B&W 802 Diamond, Classé CDP-102, Classé CP500, Classé CA2200, Burmester 038, XLR Mit EXPRO-1, Global TV, brand-name stereo

When I got the call from Mª Jesús, head of Global TV, telling me that she had received B&W's 802 Diamond (not to be confused with the 802D), part of the ninth generation of B&W's 800 Series, I won't deny how interested I was in being able to write this article for you. I had heard and read so much about these loudspeakers that I was eager to listen to them so that I could share my impressions and opinions of them with you and, of course, of the system that would accompany them. When B&W starts up its marketing machine, the volume of information it provides is so enormous that, as someone who does this for a living, I cannot help succumbing to the curiosity of checking for myself whether the expectations match reality.

GLOBAL TV

Located in Majadahonda, very close to Madrid, Global TV opened in 1994 and has since become a benchmark for all enthusiasts in the capital. It stands out for its large premises and its many and varied rooms, which allow any necessary test to be carried out, in both stereo and multichannel. Today, Mª Jesús, who owns the store together with her husband, Julio de la Orden, runs the company, along with a large team who are very attentive to visitors.

As always, Mª Jesús welcomed me with her permanent smile and left me in the company of Juan Luis Rodríguez, one of the store's audio specialists, who was with me throughout the listening session and with whom I was able to exchange views on various aspects of the session we present here. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank him for his friendliness and, why not say it, his patience.

The system he had prepared for us consisted of a Classé CDP-102 CD player, a Classé CP-500 stereo preamplifier, a Classé CAP-2200 power amplifier, B&W 802 Diamond loudspeakers and a Burmester 038 power conditioner, all connected with an XLR Mit EXPRO-1 interconnect and Mit Shotgun S3 cables.

As you can see, a system with a genuine B&W flavor. The loudspeakers were undoubtedly the stars of the system, and they also featured a black lacquer finish, previously unseen from the British company.

THE ROOM

Everything was perfectly set up in one of the rooms Global has on its lower floor, whose dimensions (about 30 m2) and preparation are ideal for stereo listening in the greatest comfort. Even so, the sight of an exposed brick wall right behind the loudspeakers left me somewhat taken aback, and I thought it might affect the acoustics. I mentioned this to Juan Luis, who told me that the room was perfectly treated and had a bass trap in the ceiling, which was also adjustable, so we could make whatever adjustments we considered necessary. I must admit that I cannot fault the room in terms of acoustics since, during the listening session, everything was perfectly placed and there were no excessive reflections.

THE B&Ws

The 802 Diamond are impressive bass-reflex floorstanders with four drivers in three ways. The design is the brand's usual one, with the diamond-dome tweeter loaded in a Nautilus tubular enclosure, typical of the manufacturer's top ranges, a Kevlar-cone midrange driver mounted in a spherical Marlan enclosure, and two bass drivers with Rohacell cones. All of this is housed in the equally familiar Matrix cabinet with the Flowport. To give you an idea (in addition to the photos) of the size of the loudspeakers, they weigh 72 kg each. The size of the huge decoupling spikes is also striking.

The main new feature compared with the previous 800 Series is precisely the use of a diamond dome for the tweeter. In addition, the tweeter now has four transducers, which extends treble reproduction. The woofers' voice coils have also been redesigned and the bass section remodeled to increase its performance, bearing in mind that its enclosure is somewhat smaller. The manufacturer also claims to have improved the bass response by using a new magnetic motor with two neodymium transducers. In addition, the internal ribs are designed in a honeycomb pattern to ensure the stability of the cabinet. The connectors on these loudspeakers are also made of oxygen-free copper.

At this point we should mention that the initial intention was to work with bi-amping using two Classé CAP-2200 power amplifiers, but a cabling problem meant we listened to the system with a single power amplifier. In fact, readers will be able to see the two power amplifiers in the photo of the system. Since it can deliver 200 W per channel, and knowing how demanding B&Ws usually are, with a somewhat difficult impedance curve, I was afraid we would be a little short of current. Juan Luis told me he had been testing it the night before and, although obviously it is not comparable to double the power, the electronics were capable of driving the loudspeakers adequately. I must add that they did indeed do so, but without anything to spare. It should also be mentioned that the loudspeakers had been run in for about 70 hours, perhaps somewhat short for this type of loudspeaker. Even so, I must say, on the one hand, that the Diamonds moved with agility on the 200 W electronics and, on the other, that the running-in, while I would not dare call it complete, was enough to listen to the loudspeakers with full confidence.

CLASSÉ ELECTRONICS

As we have already mentioned, the electronics were from Classé, a renowned Canadian company distributed in our country by B&W itself. The CP-500 is a magnificent preamplifier, although somewhat veteran by now, offering great flexibility, with an attractive design (with the horizontal black line so typical of Classé products) and touch controls. It belongs to the brand's Delta series. It features a fully balanced circuit layout designed to avoid noise and distortion. In addition, the signal path is separate for both balanced and unbalanced input signals.

