Neutrality. Honest bass (but they need to be on riser stands). Very good soundstage. Voices on good recordings are not bigger than life-size. Very smooth tweeter.

Top end may not be bright enough for some listeners. Pronounced bass resonance if not placed on stands.

B&W Matrix 801 Anniversary Limited Edition loudspeakers: Even though this particular model has long since gone out of production, I am reviewing them here just in case someone runs across a pair for sale. I purchased mine around 1990-1991 new -- had the dealer contact the factory and got one of the last few pairs available from a production run of 500 speakers. I have enjoyed these loudspeakers for approximately fifteen years and am still very satisfied with them. I originally bought them for their neutrality and honest bass reproduction. Their price was at the upper end of my budget at the time. I have run mine through a McIntosh C37 preamp and MC7300 power amp in bi-amplified configuration. I would recommend at least an honest 200 watts per channel if you want to play them loudly. I also have mine mounted on sand-filled stands (Arcici?) with "tip toes" on the bottom. The most basic brown (as of 1990-1991) Kimber Kable is used for speaker wire. Although I have heard a few more expensive loudspeakers I might enjoy as much, or even a bit more since I bought these, I have no plans to change them out. I would "treat" the listening room first to obtain any sonic improvement. I am definitely not a fan of shrill treble rendition -- one of the reasons I bought these speakers was for their top end neutrality. Some may prefer a more pronounced top end -- to each his own. I have found these speakers to be one of the more refined loudspeakers I have ever listened to. They are very source dependent -- the old computer phrase of "garbage in, garbage out" applies in spades to the 801's.

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Have not used/owned any speaker as good. Past loudspeakers owned: Dahlquist DQ-10, 1980's Infinity 3-way bookshelf speakers, old Advents.

With good tube amps these speakers transcend time and space. I am sitting with the artists as they play, total immersion. With good vinyl these can astound a digital freak.

Heavy, hard to move.

Hello to all, I have heard that this speaker needs a very powerfull amp to sound good. This is not necessarily true. I drive mine with VTL MB-100 tube amps in triode mode. 50 screaming watts per channel and they are awesome. These amps use transistor rectification which seems to keep the output from sagging under load. My friends who have heard this amp/speaker combo simply don't believe their ears. This is the best evidence of a great match at an affordable price. Recommend bi-wire of the shortest length possible. I purchased two 3 foot runs of bi-wire and was shocked by the improvement in the upper range.

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Snell Type A.

detail, accuracy, slam, appearance

will not cover up poor recordings can not be paired with low-power amps hard to move around the room

I have owned these speakers since 1998, but it has only been within the last month that I have learned what they are capable of. The explanation? I was driving the 801's with a well-respected 185W solid-state amp, but recently purchased a pair of Classe CAM-350 monos. They weigh about 80 pounds each and are rated at 350w each. Not only is the bass dramatically better (tremendously better), but everything else is taken to a new level. Previous reviews referring to the need for high power should not be underestimated by people purchasing a used pair of M801's. With less power, the speakers sound great, but will leave you wanting more bass and thinking that the speakers are not all they're cracked up to be. I almost sold these speakers but I decided not to give up on them until I tried them with some serious power. I'm glad I did. The soundstage and detail is fantastic, and the bass punch and damping abilities of the Classe amps and the massively braced cabinets is really something to hear. I have them on sand-filled Arcici stands, and they are bi-wired with XLO cables (purple). I have never tripped the protection circuitry and for me they are plenty loud. Perhaps in enormous listening rooms they can not play loud enough, but a pair of Klipsch LaScalas can take care of that problem if you want to turn your house into a dance club.

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Dunlavy SC 6's Snell CV's ADS L1290

Fantastic treble, midrange and bass extention. Very affordable in the second hand market

Can not deliver really loud sound pressure

Beautiful speaker, Stereophiles test says a lot. But there is one thing that should be said that nobody else has bothered to mention. It can not play very loud ! My brother has this pair, and even with a 6000 USD Chord 1200 C with 315 Watts into 8 ohms the speakers can not produce the wanted speaker level when throwing a party. They shut off when they are pushed hard, and that is not very nice considered the price.

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Legacy, Infinity Kappa 9.2i, Kef Ref.4, Dynabel Eufonia

Extremely detailed but very musical presentation, more natural soundstage depth and width.

Requires very high quality compatible electronics.

The first time I listened to these speakers, I was amazed at the amount of musical detail coming out. The very detailed presentation did not translate to harshness nor anything that would contribute to listening fatigue even after extended periods of time. Also, changes made in the system, such as the interconnect cables, speaker cables, preamps, etc. bring out audible changes in musical character. The speakers might not have the ultimate focus or dynamics, but as far as my ears are concerned, these speakers are, by far, the most musically satisfying ones that I have owned.

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Infinity, Boston, Thiel, Energy, Dynaudio

Ruthlessly revealing and smooth.

May score low on WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor) due to its size and look; Discontinued support from B&W.

