B&W 803 Diamond and other contenders

Editor,

I just finished reading your review on the B&W 803 Diamonds, and it seemed as if you liked them, which is good because I'm seriously thinking of purchasing a pair shortly. Have you been able to listen to the Thiel CS3.7?  If not, have you heard anything from friends, or articles in which you have formed an opinion? What do you think of the Legacy brand; I think they are based out of California?

At present I have older Polk speakers, LS90s. I don't use a sub, and trust me, with these I don't need to. However, they lack midrange, and separation and detail in the highs. I was amazed by the B&W CM9, let alone the 803. I'm a music buff across the board. The speakers will be for music, not movies. 

Sorry for such a long e-mail, but I'm having a difficult time getting unbiased opinions. Thank you for any information you can share with me.

Regards,
Michael Hibbert

The B&W 803 Diamond is a really good speaker across the board. It is one of those products that will provide a great ownership experience from the packing to the build quality to the accessories and then finally, of course, the performance with your favorite music. Can you do better? Yes, though I'm not sure how much better you can do anywhere near the price.

As for Legacy, I've heard them at shows but never in my room, so I don’t know how they would compare overall. The Focus line does seem to offer a good value from what I can see. As for the Thiels, I have heard them sound quite good on some occasions, though I've been disappointed at others. However, I guess that's usually the case with loudspeakers, where setup is critical. Do I think you should hear them for comparison's sake? Absolutely. Thiel is another company that builds a lot of value into their products. . . . Jeff Fritz