B and W speakers Vs VR 965

[Dleighton@DPEF.com]

I have a pair of Boston Acoustics VR 965 (w/ power sub) and a Integra 5.4 receiver. I was thinking of upgrading the speakers to a set of 803/804 B and W speakers. Do you think it is worth it? The room is 17X19.

[JSE]

I have a pair of Boston Acoustics VR 965 (w/ power sub) and a Integra 5.4 receiver. I was thinking of upgrading the speakers to a set of 803/804 B and W speakers. Do you think it is worth it? The room is 17X19.

The 803 and 804 are going to be a step up in terms of overall quality. They are also a lot more money. I have the Boston VR 965 towers and I love them. I am completely happy with them. BUT, I am not sure I would pass up a chance to get the 803 if I was willing to spend the money.

Whether it's "worth it" is up to you. One thing, if you do upgrade, I see more upgrades in terms of components. You will definitely get a bad case of upgraditis.

JSE

[topspeed]

Cartman, err JSE brings up a huge point. The Nauts are notoriously picky about what you use to drive them and can present some rather dramatic load swings to an amp. I'm not saying your Integra won't drive them, you simply won't get the best out of them without a considerable upgrade to your front end. Their transparency is a double-edged sword in that it reveals the best the recording and associated equipment can provide while also exacerbating any deficiencies in the chain. It's a b!tch*.

Again, only you can tell if it would be worth the upgrade. You don't say what you DON'T like about your Boston's so it's hard to say whether the B&W's are the right move. I can say that to really upgrade your rig, you'd better be ready to upgrade your front end to align with your speakers.

Good luck and buy what moves you.



*Wow. Automatic Censoring. Interesting.

[Dleighton@DPEF.com]

2 more questions:
Do you think that the integra 7.1 or 8.1 will make a difference to power them?

Also, I was looking at the in wall CDS6 B&W's. This is for a home theater. Is the 804 overkill?

Thanx for all your help

[JSE]

2 more questions:
Do you think that the integra 7.1 or 8.1 will make a difference to power them?

Also, I was looking at the in wall CDS6 B&W's. This is for a home theater. Is the 804 overkill?

Thanx for all your help

I would probably recc. seperates for the B&W. You can still use your receiver if it has preouts, but you may want to look at a good amp to drive the Nauts. This would be the easiest way to upgrade. You can still use the digital processing of your Integra but power those speakers with a better amp. Again, this is not to say your receiver wil not drive them but I bet you will find that a better amp will really open them up as well as clean up the imperfections they will reveal.

Oh, I doubt the upgrade you mentioned would really make a difference. Again, I would look for an amp You can get some really good deals on used amps if you look. Amps tend to last a long time. They don't become obsolete quickly like A/V receivers.

JSE

[topspeed]

2 more questions:
Do you think that the integra 7.1 or 8.1 will make a difference to power them?

Not one whit. It'll still sound marginal at best. If you're going to spend this much on speakers, you should get separates to drive them properly. Think about it, separate amps have dedicated power supplies, huge transformers, high-end caps, etc. There isn't a receiver made that can compete with a competent stand alone amp.

Also, I was looking at the in wall CDS6 B&W's. This is for a home theater. Is the 804 overkill?

It depends on how seriously you take this. You could save a few dollars and get the 805 or 705 standmounts as there isn't a lot of info in the surround channels anyway. However, if you are planning on listening to a lot of hi-rez multi-channel (SACD/DVD-A), you could make a compelling argument for the N804's or N805's. If this is strictly for HT, I'd consider the in-walls or 705's.

Hope this helps

[sahd1972]

I would have to agree except about the inwalls. I would completely avoid the hassle they cause and the poor quality of sound compare to the 705's and definitely the Naut's. Though B&W make great inwalls they do not compare at all with "regular" speakers. If you want to wall mount and and get the surround high the Naut SCM1 are pretty decent and if I am correct a little cheaper than the 805's when you consider adding in their stands. Also the DS7's are good but I am not sure about tonal match. The DS7's do have one advantage over the NAut's and that is they are dipoles which makes a huge difference in the surround sound experience.