Your videos are a joy to watch!

Excellent tip on what to watch out for - ferrod fluid. Thanks!

The best way to start the weekend; switch on Stereo review X. Kelvin, thank you !

Classic speakers . My friends father had them back in the early 80’s . We had some great parties with early eighties music . I always remember them having a very punchy base , sharp and crisp treble . That memory got the better of me and now I own 802D3 / HTM1 D3 centre and 805D2 rears . Love B & W . I’ve been tempted to buy a pair for quite a while for old times sake but after watching your video I think I’ll just keep the memory so as not to be disappointed .

Thanks Kelvin, nice review

It's always a good idea to compare the equipment you review with something else you've tried. So, nice review, a pleasure to watch, as always! Thank you!! Only one suggestion: it would be nice if you would say something about the amplifiers and audio sources you used for listening - maybe in the description section. Or something about the amplifiers that you think would match these speakers. This will give us an even bigger picture. Anyway, great presentation and more importantly, very sincere!

Loving your channel

Once again a great honest review! I share the same symphaties regarding the sound quality of these loudspeakers. I am howerer not sure if these had the ferrofluid in them. I do quite a bit of replacing ferrofluid in tweeters, and my findings are that some early 80's stuff is prone to thickening. While others have problems with degrading surfactant. This is what holds the metal particles in suspension. when this degrades it tends to form small clumps of metal. the supposed benefits were to thermically couple the voicecoil to the surrounding magnetstructure. as we all know, air is quite the good insulator. so it has some benefits to power handling and even some resonance control.

Zabardast cheers from Toronto....thanks mate...my Pioneer from 1975 still chugging along.

Very much like the way you describe the character of the speaker……from Hong Kong another B&W lover, I enjoy 802 S3 since 1993 till now my favourite loud speaker beside Ditton 44 n Kef 104/2

Thanks Kelvin, another great video, I have the DM14 S and love them. My Proac Response 1SC’s are better though in my room keep up the good work

Thanks for your vids , really helped me , great insights

That world famous "British Sound" - its a good thing. ❤

Kelvin, I appreciate the review as I have a similar looking pair of B&W DM1400s. Like you said, there is something missing. They're lovely speakers, beautifully made and engineered, but I've never took to them. I did read that Mr. Bowers, when he demonstrated the DM-1400 speaker at a show, used a high current 100W power amp. So maybe they need a lot of power to open up. Anyway, mine are currently for sale on CL. I also own a set of 2 way Dahlquist M905 speakers that are not as well made, by a long stretch, but they are so musical, so surprisingly good. And at 200.00 for them, I am really very happy.

Kelvin, I enjoy viewing your videos and appreciate your comments and tips. Keep up the good work, BUT I have an observation about this video. I bought a pair of B&W DM1400's new in 1985 and still listen and enjoy them daily. I chose them after auditioning and comparing many, many speakers at a similar price point when there still were still specialty audio stores and it was possible to do that. I still enjoy them tremendously but I had concerns that I am so conditioned to their sound that I am not hearing any deterioration over the last 36 years. I live in a small Mexican town so it is not really possible to compare contemporary speakers to see if there have been significant improvements over the decades and if I should consider replacing them. I envy your accessibility to so many speakers. I rotated the drivers180 degrees in my B&W's as you recommended but perceived no difference. After seeing this video about ferrofluid, I did some research on-line and disassembled a TZ26 tweeter from my DM1400 to determine that there was ever any ferrofluid applied in its assembly and its' condition. There was none and no evidence that there ever was. So while some B&W's may had had ferrofluid tweeters, it seems that the 1400's did not.

Ik have them and my tweeter is Broken,gonna fix it ,very happy of the Quality and sound and the price😊

Cool speakers man! They are cousins to my Heybrook HB3s.

Same one my fathers has They like power and still got the stands. From what I remember is that they are solid if you tap on them and 35lbs a box. And yes the protect does work if overpowered showing a red light on the bottom. Remember that on a few big songs.

