As a followup to my previous comments regarding the 801s, I have the Golden Flutes Bass Filter that dramatically increases bass output below 35 hz. Using Stereophile's CD1, a newspaper in front of the reflex port and the tape monitor loop of my Audio Research Preamp (Threshold bi-amped)the newspaper literally lifts perpendicular to the port below 35 hz with Golden Flutes on and only moves a small amount with the filter. I have listened to speakers costing more than 70K with amplifers of the same class. Then the 801s are beaten in many respects. But only in a room the size of a small warehouse. For me, my 801 20K total system is a dream for my "tiny" 25ft x 25 ft listening area and budget.

This may be one of the most overrated loudspeakers I've ever encountered, orelse hi-fi was in a sorry state in the early 80's when this system was making its reputation. Male vocals were almost boomy in quality, bass definition was not good at all, especially at high volumes, nor was I impressed with the driver integration. Has anyone heard these with the aftermarket crossovers?
Looking forward to hearing the Nautilus version, although the doubling of price makes it an entirely new animal.

At first I wanted to buy the B&W 802's. For the price range, The 802 are a great pair. of speakers. But when I found a deal on a pair of 801's and I took it. I paid under $4000 for my pair of 801'sBi-amping them with a pair of Mcintosh 7100's. It's just too loud. I never take them past the third volume setting, cause the bass is just too great.
I feel that's the difference between the 801's and the 802's. Only real problem is the weight. Over a hundred pounds each. I don't feel like moving them around.

transperncy

very sensitive to the front end equipment

I have been wanting to put together a really good system for some time, but with travelling over the last few years, have only really settled in the one place in the last few years
I have had a good CD transport and dac TEAC P700 and D700 and have been listening to these through MF headphone amp and Sennheiser HD 600 which gives an incredibly neutral and transparent sound
I have been looking for a really good set of full range speakers and thought to get amps to match them
I finally settled on The older 801 series for monetary constraints
However as a musician what struck me most about these was the very natural timbre of the instruments and voice
I tried them in my own home before buying, and then have hunted around for good amplification for driving them
They are very current hungry, and only top quality amplification will do
I initially trialed them with VT150 AR's, but have settled on audiospace model 9 mark 2's which have a natural synergy with these speakers. I have now a custom made valve preamp which is similar in configuration to the Model 7 audionote, but built with only the most expensive components, full copper shielding and highest quality silver wire point to point, no circuit boards
Only with this sort of amplification was I able to achieve my sonic goals
Incredible tonal accuracy, full midrange, both upper and lower parts not forawrd or rolled off, and accurate soundstage correct bass
Many speakers have big bass which is not accurate, just boomy or slow
The bass on the 801's accurate to what you feed it, different amps will sound totally different, only when I added a high end preamp did I achieve truly subterranean and accurate bass, though badly recorded bass will sound bad
Abbey road studios used these for years, and I suggest you play some of their ART reissues to really here what I am saying
Coplands fanfare to the common man, which has tremendous bass scale(Dutoit recording on Decca I think, with little else going on, really displaying their bass ability, which is so timbrally and pitch correct with the little microdynamics of the bass right there, and easily heard
The midrange is very sensitive to the amplifiers midrange response, and harshness in this area will be displayed. Also the tweeter is very accurate, and extended, there is no roll of this speaker, but matched with anything but a very good transport and CD, playing at least 20 bit, will sound harsh or confused
Also the speakers are really 4 0hm speakers, and require the amps be quite stable into a 4 ohm load, which means good valves, or excellent solid state amps. The difference in my own amp when connected to the 4 0hm postings is quite noticeable, small triode amps under 35 watts haven't got much chance
Quad amping these is preferrable, but if you don't have the luxury of this, then make sure to connect the stereo amp to the midrange rather than the bass posts, as doing the opposite, has quite a deliterous effect on the lower midrange.
Also wiring and interconnects have huge difference to the speakers. I don't know of a speaker that showed the differences sonically so much of different cables. I am using straightwire cables, but transparent are also quite good
In general high quality silver cables, are preferrable to copper ones, and lower quality copper cables of any type, including interconnects will degrade the sound
I am currently trialling custom made high silver purity cables.
The midrange and tweeter are timbrally spot on, but any shift from this position is immediately noticeable, whether on voice or brass
Overall I am very pleased with them, but they are very demanding speakers in many ways, due to their own neutrality, this is both a strength and a weakness. The amplification investment for these speakers is very high, otherwise they don't sound vey good
Also they are very unforgiving of bad recordings, and you will almost want to through these away, because they expose all the flaws
Overall I think they have a greater synergy with high end valve amps, rather than solid state, but the money involved for this sort of high power, high quality valve amps, makes the B&W rather expensive, to achieve the best results, so although they in themselves are wonderful speaker, they need wonderful components to really sound good, very unforgiving of the recording and front end, so sound wise 5 stars, but on practicality 4 stars, due to the expense to get them well balanced

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Apogee mini grand, dynaudio confidence, Proac 3.5