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BW 801 matrix series 80

L

laup

New Member
Hey guys, I am writing in regards to some advice about these speakers.

I have just upgraded my main set to the 1st generation BW 801's from my mission 705a's.

Thankfully my uncle managed to source me a pair, I use these as part of my AV setup, I have also invested in an Onkyo TXNR 3009, Carver Sonic Hologram c9 and a MYRYAD MA 360 power amp which drives the BW's .

Now i know from little research these speakers are very hard to drive the myrad i think handels around 200 watts.

As much as i feel these speaker are one of the clearest i have ever hear, it seems there is something missing. eg bottom end, which i am very used to with my missions which are bottomless!

Now i have seen many people do cross over mods and remove the apoc. is this necessary?

Would it be wise to maybe mod these cabinets and add a port hole like was added in the s2? or should i just save up and invest in a more powerfull amplifier?

Any pointers would be welcomed
 

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Awesome system. :D Dig those stands. I think that for more bass and less load on your main amp, a powered subwoofer or two would be easiest.

Removing the APOC might, or might not, be beneficial. I did it to some 802 S80s and wasn't sure I heard the difference.

Recapping them might also help, although it's problematic because B&W suggest that changing the caps can change the sound. I would at least replace the old 'lytics with new ones.

Cutting holes in the cabinets seems drastic and risky to me.
 
I was lucky to get the stands with them!

I am currently using a 10.2 dts neo-x (well experimenting) set up and a 2.2 for stereo, as my old missions are tri wireable and active, I am using the powered subs within the speaker these i believe have 120watt amplifiers in each of them.

Regarding the port holes cut, i would have theme done professionally, as i wouldnt want any half assed mod done on these baby's, hoping this would make them easier to drive and maybe extend the bottom range so i don't have to use the missions subs?
 
Did you try to power them directly from Onkyo? Also try to run Audissey. It may help with bass. 801s should go deep down to avoid using subwoofer.
 
Cutting a port into the enclosure may produce less bass or result in a damaged woofer. Best not to go there. An equalizer would add some low end, as would lowering them to the floor boundary.
FWIW, this speaker is rated at -3db at 37 hz.
 
westend said:
Cutting a port into the enclosure may produce less bass or result in a damaged woofer.
Click to expand...

Woofers and cabinets are closely matched, based on the woofers mechanical and electrical parameters. A sealed cabinet that's the right size for a given woofer will almost certainly not be the right size when ported.

Do you have an SPL meter? If not, maybe you should get one at Radio Shack and play some test tones through your system (there are plenty of them on Youtube) and figure out which frequencies are down in level. This is a pretty crude method, but it'll get you started.
 
There is no such thing as an 801 Matrix Series 80. You Have 801 Series 80s, the very first version of the 801, introduced in 1979. The Matrix version came along several years later. Don't even think about trying to port these. Your amp puts out about 120 watt/channel, which isn't a whole lot for these speakers. Try borrowing a bigger, high current amp and see if that does the trick in the bass department. I run mine with a a much larger amp AND a fairly huge sub and an electronic crossover at 50 Hz, but I'm a low bass junkie. Most people are more than happy with the bass, especially when you get them off the ground on beautiful stands like you have.

As to removing the Apoc and upgrading the crossovers, I do recommend that. The electrolytics are 30+ years old and many have been driven VERY hard. I use new electrolytics coupled with smaller value mylars on the big value caps. Here's a trick I've come up with to find out if there's anything seriously wrong in the crossover: put them right next to each other and play pink or even white noise through them and switch between the two of them. If they don't sound identical you have a problem. Removing the battery turns off Apoc, but there is still a 30 year old relay in the the mid and tweeter circuit that most likely has oxidized contacts, so that should be removed or shunted (I'm trying to sound British!!) as well.

Then again, if they sound good and you're enjoying them, maybe you have a babied pair with surprisingly long lived capacitors, so just sit back and enjoy one of the greatest speakers ever produced. You have a wonderful uncle.
 
