What is a B&W 801M?

These?

http://www.soundscapehifi.com/images/ttc16.jpg

and these?

http://assets.bowers-wilkins.com/med/Libraries/3/Matrix801S2_Archive_l2_w0_h0.pdf

Yah - these are ported - think they might be first generation Matrix 801s. I remember the matrix cabnet making a big difference in bass and midrange clarity on these.

You had better have a amp with very healthy output for these to work well....also, they are very bass heavy. I've seen them working with a Crown 1000 watt amp, and pegging the meters.

When I sold the original 801s I used the Crown SA2 [I think this was the designation], it would pulse 1600 watts at 2 ohms and it never felt like too much amp. B&W used the same amp at CES.