As for the CA2200 power amplifier, it can deliver 200W per channel, which for me was the main question mark over the system, since I considered it somewhat borderline.

The player was the superb CDP-102, equipped with the Cirrus Logic CS4398 DAC, a very capable and versatile model, whose only shortcoming is that it does not play SA-CD.

PUT TO THE TEST

Since I already know the B&W 800 Series quite well, my main aim was to find out for you what this ninth generation brings that is new in strictly sonic terms, since the technical aspects have been described above.

In the first listening session, with Giovanni Batista Pergolesi's Stabat Mater, it was clear that B&W had followed the maxim that all of us electronics and IT professionals apply: if something works well, don't touch it. Applied to these loudspeakers: if the treble and midrange already offered fantastic performance, don't change much. That is what they have done (apart from small adjustments to the four drivers), so the result remains excellent. Emma Kirkby's wonderful voice left me impressed by the naturalness, definition and quality with which the 802 Diamond could reproduce it. I also noticed some differences in the bass, which has gained presence, producing a more compact and uniform sound than the previous generation. Or, if you prefer, more "coherent" between treble, midrange and bass. The clarity of the music stood out above all.

Imaginary Day left me with the same impressions, with an impressive degree of solidity and naturalness. The loudspeakers seemed to me somewhat sweeter or, if you prefer, somewhat less analytical than their predecessors, although I attribute this to the very personal sound that Classé always provides. In terms of dynamics they seemed very precise and agile. The sound image, as well as instrument placement, was fantastic, in keeping with the brand. The piano had a truly crystalline sound.

CONCLUSION

I found the system well balanced and very much built around the new 802 Diamond, which made the Classé electronics a companion as discreet as it was effective. The loudspeakers polish away the few defects of their predecessors, mainly in bass response and uniformity of sound.

WE LIKE

- The clarity and transparency of the system.

- Uniform, coherent sound.

- The performance of the 802 Diamond.

COULD BE IMPROVED

- Current delivery somewhat borderline.

Specialists' rating: 5

Sergio Monge, sound engineer at Global TV.



The years invested in developing the product have paid off.

The improvements to the driver magnets translate into a loudspeaker that is much more dynamic and easier to control, and the musicality of the floorstander is greater than that of its predecessor.

A perfect ten of a loudspeaker in every respect and, best of all, we can now enjoy its essence for the 4,500 euros it would cost to buy a pair of 805Ds.

B&W 802 Diamond, Classé CDP-102, Classé CP500, Classé CA2200, Burmester 038, XLR Mit EXPRO-1, Global TV, brand-name stereo

Specifications

B&W 802 Diamond loudspeakers, 14,000 euros (pair).

FREQUENCY RESPONSE 34 Hz – 24 kHz. SENSITIVITY 90 dB. TOTAL HARMONIC DISTORTION <1% from 40 Hz to 100 kHz, <0.5% from 70Hz to 100 kHz. IMPEDANCE 8 Ohm. RECOMMENDED AMPLIFIER POWER 50-500w continuous into 8 ohm. DIMENSIONS 1135 x 368 x 563 mm. WEIGHT 72 kg.



Classé CDP-102 CD/SACD player, 4,450 euros.

FREQUENCY RESPONSE 8Hz – 20kHz balanced +0dB/-0.1dB. SIGNAL-TO-NOISE RATIO >107dB. CHANNEL SEPARATION 124dB at 1kHz, 112dB 16Hz – 20kHz. DAC Cirrus Logic CS4398. SUPPORTED FORMATS CD, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD Audio & Video, VCD, SVCD, MP3, WMA, DVD-R, VD+R, DVD RW, DVD+RW. CONNECTIVITY 2 x RCA, 2 x XLR, S/PDIF 1 x RCA, AES/EBU 1 x XLR Optical 1 x Toslink, S-Video and composite video. DIMENSIONS 445 x 419 x 121 mm. WEIGHT 12 kg.



Classé CP500 preamplifier, 4,250 euros.

FREQUENCY RESPONSE 20Hz - 20kHz ± 0.1dB. DISTORTION 0.003%. SIGNAL-TO-NOISE RATIO 20Hz to 500kHz 100dB. CHANNEL SEPARATION >110dB. CONNECTIVITY Inputs: 3 x RCA / 100kΩ, 1x RCA / 100kΩ, 2 x XLR / 200kΩ. Outputs: 1x RCA, 1x XLR, 1x RCA. DIMENSIONS 445 x 419 x 121 mm. WEIGHT 12 kg.



Classé CA2200 power amplifier, 5,950 euros.

POWER 200W into 8 Ohm, 400W into 4 Ohm. TOTAL HARMONIC DISTORTION 0.002%, into 8Ω 0.003%, into 4Ω 0.005%. SIGNAL-TO-NOISE RATIO >108 dB. DIMENSIONS 222 x 470 x 445 mm. WEIGHT 36 kg.



Burmester 038 power filter, 5,924 euros.



XLR Mit EXPRO-1 interconnect cable, 269 euros.



Mit Shotgun S3 speaker cable, 1,879 euros.