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A 400+ watt amp would be better. I had the 802 80 ser and it took 250 watts just to get them going. But when they do have enuff juice they sound amazing..
 
westend said:
Cutting a port into the enclosure may produce less bass or result in a damaged woofer. Best not to go there. An equalizer would add some low end, as would lowering them to the floor boundary.
FWIW, this speaker is rated at -3db at 37 hz.
Click to expand...

Thank you guys for the heads up I never new it could be that drastic modding a port whole, I was under the assumption it would make them easier to drive, but i now know it isn't the case.

Too earlier post yes mine are the 1st series of the 801 i thought they were called matrix series 80,

After speaking to my uncle he said the original owner had the tops replaced and are actually from the matrix series 2. he also said something was done to the cross over.

I don't know what, i guess i should be ripping them apart to see if i can see any new components, the APOC still works though and has had a 9v battery attached, i have been told it has never been activated other than with switch.

I have tried connecting directly up to the Onkyo with audessey activated, tbh they dont sound as clear as through the myryad, but, i had played around with speaker cable and managed to source some van damm 4mm studio speaker cable which seemed to help a bit with full range.

Tinkering with the carver C9 seems to brighten them up a hell of alot but also add to bottom end a tiny bit.

BTW i have the settings on the HF @A and MF @B on the toggle switches on the head units.

Which kind of amplifiers should i be looking for as TBH even i think 150w doesn't cut it.
 
Dang; they look beastly.

At least here in "the States," I find that used Adcom amps are a great value, and plentiful. I bought a 250 WPC stereo amp (model 5800) for about $500, if I recall correctly. In the UK, I dunno. Maybe NAD?
 
Tetrode said:
Getting them on the floor and off the stands will help with the bass.
Click to expand...

Thats total opposite to what audiomagnate has said


I run mine with a a much larger amp AND a fairly huge sub and an electronic crossover at 50 Hz, but I'm a low bass junkie. Most people are more than happy with the bass, especially when you get them off the ground on beautiful stands like you have.
Click to expand...

Im not a fan of nad stuff tbh, you yanks have loads of choice for resonable prices, unfortunately its not worth shipping to england as diffierent voltages etc.

I have been looking at bryston

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/230858668...AX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649#ht_500wt_1414

alot of money


I was thinking of maybe selling my Myryad MA360 and buying 2 x Myryad MA240 which can be bridged into 400wpc and use as mono blocks. seen one on ebay atm

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/190736278...X:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649#ht_5730wt_1393

buy that one and maybe someone would swap for my 360 that would be good and cheaper :)
 
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IMO the only way to get those first gen 801s to sing is with MAJOR power... like 500+wpc! I remember trying several 200+ wpc amps and not really feeling the bass tighten up until we ran a pair of bridged Nakamichi Stasis amps (something around 1Kwt each). A friend of mine had a pair of those in a modest apartment, and I remember talking over them while playing, and looking at the power meters on his pair of Carver amps, and seeing the power meters bouncing around 150-175... and we weren't even raising our voices to talk over them!! Not bad speakers, but they may be the most power hungry I've ever seen! If I were you, and I were on a budget, I'd be looking at Crown Micros, or something similarly big, to drive them.
Seriously.
 
Do you have the owner's manual for these? Later 800 Matrix series speaker had an optional Bass Alignment Filter to get those extra low Hz; plus there were aftermarket suppliers as well: Krell, JPS Labs, Listen Up/ Maughanbox. Don't know of the Series 80 called for the BAF...
 
Mrv8q said:
Do you have the owner's manual for these? Later 800 Matrix series speaker had an optional Bass Alignment Filter to get those extra low Hz; plus there were aftermarket suppliers as well: Krell, JPS Labs, Listen Up/ Maughanbox. Don't know of the Series 80 called for the BAF...
Click to expand...

There was no BAF for the 80s, but at some point they added a 1000 uf blocking cap in series with the woofer, which is NOT a good thing. If the blocking cap is present, it should be bypassed.
 
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