Quote Originally Posted by jdm56
Being a new B&W owner, I of course was interested in this thread. And it's turned out to be quite lively, to say the least! Funny how heated discussions about audio can get.

I have not heard the new 800D, or any of the newest 800 line, so I can't comment about them, but I would like to offer an opinion about B&W and value. In my limited experience, I find B&W to offer competitive value at most price points, if you really closely compare. I have not heard the 300 series, but I find the 600's to be very competitive in their class. And also the 700's. The 700's may seem overpriced at first glance, but if you consider driver and cabinet quality, and all-around performance, I feel they are competitive, although perhaps less so than the 600's. The 800N series are, IMO simply the most refined, technologically solid speakers on the market. No hocus-pocus, no bs, just pure engineering expertise. Although they are pretty much all out of my price range, I do lust after them!

So far, I've just dealt with performance, engineering, and build quality issues, and just on those terms alone I think B&W offers fair value. But then, you have to factor in some of the less tangible things that effect value. For example, I value conservatism in a loudspeaker manufacturer. I don't like flavor-of-the-week, market-driven companies that change out speaker lines like I change the oil in my car. I also value doing business with a company that has been around awhile, and that I have confidence in to be around a long while to come. Resale value, as someone mentioned, is also something to consider. And B&W is extremely strong in that area too.

So to me, if you look at the big picture, B&W definitely does offer competitive value across most of it's line. My 703's certainly aren't the cheapest thing in their size class, but in their quality class, I think they're darned hard to beat!
I fully respect your position because it's well thought out, clear and honest. Good for you...when you approach equipment shopping in this manner you'll never be sorry...BTW I've spend at least 4 or 5 hours with the 800D and they are very special indeed...but I think it's the 20K part that I get stuck on....


Peace and well written post, Pogue