Repair or Replace mid-range driver for B&W M804


Greetings everyone,

I just noticed that the edge of my mid-range driver in my B&W Matrix 804 speaker is broken in some places. The speakers sound fine at low volume, but at medium volume, it is affecting the sound.

Should I try to seal the broken places or should I get a replacement driver. I guessed the plastic is brittle due to the age of these speakers, and it breaks. I am calling B&W on Monday to see if they have replacement drivers.

Did anybody replace the drivers of the B&W speakers ? Is it something you can do it yourself, or you have to bring it into a repair facility ?

Thanks for all your tips and recommendations.
128x128sunnyday
Thanks Trelja for the tip. Well, it was too late for my 804, but I just picked up a pair of 802 with 2 blown Bass drivers, and I am sending them to Bill for him to fix. His price is quite a bargain compared to new parts from B&W. I will wait to see if it sounds just like new, but for the price he charged, I am anxious to see the results.
Sunnyday, I would caution against repairing the driver yourself. The reason being, when someone who really values their speakers attempts this type of job, success is very hard to come by. Several things beyond just replacing the surround come into play, and though the driver will "work", it will be far from optimal.

My recommendation is to send both drivers to Bill Legall at Millersound, (215) 412 - 7700. For about half the price that B&W quoted you, he will take care of all the little odds and ends that make the job successful (spider, voice coil, ensuring the cone alignment is correct, as well as doing the surround job better than any of us laymen). And, both of the drivers will be the same when he ends up with them, which is one of the MOST overlooked aspects of loudspeaker driver repair. Believe me, for what he charges, and the quality of work he puts out, it's the biggest bargain in audio.
I have called B&W support. They do have replacement mid-range drivers for the Matrix 804 at $130. During my research I also found a surround repair kit from partsexpress.com for $20. So in case somebody is or will be in my situation, those are the options. Thanks for everyone who replied.
Sunnyday...I have no idea what the mid driver of the B&W 804 is. If you find it is a BN-1501 I have one that needs a good home.
Thanks for everyone's replies. The edge of the surround driver is the broken in pieces. I am calling them on Monday.

Eldartford,
I don't know whether the driver is BN-1501 or not, but it is the midrange driver of the Matrix 804 speaker. Email me if it is, and let me know if it can be replaced at home.

Thanks.
Email or call B&W USA in Massachusetts directly. You can get the contact info off the website. In my experience they have always been very helpful and they ship fast if they have your part.

A couple years ago I was able to get replacement tweeter diaphrams on a model tweeter they had not made since like 1988-1990. It was pretty inexpensive too. I was fixing up some old speakers I got for free from a neighbor that had dead tweeters. Good as new. My Dad has them now..
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