The B&W Matrix 801 Series 2, althought world-famous since its introduction in late '90s, is NOT for everybody. The problem is that since you could get an used pair of those superb speakers at such a ridiculously low price now, you may be tempted to drive those with entry-level audiophile gear such as Adcom, Creek or even Musical Fidelity. You will be gravefully mistaken if you do that. You will need absolutely top notch associated equipments (including speaker cables and interconnects) to do them justice. Furthermore, since they are so revealing - they were the "standard" in numerous recording studios worldwide - bad recordings will sound extra bad. If you do have top quality equipment and source, you will be in for a real treat. The 801S2 do extremely well on virtually any music genre I listen to (well I listen to anything except Rap). With well recorded CDs, I feel like I wanna quit my job and keep listening. The sound anchor stand for 801S2 is very hard to find, but you should get it for optimal performance. Ditto for the high-pass bass-alignment filter. My complaints? (1) B&W apparently discontinued support for the 801S2. So if you get a pair and you broke it, good luck trying to get it fixed. (2) I think the Nautilus 801 looks way better. Of all speakers I have owned before, only the Revel M20 and F30 betters the 801S2 in terms of the midrange. Associated equipment: Sony DVP-9000ES SACD/DVD player Wadia 25 D/A digital preamp Mark Levinson #23 amp NBS Monitor 3 cables all around

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Wharfedale Sapphire/Valdus/Modus; Newform Research R645; B&W 605 S2; B&W Matrix 801S2; Castle Howard II; Magnepan MMG; Revel M20 and F30

Extremely revealing, life-like sound reproduction.

(Could be my setup's problem) bass issue with SACD playback

One should judge and enjoy the 801S2 with good source. The speakers are ruthless in showing everything upstream. Do not be fooled by the current (low and dropping) resale price - you will need top notch equipment to do the 801S2 justice. I use Theta Universal II transport + Wadia 25 D/A preamp + ML #23 amp + all NBS cables with great results when playing all kinds of music. The 801S2 do have some bass issue with my Sony SCD-XA777ES in 2-channel mode: The bass seems to be loose and got very boomy at times. Try playing Telarc's 1812 SACD - not only the 1812 Overture sounds totally out of whack, the Marche Slave sounded no better than a decent $1K setup. The bass is just overwhelming loose and boomy. I don't know why. The optional high-pass bass alignment filter is a must for achieve the optimal performance out of the 801S2. The factory filter, however, only supports RCA inputs and outputs. So you will need to get some quality XLR->RCA adaptors or need custom interconnect terminations. There are other manufacturers that made this kind of filter with XRL support. My review is based on the factory one. The sound anchor stand is also a must. Very hard to find, but worth the effort. Finally, support could be an issue. It is very hard to find B&W 801S2 spare parts nowadays. So if your pair is damaged (God forbidden), you may have a hard time getting the parts you need for repair. Overall, a superb product.

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Revel F30, M20; Newform Research R645; B&W 605S2; Wharfedale various models (I have to start somewhere, right?); AudioVector M3 Sig; Castle Howard II

I have not known of any speaker that sound and build like the B&W Matrix 801 S2. This speaker is designed by renowned Pentagram Partnership UK and the standard of workmanship is excellence. I would named it the "R2D2" because of the unique design. The sound is comparable as the Wilson Watt/puppy at 1/3 the cost. To my ear it sounded warm, wide, detail, dynamic and most important natural. Associate equipments; Cd player---Wadia 860, Preamplifier---Jeff Rowland Coherence, Poweramplifier---Jeff Rowland 9T, Cables---Cardas Golden Cross.

wonderful sound...accurate...full...balanced...sweet

none

I actually bought these speakers based on the reviews
that i had read here...I found a pair of speakers that were
only about a 120 miles from my home...and went for a listening session...I am so pleased with the sound...I'm retired and do a lot of listening...from jazz to classical
and everthing inbetween...they are just great speakers...warm..detailed..easy to listen to..accurate..beautiful pieces of furniture too. I have 2000cds...so i'm serious about my music...i would recommend
listeners to give these speakers an audition..take your favorite cds along..these speakers will..will make your cds sing.....

I used to own several speakers in the past and believe me the 801 S2 is by far the most rewarding speaker. I bought this speaker as second hand for abt US$2500 and in good condition. If you are, just as I am, looking for a true sound transducer that can really reproduce the kind of live music that is both natural and dynamic, the Matrix 801 S2 is the one. Speakers that I used to have;
1. JVC Zero9 ( 25 years ago, 2 X ribbon & 2 X 12" woofers, look like monster)
2. Warfedale Diamond ( small but ok for midi)
3. Roger LS3/5A ( good voice but for what???)
4. Avalon Avatar ( tweeters are always screaming....)
5. Apogee Slate ( retro look and boomi bass!)
6. Epos 30 ( burn the drivers using a Pass Lab 30 watters???)
7. Sonus Faber Grand Piano ( name sounded great but will cause all glass wares to break.....)
8. Proac 2.5 ( narrow as chopsticks)

The above speakers offer excessive highs, artificial bass, narrow sound stage, etc,etc....

I am keeping my 801 S2 for life. Happy hunting guys!