B W 801II w/upgrade vs. 801III ????

Hey guys, I have the B&W 802 series3 on Sound anchor stands, I think the tweeter( and this goes for the 801 also) has such a wide dispersion and is in a free and open perch atop the midrange that it doesn't matter if its not exactly ear height, A few inches above or below, above is better, wont make that much of a difference. May I pose a question to you B&W matrix owners, does anybody who listened to both(802 and 803) know or hear a big difference between them, aside from bass response, or is there a big difference in bass? Is one tighter than the other? Post your comments, Im curious.

They degrade the sound. Get the stands and add the large Polycrystal brass cones which are a lot better than the Tone cones. If yu sit far away enough, the tweeters will be at ear level. Is the bottom panel removed? It should so that it does'nt resonate with the music.

So if given the option, these speakers should sit either ON the floor or on stands. What is the problem with castors?

NO CASTORS!!!

Thanks Krell1. I have the one box version NC as well.
Great point of the tweeter being ear level, I am in the same belief. How about from a bass standpoint? Raised or on the castors?

Dan

I found the stands to be a down grade in that I prefer the tweeters to be almost ear height. I found with proper electronics, cables, etc. that a 1" cone point is best for
true to life sound. The stands in my belief were mainly made for studio situations to raise them above the consoles. Remember they were used in many studios and then the audiophile also tried them for tweaks. If you need or like the stands go for it though. Good choice on the series II with the North Creeks. I also have the latest 801 III boxes and they now come as one for each speaker. The earlier North Creeks used to be four boxes and that has since changed I was told from North Creek.

Thanks for the responses! I like the idea of keeping the II's with NC xovers. I have two options with stands, the 3" and 7" rise. Benefit of one over the other?

Dan

Hello,
I own B&W 802 Matrix Series II. I believe the differences between the 2's & the 3's is minor.
- The Auto Power Protect circuit has been eliminated.
- Ferro-fluid was added to the tweeters to give a little more protection, thus slightly dampening their high end.
- The midrange head enclosure was fastened to the cabinet perminatley and cannot be removed like the 2's.

If I were you I would stick with the 801 II's and the North Creek crossovers, over 801 III's.
The speakers do benefit greatly from a good stand or spiked feet.

I would guess the 2's high-end would sound slightly more extended

I have a HUGE typo. This should have read I currently own the 801II with NC xover, will I lose/gain from moving to the 801III w/o NC over?

Dan

I had the same same set-up as you. The 801 NC's cost $2400 and come in four boxes. Are you using the stock EQ filter? If you are, DON'T! Check out the Krell, Anodyne(I used it) and JPS Golden Flutes.

I have 801 III w/ north creeks and they are such an improvement vs. the standard x-over which I think is the weak link of the matrix series. I would keep what you have unless you are planning to have the North Creek's with the 801 III. I still like mine with krell over the newer Nautilus also. The 801's will add more bass too, but can your room handle it also? If the 802's sound tight and reproduce the lower frequencies well enough then I think you have your answer.