DSJR
Major Contributor
My memory may be faulty so perhaps you can help, but I think I recall one of the engineers at Abbey Road bemoaning the loss of the Tannoys and saying that the replacement B&W were only good for holding the fire doors open.
Although personally I have heard quite a few B&W speakers that I liked.
There was definitely a situation I've read of where a visitor to Abbey Road saw an N801 propping a door open. The Studio 1 control room used to have some Soffit mounted Quested monitors I recall from pictures I once saw, but maybe these were ripped out in a refurb - a quick glance at some (studio 1?) control room pics seem to show the 'gear' was updated regularly and that B&W speakers have featured for some decades now. I heard a tale that one or two engineers there bemoaned the fact that ATC 150A's were taken away from there in the late 90's when the B&W's became the main speakers, so I suppose it depends whom you talk to and maybe kind of confirms what I said about experienced engineers able to 'hear through' the monitors despite their faults (as all speakers have) to the recording mix played through them. [Edit - ] Engineers use monitors as tools for a job rather than speakers for pleasure-listening. I gather that some engineers like domestic speakers very much but find them too 'safe' or 'warm' sounding for monitoring purposes.
I think many agree that the original and Matrix series 801's were very good, but the posher looking N series did start to go wrong for me. I heard N801 and N805 and didn't care much for either - I lost touch with their higher models but remember the 68 budget series sounding very boxy to me and the CM models a bit tight a*sed. The slightly older CDM speakers could be nice if listened to on axis but to me, this weas the beginnings of the tweeter being spiced up a bit too much... Just my subjective vibes of course.