First impressions

[streamy]

@Streamy: these phantom speakers would be as good as, even better than a pair of speakers at 15 K€?
It is quite surprising. A bit crazy.

Can you describe your impressions on the comparaison between both of them (phantom vs B&W 802 D)?
It could be really interesting to put words on what you feel are the main differences.

Thanks. ?

Fred

Hi Fred,
First, I do not own the newest B&W 802 Diamond but the first, original 802 made in 1980! They are still  fully intact, but are from a technological point of view oldtimers. Now to a brief description how I experience the difference, by the way confirmed by a good friend. The soundstage is way broader and sharper on the Phantoms. The 802s have stronger, louder mid tone 300-1.500 Hz, so they sound warmer. This has an advantage when listening to voices and violin. Piano is great on the 802s. But, the attack is better on the Phantoms. And as the most important in switching A-B at same perceived volume the 802s are like packed into a small box compared to the Phantoms that open up. On both ends it sounds as you would gain an octave. This was really a strange experience. My B&W 802 sounded like a pocket radio compared to the Phantoms. Trebble is known on B&W to be smooth, silky and fine. Here the Phantoms are more pronounced, but never harsh. For me the hights sound very linear, present but not overly expressed. So as it should be. Good or worse recordings are unveiled immediately by the Phantoms. I hope sound engineers will use them for making new productions. Like this they could keep in modern genres more dynamics, knowing that new generation speakers can reproduce the sound.