I own the DM12 , really fantastic 2-ways . Also worth considering is that these were on a higher tier of B&W's products at the time . Yes , they have a protection circuit built in for if you drive them too hard . A red LED lights up to indicate when protection is kicking in . Real classy speakers . DM12 specs (DM14 specs are not the same , but drivers are the same) Drive Units 1 x 26mm polyester weave dome 26mm high temperature voice coil 1 x 150mm bass/midrange driver Bextrene cone with 26mm hightemperature voice coil Frequency Response - 85Hz to 20kHz ±2dB Sensitivity - 1 watt into 8 ohms for spl of 85dB at 1m sinewave input at 300Hz Nominal Impedance - 8 ohms Power Handling - 15W. No upper limit because of electronic overload protection device. Dimensions - Height: 355mm Width: 220mm Depth: 270mm Finish - Standard: teak, walnut, Special: rosewood, black ash Speakers are suprisingly easy to drive , despite low sensitivity , but the more power , the better .

B&W were a hit and miss company back in the 70s. Some of their speakers like the DM4 and DM6 were excellent and a few others not so much. But there was little family resemblance of sound between models in their early days... many sounded distinctly different from each other. The most astonishing vintage B&W I ever heard was from the late 60s... the B&W P2, a large floor stander employing an oval EMI woofer crossed over at 2700 hz to a massless tweeter called an Ionofane (by DuKane) that used plasma technology. Supremely transparent in the treble and surprisingly the EMI woofer did a credible job of keeping up with the tweeter's clarity and speed. Strangely the P2 almost never comes up in discussions of legendary vintage speakers.

Ps keep up the good work sir

Great review as always Kelvin! Which would you prefer among this B&W dm14 and the KEF 104ab ? (and also compared with other speakers that you reviewed)

I totally agree with what you said about double bass drivers, but only when they are in a 2.5 configuration (one woofer also does midrange). I have a set of speakers with the same configuration. 8" drivers just can't get the tone right (too deep) for midrange. The speakers still sound really good overall and even with their shortcomings, the less complex crossover can do a few things better (if the music isn't too complex) than 3 or 4 way speakers which have more crossover points, which can never be perfect. That said, I agree that 3 way speakers are the best overall, because the drivers are better suited for the frequencies they reproduce. Everything is audio is always a compromise and any engineer would agree. The magic comes from finding the most gains with the least compromises. I think synergy is the most important factor for great sound (no matter the price), because if gear is working against one another, the system will never sound good. I can tell that you fully understand that, given the time you spent over many years comparing how things sound when mixed together. In my opinion, people can't know what sounds good if they don't experiment and notice the differences (good or bad) between gear.

Hi Kelvin really enjoy all your videos and reviews I have a set of Heybrook HB2 dating back to the 1980s and still sound pretty good I wonder if you have heard them and what your views were on them I’ve tried them with a wide range of different types of amps and still sound good.Thanks.Tony

Probably sound very good if you connect them up to a speaker management system through the crossover or bypass the crossover would be better

good info on the speakers and ferro fluid. thank you. ive seen videos on youtube where people replace the ferro fluid in their tweeters. I have some B&w but was unable to get the faceplate off the tweeter, so i dont know if you can replace the fluid on them. perhaps someone knows how, but i dont. i have some b&w dm10. they are balanced and easy to listen to. i can listen to them all day long with zero ear fatigue. that says a lot. made in 1982

I have a pair of DM4s. Used them with Trilogy VTi, Arcam Alpha, Quad 303, Radford STA-25. I thought the DM4s lacked bass, as they appeared not to produce any unless sitting on the floor. They sounded OK on the floor. Are you really saying the DM4s got it right and the DM14s had too much bass?

Hi, I find one of my DM14 speaker overload protection LED is on frequency as the amp volume turns over 9 o' clock position . Will it be the problem of the tweeter ferrofluid dry?

Kelvin...I just seen a pair of these for sale online that are in perfecto condition...a one owner...listed for 800...pobably could be had for maybe 600-700...I like those old vintage speakers...I have Spendor S100 and selling a pair of B&W DM4...if those DM4 have a sub...forget about it...they are awesome but lacking a little bass...

