hybrid preamp, high end table, cables, DAC etc. totaling around $40-45K. I must say where most of us here have good if not great sounding rigs, me included, this level of gear is in a different league. And yes it sounds very, very good. Extremely clean, crisp, almost too much bass to the point of bloat but an effortless hi end sound. A real clinic on hi end "hi fi" presentation. Whatever the hell that might be. Through it all each piece showed tremendous build, engineering quality. No doubts there.

 

I had a B&W system that was more expensive than that.  I prefer the Palladiums.  Easier to drive. 

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I have ben in there in the past.....a little high on the prices but they are in the 1% area of Kansas. I did not care for the store kinda stuck on them selves. I always thought accent sound was better in fact I bought Klipsch RB-35s from them for my son. PS  [ If your going to Kansas just remember they do not require license to carry a concealed  gun so every nut over there has one in his pocket now.] 

Edited by ricktate
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There are basically only three systems that made me say "another league" and that was a Tidal system, Legacy Whisper system, and a Scanea system. I've heard the 802's with Classe and Bryston preamp and they are very impressive - but another league, not quite, trade off's - for sure, but compared to other $7k to $20k speakers - same league. 

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A lot of times when I am back in Ohio, I go to this high end audio shop to listen to the Focal Grand Utopia and some of the other high end gear like Boulder amps.  The stuff looks awesome and sound good but, come on, look at the price tag. Some of these setups are over 150 k. check these mono blocks out. http://www.boulderamp.com/3050-p1.html

post-50685-0-54200000-1450380388_thumb.p

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It is not just about the price of high end gear, it is also what you can sell them for down the road on Audiogon.  Offer the guy at the store $11,000 with tax for the B&W 802's.  listen to them for awhile and resell them on audiogon for a profit. 

 

https://app.audiogon.com/listings/full-range-b-w-bowers-wilkins-802-diamond-d2-piano-black-mint-condition-2015-11-25-speakers-06483-seymour-ct

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I had a B&W system that was more expensive than that.  I prefer the Palladiums.  Easier to drive.

I beleive it... I heard your Palladiums in person.

You need to here my new set up brotha... sounding very good right now.

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A local brick mortar A/V is calling it quits and I took advantage buying what I am sure is one of a last few new Samsung plasma big screens.

 

I've got one of those too (60-inch F8500).  Sweet picture. Inky blacks.

Edited by psg
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