B&W 802 Matrix Series 1 Sound

I would at least go to the Series 3 802 or series 3 801..Bigger jump in performance,,,,,,,,.........

That's a great idea but I try to buy local if at all possible...no more dealing with damaged stuff...

I have the Matrix 802 s3 and love them. Im in the process of upgrading the caps in the crossovers. Hoping to get better transparency and dynamics with a broader soundstage. Ill update when they're back and broken in. But not too many speakers impress me with that wow factor. These do. If you have the right associated equipment they are really incredible.

Huh, good to know, there are/were some 802 Series 80's available...have not heard them yet...went to hear some ML Quest Z's - IMpressed :) (different thread) so not I'm tending towards un-box' speakers...thx for the info...

I've got a set of B&W 803 S2 and Vandys 3A in a 16' by 15' room. The B&W's are much easier to place in the room and sound clear. The vandys are sensitive to placement and have a tendency to sound muddy.

Some observations:

Piano sounds better on the Vandy's (more bass)
Vocals sound better on the B&W's, bass is tighter but less of it.
Sound stage on the Vandy's is bigger, but not as focused.

I've had several people do blind listenings and most go for the B&W's, but then again, its probably more about speaker placement than anything else. I think the B&W's are more forgiving in my room.

For me, they are overpriced and not very good.

I agree that the nautilus might be overpriced, but the matrix are relative bargains.

Does anyone think that replacing the caps in the 802 crossover with better quality caps will improve the sound? Im having it done to my pair . There was a problem with the Xover so I figured go for an upgrade, not just a fix. Cheaper than upgrading to the Nautilus 802's. Although I like the N802 looks and they would look great next to a new Panasonic 65" Plasma hanging on the wall between them.

Poloman:
How did you determine whether there was a problem with the Xover?

Intermitant noise in the bass drivers, I replaced both drivers and still heard a crackling noise. I spoke to B&W service and they said it was the Xover so sent to a shop and they confirmed it. So going for a complete upgrade to the caps, cause its cheaper than buying the Nautilus 802. We shall see? Check out the Northcreekmusic site and read what the outboard Xovers do.