B&W 800 Series for mix and/or master

[bass man]

Hi

I am looking for new pair of speakers for mixing and was wondering how are the 800 series working for mix and mastering ?

Not the nautilus series but 800 series :

800D,801D,802D,803D,803S,804S,805S .

Or should i check genelec 8040 or Dynaudio BM15

Thanks

[Blackwater]

Get the 805S and never look back. They changed my life a couple years ago.

[lerone]

804s get the job done for me very well indeed. Haven't personally heard the 805s, but if the 804's are anything to go by, they should be a fine set of loudspeakers. Checkout the lavry black DAC too. Its not quite the gold, but the margin is very narrow and I don't think you could get a better performance to cost ratio full stop!

[bass man]

How do they compare to genelecs 8040 or Bm 15 passives ?
What about 803 , i got a good deal on them ?

[Audiop]

Since you are looking for speakers in that price range and live where you live I would suggest at least checking out Ino Audio or Guru Pro Audio:

i've been monitoring horizontal

This is speakers on another level.

/Peter

[lerone]

Originally Posted by bass man

How do they compare to genelecs 8040 or Bm 15 passives ?
What about 803 , i got a good deal on them ?

the dynaudios and the genelecs aint even near the same league. The 803s would be worth getting if you can get a good deal.

Toby

[captainj]

I use 805s after trying many different monitors and I'm extremely happy. I have never heard more detail and better imaging.

The thing with 800 series speakers is that they require great amplification (not just high power/current) in order to sound great (more so than any other speakers I have tried).

[Cameron Johnson]

I've always been a big fan of the 802's, but I hear that the 805's are a league of their own.

[Benmrx]

I've got 805's here as well as Mackie HR824's. I use the 824's 90% of the time. I just don't get how someone can mix on the 805's. The imaging is great!, but the overall sonic picture is pretty "shady" IMO. I can't hear the mids at all on 805's. My problem is that everything sounds good on 'em, and they don't tell me where the "problems" are. The Mackie's are like NS10's on crack to me, and nasty problems are only too obvious. The low bottom on the 824's is pretty weak though, and I'll usually go to the 805's for double checking that area.

[Svens]

I have B&W 801 Matrix series 2 and I'll never sell em. Great sound...Very easy to mix on them for me, real earopeners for me. What I mix in the studio translates great everywhere, couldnt manage that with other speakers. Keep in mind that you need space to let them do their thing.

[bass man]

So far i got really great deals on 803 and 804 S but i cant test them ....
I am still skeptical about mixing on HI FI home speakers . What the poster sad they just sound too good to be able to find the problems in the mix - mastering ....
Any more opinions on 804 S what would you pay for it ( 2nd hand great shape)

[PKatis]

I have been mixing on B&W 805s for the last several years, and I think they are great. I completely disagree that everything sounds good on them. I like them because they make you work. Once it's right, they sound great. IMHO, they make Genelecs sound really cheap.

I have Dynaudio Acoustic M3s, ProAc Studio 100s, NS10s and the B&W 805s. I reference all of them, but I work on the 805s about 90% of the time. I would describe their sound as more natural than most studio nearfields. Their frequency response is flat and smooth, top to bottom, not hyped and not scooped. I do admit that the mids are a bit mellow but not in a problematic way. The low end is big and round but does not go especially far down. The ProAc 100s sound thinner in the normal lows but go deeper.

Anyway, I think they're great!

[bass man]

Thanks guys

Anybody use the 804 S ?

[bforest4]

I have 801's, 802's, Adam S3A's, Dynaudio M1's. I love the B&W's, but usually just use them for listening to music, and as a quick 2nd reference while mixing, and they have been a mastering standard for quite awhile. I mix on the S3A's. In a perfect world you would have Adam S3A's for mixing, and B&W's for mastering. The B&W's definitely reveal overcompressed, harsh sounding CD's - U2, Smashing Pumpkins and alot of super loud modern rock don't sound good on them. Steely Dan, Sheryl Crow, Shawn Colvin, Bjork, Depeche Mode, NIN (Downward Spiral) all sound amazing on the B&W's.

[lerone]

Originally Posted by Benmrx

I've got 805's here as well as Mackie HR824's. I use the 824's 90% of the time. I just don't get how someone can mix on the 805's. The imaging is great!, but the overall sonic picture is pretty "shady" IMO. I can't hear the mids at all on 805's. My problem is that everything sounds good on 'em, and they don't tell me where the "problems" are. The Mackie's are like NS10's on crack to me, and nasty problems are only too obvious. The low bottom on the 824's is pretty weak though, and I'll usually go to the 805's for double checking that area.

Wow, you really suprise me there. I wouldn't even touch a master with HR824s. Id be more than happy to work on the 805's. The mackies just don't sound very serious to me, at least not in comparison to 'proper' loudspeakers. Personally I'd say that the 800 series in general, won't make anything that sounds shite sound good, quite the opposite in fact. One mans meat though....

[Teddy Ray]

Originally Posted by Cameron Johnson

I've always been a big fan of the 802's, but I hear that the 805's are a league of their own.

802s here. I dont see myself switching. They do everything right..