B&W 802D1 - How can I tame the brightness?

I had a similar brightness issue with my Focal Kanta 2 speakers, which are my anchors for both stereo and home theatre.  I tried the Schitt Loki Max, it was not a good all-around solution (had to fiddle with each track), sold it.  I had a BHK preamp, played with different tubes and that had a positive effect when the right tube was used.  Toe in, toe out, straight ahead, all made a difference until I found the best angle (straight ahead).  The key was cabling.  Cardas Cygnus was warm, their Clear works very well for me also.  The last pair of cables I swapped in the system, Acoustic Zen Absolute Copper, made it for me.  I feared I would live with compromised sound forever but the combination of cables made an amazing transformation.  Good luck in your journey.

Robert

@mylogic you would certainly be thinking outside the boxes if you attempted to turn a set of 800 series B&Ws upside down, seeing as there is no flat surface on the head unit of the speaker

Maybe hang them upside down from the ceiling like we used to do with the old Series 1 Bose 901s

that might be more difficult than hanging a ceiling fan:)

802 D1s need thoughtful placement to perform best. They are not bright and fatiguing in a non-reflective room with the right width and toe angle (zero or near zero). 

Placed in a small room with straight, on-axis toe and they can certainly sound boosted in the upper mids/low treble. Keep in mind that B&W voices their speakers knowing that the vast majority of owners will not have them many feet out into a room but instead have them within a foot or two from the forward wall. The resulting  boundary gain will go a long way to offsetting otherwise perceived brightness. 

If you have tried everything but still dislike them, what is left to do other than cut your losses and sell them? 

If you decide that you can’t live with them I’d suggest looking at Vandersteen upper range of speakers. They might be more to your liking