Gazza wrote:
“ if you know what you want a ring around a few dealers could find an ex demo model“
Or take a look on fleabay right now 
Thanks for the tip. Shame they are in white.
Damn.
I noticed an ex-demo pair of 707s in Tineo at Audio T the other day (same price as the 606). I’m not touting (and don’t work for Audio T) so hopefully this doesn’t qualify for a ‘sales pitch’ which I know the forum doesn’t allow.
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…and also a shame that you don’t have any money left after the 552 remember Nigel ?..
Oh yeah…forgot about that.
But the forum are booking into the new B&B , no worries there then.
No mates rates then…new speakers aren’t going to pay for themselves!
Looks like i need to bring the old Camping Gaz stove and sleep in my old banger nearby😬
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I would have to agree with polarbear’s verdict. I originally went to audition the 707 at the dealer, after being blown away at the Bristol show when they 1st came out. I was fully intent on buying them after a lengthy listen at the dealer. I then, just out of curiosity, decided to listen to the 808’s, expecting to hear more of the same but maybe just that little bit more. However, the difference was significant, not marginal and they instantly had me drooling. I knew I had to have them.Then came the discussion(s) with the wife over the next few weeks. I am happy to report that after a home demo, the 808’s found their new home here. They are awesome. I am sure I would still have been happy with the 707’s, if only I hadn’t listened to the 808’s (a lesson learned).
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MT, you’re dealer experience exactly describes mine this week. Ho hum… out of interest, in what size room are you playing your 808’s ?
Kevin
They are in a dedicated music room, though small at only 3.6m by 4m. The room does have a high sloped ceiling and installed bass traps. In my experience, the use of higher end kit, combined with room treatment works well in a small room. I find the titans are room friendly and the sound is well balanced, absolutely no bass boom in the room and delivers well controlled bass extension It is not always easy to accommodate larger speakers in smaller rooms and you need to be careful with speaker selection and positioning but I have had sbl’s and neat xl6 beforehand and these have all worked well.
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Beside at some shows (which is only a vague idea of what equipment really does), I’ve listened to both 707 and 808 at a friends place. Room is about 5m x 20m but not very high ceiling. Open living room going over into a kitchen at the very end. Playing the long side. He was auditioning speakers with an active bass before as the room is quite complicated and he likes to listen at high volume. So the idea was to controll the room with the active bass. It was impossible to get these speakers to sound right. He was almost forced to install bass traps etc. which his wife might not have liked very much 
I suggested to listen to the Titans first. Most of the room problems were gone with the 707 - they sounded very engaging, musically and they have an amazing bass. But the 808s are just perfect - all room problems gone, transparency that the 707s are lacking, even more incredible bass. Everything was alive and not sounding like hifi - just pure music. I’m going to switch to a pair of 808s asap. @AndyJ I do not think that a room 6.5 x 5m is in general too small for them if you have the possibility to place them where they sound best. Most people I know (dealers included) do not have bigger listening rooms and I’ve heard bigger speakers sounding great in smaller rooms than 32,5 m²
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Music to my ears Tom. Even smaller than mine, yet no issues😊. I wonder if your room is one of those that Derek Giligan was alluding to when he said they’d had great results in some rooms that at first assumption one would think couldn’t work?
I came at it from a different position than most. I already had the big Deco’s, five foot, twin 10” bass units, a sumptuous midrangeand my favourite SEAS tweeter. I always said it would take something very special to replace them an having heard the 808’s a few times I knew which it would be.
However I owed it to myself to hear the 707’s just in case they worked better in my room. With many thanks to Peter I had the luxury of having the 707’s at home for a few weeks. As great as they were, I knew they were not as good as the ARTs I was replacing. They lacked the size and scale and dare I say it they were just ordinary.
Then came the day Peter bought the 808’s over and replaced the 707’s, wow, it was like someone had opened the curtains. Music flooded through. Not only did they have the size and scale but thetexture and delicacy that neither the 707’s or that ART deco’s could match. It wasn’t just the music but the notes and tones were sumptuous. Ease and timing in abundance and everything in the world was just right, just as it should be.
Now one comment about the Titan range, it’s not difficult to realise that the 808’s are the magical ones but for me the 505’s are possibly the second best. Ok they may lack the size and scale of the 707’s and the 606’s but they make up for it by playing music in abundance. They are seamless and effortless compared to their bigger brothers, possibly due to their simpler design.
For me, the choice was simple but for someone looking at the smaller speakers, it’s not so easy but I know what I would go for 
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I did originally speak with derek when he was demoing the 707’s at Bristol at launch. I mentioned I loved the sound of the 707’s and realised the 808’s would be way too big for my room (cost aside). I mentioned the size of my room and derek said I would be pleasantly surprised on how the 808 would work in a small room and having been designed using similar kit to mine (ie 500 series amps). He did say at the time he was running a pair at home in a small room with outstanding results and heard similar in other small rooms… I think this was what drove my curiosity when eventually demoing both 707 and 808 at the dealer.
Well, Polarbear, that’s a little harsh, I think. But then, I plan to upgrade from my 707s in a few years…So I`m looking to sonically blissful speaker-future - and maybe there will be a new model by then…who knows…
As I stated in another thread, my 707s took several months to bed in, a part of it getting used to their sound, I think. Now I’m happy with what they do in my quite odd room. Without having home-demoed the 808s, I would be afraid of too much bass - that will have to be proved in the future, as mentioned before.
So, as always, if you think about buying them and it`s financially feasible, a homeaudition to compare 707/808, and then, I think no decision is too bad in the right context, in the end…
Regards,
Maybe a little harsh but only my opinion. Both are fantastic speakers but in context of my system and what I had before, I wasn’t going to change to the 707’s and if I had I would have been a little disappointed compared to what I had before.
Those Deco’s were virtually made for me and they were tuned to my own requirements and although not everyones cup of tea but I loved them and this being my final speaker change, it just had to be the right move.
Now, if you know my room, I have two difficult corners where the speakers sit. I bring my speakers a fair way into the room. Move them back too much and as @LindsayM found out the music suffers badly. It was a constant battle with the Deco’s to keep the bass under control but with Peters help we managed it and the room just bout coped with their bass output. I don’t have that problem with the 808’s. Once they had settled down and it took six months for this, the bass is tight and tuneful. It doesn’t take over the room at all. Dare I say it, the 707’s sounded bass light and small in comparison.
However which ever Titan you buy there isn’t a bad one, its more about room and system synergy. Get the balance right and you will have a wonderful system.
Interesting as it is, I used to think the same - had the 707s quite into the room and a fair bit toed in. Now they sit back against the front wall (max 25cm from the wall, 2,3 meters between the tweeters, barley toed in (but more than 2 meters from the corners) - and presto! A big (still realistic) soundstage, more transparency, and oddly a tighter, more tuneful bass. I always thought it´s the other way round…
I am sure your 808s sound sublime (as they really should looking at the price tag) and can only imagine what they are capable of. It´s such a lovely journey!
So let’s keep the music coming…
With my prior t-88’s, they preferred a bit of space behind- 24" seemed to work well . Now with 808’s in the same room, I am 18" from front wall. Also, the 808’s are wider apart by a foot and a bit more toe-in. Very good results so far…
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