KEF did an almost identical speaker - the C40, part of the C range of the early 80s.

i love your reviews

Great thing you're doing for the audiophile community... Do you have any thoughts on the DM 17?

I’ve had 8 pairs of B&W speakers from floor standers to stand mount ones. The best by a mile are the 805s as I found that once the floor standers, of which I’ve had 4 different pairs, all 3 way speakers are competent in their frequency range but they never jell together successfully.

Are those Dalesford drivers?...they look almost identical to the one's in my Ram 200s

Hi would you ever do a review on Richard Allan speakers?

What about the DM12? Vs dm14, I love both Easy to change Ferro fluid imho

Just got a nice pair of vintage castle's..

I've owned most of these big British classic 3 ways, and to be honest they're all good but not all great. They have a beautiful "vintage sound" but few seem to generate the excitement and urgency that music of the past 30 years kind of needs. Saying that, give me a Ditton 44 or a Mission 770 over most modern speakers any day 😊👍😀

6:44 Have you tried by any chance Radford Monitor or Auditorium? Monitor - KEF B139 / Goodmans Maxim midrange / Celestion HF1300 Auditorium - KEF B139 / Goodmans Maxim midrange / Celestion HF1300 / Coles G4001

I bought a cheap pair of BIC speakers for $90 fifteen years ago that I use in the bedroom. They have ferrofluid tweeters, and there isn't much treble left after all these years. Ferrofluid is something to avoid.

If you think these are ;bassy speakers' can't wait until you start reviewing vintage transmission line designs, Kelvin :)

Hello Kelvin! Your channel is awesome! I found a pair of DM-1400 for 120€ and bought them right away. I tried them extensively for 2 weeks, but unfortunately only with one amp (Nad 3020, just recapped). Electronic music, most of the Jazz I tried, and in general newer records play very well, I would have easily paid 200€ more for this sound. I think that bass/baritone voices are their Achilles heel. Nick Cave, L. Cohen, J. Cash, Fred Neil, sometimes Bowie and Nick Drake ... is not what they do best. I also wish they were better at low volume, but a different setup might give better results. Please review some KEFs with the glorious B139, you are the man for it!!

Hi sir, any thought about the B&W DM23?

Kelvin, can you say something about the B&W Dm110 speakers from about 30 yrs ago. Tell me what cha think! I'm gonna guess you'll give them at Least the thumbs up!

Hi, I’ve always found B&W’s a tad bass heavy. For Similar design but sound fantastic try Celestion SL12si

Hi Calvin.. I have these DM14 and a Pioneer sa7800 - do you know Sa7800?? How do I know what speakers sound great with my Pioneer... Im 47, but still find it hard to find a great match.. For me, you sound like a guy who know your Stuff 🙂

It is not magnet that get hotter and hotter when you drive it, but the coil. Ferrofluid takes that heat away from wire in coil, so the driver can take more power without overheating and can be much louder. Theoretically the ferrofluid plays role of certain suspension "shock absorber" also, because od dampening qualities.

Thank you Kelvin for another great review. How do they sound vs more modern b&w like 684 with this similar 2.5 way configuration. I find it not bassy enough although it maybe my amp ( marantz pm6005 ) which might not be strong enough

Glad I only paid 35£ for my set. Great speaker.

I Have Proac 3.8 response similar layout but big floor standers and ported, they have sublime mid range and go pretty low Kelvin. Is this "iffy" mid maybe linked to the sealed design?

11:28 love that lol

I think it depends on how hard you drive them, how fast ferrofluid tweeters go. The hotter they get the faster they go. And if one speaker is always in the sun and the other isn't That speaker will probably go first. Are you sure one driver is doing the mid range and not both.

If those speakers weren't pushed hard, maybe the ferrofluid didn't get cooked off. I have a few sets of old Mission speakers and one tweeter was drier than a popcorn fart. The rest seemed to be fine. Ferrofluid was also used in speakers to dampen vibrations. It was probably a good idea for sound quality, but with some problems over time. I don't think it would be difficult to add more ferrofluid. On my Missions the front of the tweeter came out quite easily. Easier than I expected, because I dropped it on the concrete floor and F$%ked it up.

