North Creek B&W 801 crossovers? Tried them?

Ken, Thanks again. I've got a much clearer picture now of how it will work out, depending on whether the new binding post plates fit or not.

I wouldn't alter the speaker box to make the new binding post plate fit. I was speaking of possibly re-machining the new plate to conform to the existing hole in the speaker.

BTW, I noticed a vintage Mac MR-77 tuner in your setup. I have one that I bought new around 1974. It stopped working awhile back, and is now at Audio Classics being rehabbed.

Cheers, Bob

I realize this is an old thread, so I hope the knowledgeable parties will continue to weigh in.

I'm confused about the application of the NC external crossovers to the 801-3s, especially as regards the exchange between Tab and Ken about "changing the internal wiring". Are the NC replacement XOs designed to be plugged into the existing dual speaker inputs on the 801s without having to alter the innards of the speaker? Or do you need to go inside the speaker cabs and rip out the old stock XO for the new ones to be effective? I couldn't figure this out from the NC website and got no answer to an email inquiry.

PS, Tahoe, did you ever get the XOs, and what was the result? Thanks

Tab,
So you are recommending to remove the bottom plates of the NC XOs AND use spikes to improve their performance...therefore I'm picturing the XOs up on spikes with the bottom completely open, right?

I still don't understand your second sentence: "I drilled the original BP plates to accept the NC versions.." What are 'BP plates'? and the "NC versions" of what?

Thanks, and apologies if I'm being dense.

Ken, thanks for the detail which I of course did not understand. Are the NC XO instructions illustrated? I can't even figure out how to open up the speaker. It seems hermetically sealed!

I'm not mechanically challenged, just completely unfamiliar with electronics. So, any idiot can do this?

Ken, thanks for the additional detail. I see the route in now. ;)

Do you have to leave the 801 bottom covers permanently off in order to use the NC XOs? I already have the speakers on Sound Anchor stands.

Dust is an issue at my place. If the NC replacement binding post plates do happen to fit on my speakers, does that mean I can hook up the new external XOs through them and close up the speaker bottoms? If that is the way its supposed to work, then even if the supplied replacement plates don't fit, I could possibly recut them so that they do.

Re: NC XOs. It didn't occur to me that there would be 6 posts on the new binding post plate instead of the stock 4. So, I gather that there are three pairs of wires--one for each driver--coming out of the external XO, and that each of these pairs of wires has to be connected to a respective set of binding posts? (Please pardon the "duh" factor here...)

Re: MR-77. I'm aware that the original designer of the tuner (Richard M) now works at AudioClassics. I decided in favor of all the available upgrades since he did a pretty good job the first time around!

Tab, thanks for the recommendation and warning about the bottom plates. I don't think I'd use the XOs if I couldn't have the bottom plates on while doing so, since I have the speakers mounted on Sound Anchor stands that fit over the plates.