Bowers & Wilkins Matrix 801 Series II Vintage Studio Monitor Speakers - WOW!

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General:

One of my top 5 favorite vintage speakers of all time. I recently started preparing for a video featuring the best speaker from each decade and these were top of the list.

Plus, they are in the rosewood finish, which is way better looking and more period correct than the black version.

There were several iterations of the 801's with the biggest difference being the porting of the massive woofer. The Series II is a ported speaker with vents to the front giving you the most amount of bass while not overloading the corner of the room. If you have a small room look for the sealed version.

In my opinion, these sound more natural and more musical than the modern equivalent which tend to be hyper-realistic and a bit fatiguing. I can listen to this model for hours without a hint of fatigue. Best of all many many studio recordings were mixed using this model which will give you the most honest and accurate representation of what the recording engineer was shooting for.

These 801's were also upgraded utilizing the re-engineering crossovers, see our photos, which was a common improvement back in the day.

Condition is very good with slight signs of use. Grills are super clean and the floor casters are intact and complete. By far the best condition 801's we've seen to date and are priced accordingly.

Best of all they include the original packing which is super rare.

Brand Background:

Excellence, uncompromised and uncompromising. The world’s most famous recording studios demand Bowers & Wilkins 800 Series loudspeakers, for no other reason than they represent the pinnacle of sonic supremacy. 

Ownership:

Single Owner

Amplifier Recommendation:

Amplifier requirements: 50-600W

Connections:

Dual set of 5 way speaker inputs Low + Mid/High

General Sound:

Big beautiful musical sound with little fatigue

Cosmetic Condition:

7 - Some Wear and Light Scratches

https://skyfiaudio.com/pages/our-testing-process

Working Condition:

Working perfectly and tested in our lab.

Included:

Speakers, grills, floor casters, and shipping cartons.

Packing & Shipping

Original Manufacturers Packing

UPS, Insured, Signature for Delivery. Anywhere within the lower 48 US States for $575. We ship worldwide several times a month so please inquire for a quote outside of this area.

Original MSRP:

$5,200.00

Dimensions - EACH:

39 11/16" H by 17" W by 22" D

Weight - EACH:

110 lbs.

Age:

1995

Reviews:

https://www.stereophile.com/floorloudspeakers/506/index.html

Link to Manual:

https://www.bowerswilkinschina.com/files/2020-04-archives/ENG_FT00009_Matrix-801-S3_manual.pdf

Recommended Cables:

Kimber Kable - Speaker Cables - Better

Kimber Summit Series Monocle XL Speaker Cables (PAIR) - Best

Kimber Summit Series BiFocal XL Bi-Wire Speaker Cables (PAIR) - Best If Applicable 

Testing Process:

Our speaker evaluation process starts with a visual inspection of all drivers. We are looking for damaged or deteriorating woofer surrounds, dented tweeter domes, and cone damage. We also inspect the speaker connection points for loose or broken connectors.

After the initial visual inspection we connect the speakers to a reference amplifier with our preferred test tracks. With the speakers placed with proper distance we listen to each driver to make sure that they are producing the intended frequencies with no signs of distortion or rattle. During listening tests with test tracks we check for proper stereo imaging and bass response at various listening levels. If there are any audible signs of issues, the speakers are taken to the bench where we perform a frequency sweep to isolate the issue so that it can be resolved by component repair or replacement.

Specs:

Three-way, reflex-loaded, floorstanding loudspeaker. Drive-units: 1" (26mm) metal-dome tweeter, 5" (126mm) Kevlar-cone midrange unit, 12" (300mm) high-power polymer-cone woofer. Crossover frequencies: 380Hz and 3kHz. Frequency response: 20Hz-20kHz ±2dB free-field. Sensitivity: 87dB/W/m. Nominal impedance: 8 ohms (not falling below 4 ohms). Amplifier requirements: 50-600W.