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In Reply to: RE: 700i is only marginally better than the 600i posted by Aaron 01 on January 13, 2021 at 06:41:47:
In late summer 1992, I went with my ex-girlfriend KJ to SF Stereo Plus. A pair of B&W Matrix 804 was used with, I believe, Krell gear. But as college kids, we were there for affordable entry-level stuff. So the salesman moved the M804 to an Adcom stack. Holy cow, what a drop-off in detail, soundstaging, control, and fidelity. But you know what? The Adcom stack got the outline of the music right.
KJ (she was still 18 then) understood that the speaker came at the end of the chain, and was completely dependent on the room and upstream audio products. She was impressed with the M804's honesty, accuracy, and integrity.
At the March 1993 Stereophile Show, SF Stereo Plus had at least two rooms. In the more modest room, they had the B&W M804 with Adcom electronics. Apparently clean and open, the M804 didn't mess up Dream Theater's "Pull Me Under." When "Another Day" played, an attendee asked if Kenny G was playing the sax. But no, it was Spyro Gyra's Jay Beckenstein.
So even though the B&W M804 is from the 90s, we know that its open and honest accuracy stands the test of time.
I haven't touched a Plinius amp since the mid-2000s. It was used with Sonus Faber Cremona Auditor, which did not give the full measure of the amp. So I can't comment on Plinius.
I've never heard a B&W M804 with the 700i. That said, the 700i is a sneaky-good product. On one hand, it is accurate, honestly revealing what's going on. OTOH it does have composure, power, control, and grip. My guess is that a pairing of 700i and M804, in the right room, will form a mirror. It will reflect what you feed it. If you use high-quality sources and cabling which is sonically invisible, the 700i and M804 should leave you with the music.
I've witnessed 700i thrown in with junky associated gear. And you know what? It's not "analytical" in the negative sense of that word. The 700i will not add further insult, grain, and distortion.
If you do get a 700i, feel free to experiment with after-market fuses. Because of the 700i's neutrality, listeners may not like the technicolored Synergistic Research fuses, or organic produce of the Audio Magic Beeswax fuses.
The 700i only has one set of binding posts. So if you have two separate cables (to bi-wire the M804), one will have to have spades, the other bananas (at the amp end).
Users love the 700i's volume control. If you are suffering from the sound being TOO LOUD when the preamp's volume control is at or near MIN, you will love the 700i's volume control. Also, the 700i has "input offset," where you can make gain adjustments to each of its inputs.
Audiophiles have written to me that when they search for used Simaudio gear, it all-too-often comes with the half-assed color scheme of black faceplate with silver cheeks. When audiophiles see Simaudio gear in aesthetically-pleasing all-silver, they have buyer's remorse about the all-black or black-and-silver. The 700i is a thick/tall product, so getting it in all-silver is less imposing (visually).
I personally have the 700i's little sister, the 600i. Because of the 600i's functionality, invisible sonics, and lack of noise/heat [same as the 700i], we mentally forget about the 600i, don't know it's there. For many people, that is the highest compliment.
So if you want the B&W M804 to pull off the (sonic) disappearing act, do try a Simaudio 700i.
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Follow Ups
- B&W Matrix 804 - Luminator 01/13/2107:55:09 01/13/21 (3)
- RE: B&W Matrix 804 - Aaron 01 09:53:35 01/13/21 (2)
- 700i and B&W - Luminator 12:39:00 01/13/21 (1)
- RE: 700i and B&W - fantja 22:46:55 01/15/21 (0)
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