Tannoy D80 638 vs B&W 683 S2 vs B&W DM1400

T

the_brow

Member
I recently purchased a Primaluna Prologue 2 integrated tube amp (40 wpc) and now I am looking to upgrade my speakers as my current Castle Knight 1 are not doing it justice. I listen to mostly vinyl on this system.


These 3 are available nearby and I was hoping to get some thoughts on the following:
Tannoy D80 638 (I have not been able to find a lot of information on these).
B&W 683 S2
B&W DM1400

I like a deep rich sound with lots of character and a nice deep but not boomy bass. The 683 S2 is more than I want to spend but if they are worth it I can make it work. The DM1400 seem really cool and seem to have the rich sound I am looking for however I don't know if they will be a good match for my amp. I've read that they can be power hungry but I think my amp can power them well enough.

Any help would be appreciated. I'm leaning towards the DM1400 right now because I can get them for a good price, around $400. The D80 is double that price and the 683 is about $1000.
 
You may try some high sensitivity 12" or 15" old Tannoy paper cone speakers, their sound are deep rich and very easy to drive by your 40 watts tube amp.
 
I have a pair of original B&W 683. I love their sound, the FST midrange is phenomenal! However in my experience they crave power, I am bi-amping them using 4 discrete channels of my LPA-1. For a while I had them connected to a true 80Wpc Sony TA AX500 integrated amp which would go into protection just as the volume began to get exciting. I don't think 40Wpc is going to do them justice. $1K is a good price for a pair of 683 S2, I paid $1500 new for mine and they do everything right for my ears, but if you are looking for something to match your tube amp I don't think these are going to be it. Good luck in your search!
 
If it were me, I'd probably be looking towards the DM1400's, but I haven't heard that model before, so. The thing is, if the 683 uses the same tweeter (and maybe midwoofer) as the 685, you'll really want to try and listen to them first, before you buy. The 685 is a bit polarizing in terms of the reviews and comments I've read. Plus, I like the look of DM1400.

For 40wpc of tube power, you should also look into the old Wharfedale models from the '60's (40wpc would be just right for a pair of W70's or W90's). They have a warm, lush, engaging sound with rich, open-sounding mids and ultra-smooth highs, plus they have a very-natural bass response with no overhang. And they have an incredible sense of timbre. The ported W70's and W90's are outstanding speakers for classic funk and soul music. James Brown, Isaac Hayes, Stevie Wonder, Sly & The Family Stone, etc. Equally-good with classic rock/pop. And jazz and classical are no problem either. Old blues stuff from the '70's and earlier is especially-good.

A pair of Wharfedale E70's or E90's would also do well 40wpc of tube power. They're from the late '70's, but oddly-enough, they were still designed for tube gear. Like the W70's and W90's I mentioned, the E70's and E90's were high-end. Cast-framed drivers with big magnets.

The modern Wharfedales I have (Denton reissues from 2012) are 6ohm and 86dB sensitive, so they make the transformers in my 30wpc Fisher 800C run much hotter than they do when powering my OLD Wharfedales, which are all 8ohms and probably have a sensitivity rating of 93-95dB.
 
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ok, new guy here 1st post -- I've had various BW since late 80s initially using Yamaha receivers in the 50 to 100 wpc range. I still have DM 220s which are little larger than the 1400/14s range is 30Hz — 22KHz so they go real low and with heavily damped and well-braced cabinets. 14 are bookshelf size. I also own 603 S2s predecessor to 683 and 602s for AV System. These are brighter and more responsive. I picked up a MC250 recently and that drives the 603s and 220s fine at a rated 50wpc. Good luck!
 
I'm leaning towards the DM1400 they are the cheapest but will likely require a cap job. but the D80s are intriguing. very little info on them
 
Yeahh real life.
But IMO Cheapest should Never be in the consideration equation.
It Will lead to regrets/replacement..
B&W's in my experiences can be Quite Good OR quite bad. Performances/SQ is all over the map.. Model and age dependent... cut 'n try basically.
Those tannoys read as interesting, nothing like a Pair of Golds though.. but fairly affordable at least.
And their Dual concentric design, despite being a 'reduced' version. Is a whole planet better sounding than say the KEF uni Q thing as example
Seriously suggest : NEVER buy a speaker without spending a Few hours listening.
 
Go listen to them ??
Without auditioning... a Speaker is Wayyy too much like buying a bride by simply picking out her photo in a catalogue
 
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