Opinions on old B&W's

I have a pair of B&W Matrix 803 series 2, and I just love them, even compared to newer stuff, and I've listened to alot. They have air, a beautiful midrange, very musical, not nearly as analytical or harsh as many newer speakers. Would say older B&Ws are a good bargain.

have a pair of 801 series 80.. ( after a pair of vandersteen 2ci which are awesome can't see how someone would think they are ' dark' or 'never liked them'...)  listened to the 801's a bunch and kept upgrading until somewhat satisfied... had to re-cone both 12 inch woofers before i was fully satisfied with a big smile.. all caps replaced with solen.. removed ALL of the apc: ALL OF IT!  removed the 1000uf cap, upgraded all speaker wire & removed all the crap plugs, used silver coated copper and silver soder, replaced post with cardas.  they are 'good' now, but maybe looking into a pair of snell c/v soon....   always in search of...

mccorkmak dna 1/ hk citation 7.1 / belles 150a hot rod
enlightened audio ovation/cj pv6/ps audio 5.0/canary ca-601/ belles 
enlightened audio dvd/cd player/cary dvd 8/pioneer elite/ yamaha natural 
ps audio datalink
magnum dyna lab ft-11 green board 
rega tt

A good while back I got to directly compare the original Nautilus 803 to Joseph Audio RM25, Soliloquy 6.2, and a ProAc pair I can’t recall. What I do recall very clearly is that there wasn’t a single area I preferred the 803s to any of the other speakers, and the 803s were considerably more expensive if memory serves. The other speakers had clear advantages in imaging, soundstaging, midrange palpability, disappearing as a sound source, and sounding more coherent. I can’t imagine the 802s from two generations prior would fare better.

I’d stay away from brands out of business since blowing a driver could be a big problem. Anything used from JA or ProAc in the $2500 price range (or even considerably less) would get my vote, and if you’re lucky enough to find a pair of original Sonatas near that price I’d jump on them.  Heck, you could even get the Silverline Prelude Plus for 2 grand new or even less used that I'd bet dollars to doughnuts would run rings around old 802s.  FWIW and best of luck.