Help! Should I buy these B&W speakers? (2024)

First of all, am very happy with my current main speakers, which are Rectilinear III's that I refurbished myself. I am somewhat attached to these, both for sentimental reasons, and because I think they sound great.

Then, along comes a sweet deal on a pair of B&W 802 Series 80 from a friend of a friend. He wants about 1/3 of what I have seen them sell for on Ebay, with some possibility of partial bartering for non audio stuff. They are in good shape, only missing one tweeter cover.

I have a lot of speakers, but I really can't keep 2 pairs of big floor standers. I am going to listen to them this weekend. I'm not sure what I could get if I decided to sell the Rect's, but I could probably offset at least some of the cost of the 802's.

What do I do? Are these 802's gonna be in a whole new league? I've heard great things about them.

Please give me advice!

Here's a pic and info from the web of the model, for reference:

WillVT said:

What do I do? Are these 802's gonna be in a whole new league?

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IMO, yes. Obviously we can't predict how they'll sound to you, but if they're in perfect operating system, I suspect you'll be impressed.

If it’s a friend of a friend, is there any reason you can’t audition them? Have your friend go with you and bring cash so the guy knows you’re not wasting his time. That’s a heavy speaker - you probably wouldn’t want to ship them in any case.

I’ve heard those sound pretty impressive on Coda electronics with a nice vinyl rig, fwiw. It was a long time ago, but as I recall they were capable of prodigious, well-defined bass. They were less impressive on digital and I don’t recall the guy’s digital front end, but I do know he was more into vinyl.

Frankly, I doubt that the Rectilinears could compare, but I also suspect that the B&Ws would start you on an upgrade cycle. They seemed to be fairly demanding of electronics.

Just my opinion. As always, YMMV.

RobRoy said:

To me this is like enjoying your mustang, and finding a good deal on a Camaro.

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More like enjoying your Mustang, then finding a good deal on a Corvette.

2FarGone said:

If it’s a friend of a friend, is there any reason you can’t audition them? Have your friend go with you and bring cash so the guy knows you’re not wasting his time. That’s a heavy speaker - you probably wouldn’t want to ship them in any case.

I’ve heard those sound pretty impressive on Coda electronics with a nice vinyl rig, fwiw. It was a long time ago, but as I recall they were capable of prodigious, well-defined bass. They were less impressive on digital and I don’t recall the guy’s digital front end, but I do know he was more into vinyl.

Frankly, I doubt that the Rectilinears could compare, but I also suspect that the B&Ws would start you on an upgrade cycle. They seemed to be fairly demanding of electronics.

Just my opinion. As always, YMMV.

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I am going to audition them this weekend. My friend is remodeling this guys house. The speakers aren't on the market, so there's no pressure. He has some kind of Integra receiver there that we can hook up and test. Any suggestions with that? Strange as it sounds, I have never auditioned speakers in this way. I have always just bought without listening because something was such a good deal, or free and needed work. I could also bring some kind of amplification I guess.

RobRoy said:

No. It's hard to say no, I'll admit. But I STILL have stuff that is just collecting dust because it was such a good deal and too hard to pass up. If you enjoy buying low and selling high on a fairly regular basis, you may want to get them. To me this is like enjoying your mustang, and finding a good deal on a Camaro. Buying stuff you don't "need" is hard to refuse, when it is your hobby, but for me, at least, I'm getting better at saying no, even to "good deals".

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If I did get these, and like them, they would be a replacement for the Rectilinears, which I would then sell. I have enough stuff collecting dust.

swechsler said:

More like enjoying your Mustang, then finding a good deal on a Corvette.

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Yep. I realized right after I posted that the "mustang v corvette" is the analogy I should have used.

Erik Tracy said:

Just curious, what does 1/3 of Ebay listings and possible bartering translate to in dollars?

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He suggested $450 to start off. We talked about trading some high end wine that I have, so maybe knock off 1-2 hundred? It's a very friendly situation, but he knows they are worth something.

WillVT said:

He suggested $450 to start off. We talked about trading some high end wine that I have, so maybe knock off 1-2 hundred? It's a very friendly situation, but he knows they are worth something.

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If they’re in good operating condition, $450 is indeed a no-brainer. Keep in mind when you audition them however that the Integra receiver may allow you to verify proper operation, but is unlikely to really demonstrate what they sound like. For comparison, when I bought my Odeon La Bohemes it took five years (or more) before I was able to realize their full potential, largely because I had to figure out what they needed to fully achieve it.

It’s a journey for certain, but it’s hard to see how you could go wrong with that deal.

WillVT said:

I am going to audition them this weekend. My friend is remodeling this guys house. The speakers aren't on the market, so there's no pressure. He has some kind of Integra receiver there that we can hook up and test. Any suggestions with that? Strange as it sounds, I have never auditioned speakers in this way. I have always just bought without listening because something was such a good deal, or free and needed work. I could also bring some kind of amplification I guess.

If I did get these, and like them, they would be a replacement for the Rectilinears, which I would then sell. I have enough stuff collecting dust.

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If possible, take some music you are very familiar with. Using a recording that you know how it sounds with your system will enable you to hear differences, good or bad. As long as you're taking an amp, may as well take source material you know well.

WillVT said:

What do y'all think about amplification for these?

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This page says the minimum power required is 80WPC, so the Marantz might just barely be enough. I'd try that first, otherwise, the Carver will definitely have more than enough power.