I got a pair of B&W 802 Series 80 floor standing speakers from 1981 for nothing from a woman who was downsizing to move into a smaller apartment. She paid approx. $4,000 in 1981 for them, which in today’s dollars is closer to $10,000.
The dealer upgraded the midrange/tweeter heads so they’re technically Model F’s.
She drove them with an underpowered integrated amp with 12 gauge speaker wire in the 35 years she owned them. Knowing that the caps needed to be upgraded, I sent the crossovers to Walt D’Ascenzo, a brilliant audiophile who solved a ringing issue for Dave Wilson of Wilson Audio and shared tips with Walt Jung, the legendary audio engineer. What he sent back improved the 802’s to a much greater quality than they were originally. I’ve heard the latest offerings by B&W and have been underwhelmed. As a side note, with every tweak I make with better interconnects, power cords, and power conditioning, the speakers sound more fantastic. So when considering old speakers, don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.
The dealer upgraded the midrange/tweeter heads so they’re technically Model F’s.
She drove them with an underpowered integrated amp with 12 gauge speaker wire in the 35 years she owned them. Knowing that the caps needed to be upgraded, I sent the crossovers to Walt D’Ascenzo, a brilliant audiophile who solved a ringing issue for Dave Wilson of Wilson Audio and shared tips with Walt Jung, the legendary audio engineer. What he sent back improved the 802’s to a much greater quality than they were originally. I’ve heard the latest offerings by B&W and have been underwhelmed. As a side note, with every tweak I make with better interconnects, power cords, and power conditioning, the speakers sound more fantastic. So when considering old speakers, don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.