Yes. I tried to push mine with 200 wpc Levinsons and never really got them going. Perhaps they're the only dynamic speakers that should be plugged into a wall outlet! (Just kidding). BIG, SOLID STATE CURRENT PUMPS are a necessity and proper cabling (don't get anything too "soft") is my opinion.
- ...
- 23 posts total
I drove my pair with a levinson 23.5 amp (200w/ch) with wonderful sound. the midrange driver (kevlar) is still very relevant, and the bass extension, esp. with an alignment filter, is still difficult to top, although the bass driver lags a bit behind the other drivers (which are very fast reacting). Of course you can further modify them with better crossovers, and good stands are absolutely essential- i had sound anchors with tip-toes that worked VERY well. Of course, when i upgraded to Eggleston Andra speakers, the superior integration of the drivers was instantly noticeable from the 1st note, but comparing $5K speakers to $14K speakers isn't fair. OTOH if you give up size for quality, you can get great sound for $4K-$5K, just without deep bass. the 802's are also a great choice- quicker bass with the same level of quality, and less money. |
I started out running a 250w Bryston in stereo eventually I purchased another 250w Bryston and then they were happy. Over the years I added Bass Alignment and Sound Anchor stands. I agree with Jeff the Kevlar mids are very nice and the bass drivers do have a hard time keeping up but the extra horsepower helps with that. Eventually it was the tweeter I could no longer live with. I am currently building a system around a pair of Joseph Audio monitors. Incredible mids and tweeter and not so power hungry but not as dynamic as the 801's. |
Perhaps they're the only dynamic speakers that should be plugged into a wall outlet! (Just kidding) Yes that is how my S3 are set up - not kidding. The OTLs are a constant waiting power source. Speakers can be connected and unconnected at any time. Unfazed by impedance changes 1 to the 40-80 ohms which are required for good ESL Bass. After 19 years ownership of my S3s I found this statement from Stereophile to be right on the mark. Stereophile "Higher in frequency, the response trend (averaged across a 30 degrees lateral window on the tweeter axis) is basically flat, but with a slight excess of energy in the presence region and a corresponding lack of energy in the top octave. All things being equal, this will make the speaker both a little too revealing of recorded detail and somewhat fussy when it comes to the quality of source and amplification components, just as LL noted in his auditioning comments." 801 S2 versus S3. S3 has no protection circuit - also. There is another difference between the S3 and S2 that is not well known. Interaction between the large inductor in the midrange section interacting with the large inductor in the bass section. The fix is simple, move one of the inductors to eliminate the magnetic interaction. B&W used this technique in the S3. It is discussed here http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=96020.0 I have also owned 801f and 802, 803 and 805 all matrix version the last I still have stored. 802 and 801 are two different beasts. |
- 23 posts total