I’ve got the ferrofluid leaking from the twitter and they still work so those are good 😂

I have thought the protection circuits can cloud the sound of this era B&W's. I understand there are as many components in the protection circuit than the crossover itself, plus a relay that has contacts that can corrode. I'm sure there is room for improvement without spending money.

It's very easy to change ferrofluid, very easy indeed. The hardest part is buying it. All old Mission speakers for example used ferrofluid so why say don't buy a speaker that uses ferrofluid, it's simple to clean off and apply.

old Rega Kytes?

I sent a pair of these tweeters to B&W in Worthing years ago to be reconed due to ferrofluid. You could do it yourself these days with a generic pair of 1 inch diaphragms off ebay IF you can get the magnet off (glued on).

I do a lot of repairs of ferrofluid-Tweeters. Mostly, the Thin wire from the coil to the terminal is broken, of the Coil is burnt down due to too much power. So, I replace the coil and replace the ferrofluid with some new one, and it works like new! I never had a sticky or worn or failed anyhow Ferrofluid in all the years! Is always like new, so I think, that thing with that "got bad ferrofluid" is a Fairy Tale...I mean, you can ride your car for 30 years with the same motor oil if youré a BadAss... But in a Tweeter, you haven´t any mechanical stress to the parts... So, how should the oil go bad? Yes, Ferrofluid is just Oil with Iron-Dust, and a big part of its purpose is dampening the tweeter to not let it sound harsh...

Don’t think the tweeters are ferro fluid cooled, the dome can lose functionality when losing its coating. Coating can be restored. Other option if tweeters are shot, change them out with later model tp26 from the dm110 series. The smaller DM12 or 1200 is a better option imo. Imaging is excellent on these

Is it the same as the ferrofluid in the knees?

The DM14 and DM1400's are similar, the tweeter in the DM1400 is a 'TZ26 SL', DM14 uses a 'TW 26' Crossovers are quite different for both speakers, not sure I like either layout compared to my Rogers LS8a also with 2x woofers but in 2x sealed boxes These have a protection solenoid cutting of +ve line Kelvin do you do anything to the crossovers when you get the speakers ? ie replace parts, 40yo electrolytics and corrosion on the protection solenoid contacts will make quite a sonic difference But great Video's and inspired me to get the LS8a and restore them to what they once were, just replacing caps made a day/night difference in quality of sound and they are mere babies at 30 years Keep the great video's coming

I guess when just listening on non-ear shattering volumes the ferrofluid thing is not an issue and tweeters will not be fried

Would be interesting to hear your view of the dm1000's if you can find them Kelvin. They were the last and best of that series I have the 90 pound grandsons of them. Dm3000's from 1986, 5 sided glass top beasts that sound amazing to this day! They were $2500 US back then.

just under the tweeter is a foam moustache, u know what its for?

Scans peak still manufacture tweeters.... With ferro fluid..

There is no ferro fluid used in the tweeters, the TW26!

they lack sparkle

I don't have these speakers but I've been into the whole vintage hi-fi rabbit hole for the past few weeks and I wonder if it's not unfair to evaluate the quality of a certain speaker 30 - 40 years later without taking into consideration the ageing of the crossovers in them. One can never know for how long they have been played, for how long they've been stored and not played and in what sort of conditions which would be detrimental to the final reproduction result. Best bet would probably be to check extensively and see different opinions of the same design over a multitude of units to form an average perception over the quality of a pair of speakers that's 30 - 40 years old.

KEF T33. The worst ferro fluid offender!

Loads of crap said; B&W engineers are among the most capable on the planet and I seriously doubt they'd design a speaker that in 20 years becomes useless. I had 2 pairs and not a single speaker of them had a treble fault. People should ask themselves who's making the video and what's his references

got a pair of linn index biampable think 1991 .Kelvin .there okay great review as always 😊😊😊