Would like to get more bass out of my B&W 801 series 2 speakers


Hello,

I've been forum diving about ways people improve their music listening experience.   So many directions to choose from, I'm looking advice which will give the most bang for the buck given my situation.

Years ago I was visiting a friend who had these same exact speakers, and I went on a quest for my own pair.   His setup had a *more rich sound*, but he is no longer with us for me to pick his brain.   Don't know anything about how he was driving the speakers.

In general I think the current setup gives me good detailed sound, but probably a little thin in the bass.   Might be because of my listening levels (low to moderate).    I wouldn't call the mid/high frequencies warm, but they aren't harsh either...   which was a concern with the class D amp.   I'd characterize them as clean and detailed.  

What I'd really like to do is bring out the low frequencies to join the party.

 

 

Environment:
massive, 32x40 with vaulted ceilings.    Lots of windows.

Hardware:
B&W 801 S2
- on the original casters
- crossovers modified via the common Van Alstine mod 
NAD C298 amplifier
- some decent biwire speaker cables
NAD C658 streaming DAC 
-  balanced xlr interconnects
Rotel CD player

 

What I listen to:
I listen to a wide assortment of music, this morning I went from classical to jazz...   but usually I listen to rock/blues/reggae.   You name it I listen to it.

 


 

Things I have considered:

- buy/build stands for the speakers.
- try out different amp(s)
        there are a pair of GFA555 series 1 available locally (bi-amp?) 
        lots of folks recommend the Classe delta line

 

 

 

Any advice is welcome, thanks in advance!

chessie

Showing 2 responses by oldrooney

@chessie I own a pair of 801 series 2 which look just like yours. But in your room, they look small; in my room they hulk up like your JBLs (see more below). While they may be a bit insensitive, I was told on this forum that due to their relatively benign phase angle, that they were relatively easy to drive to the point that my Rogue Audio all-tube Stereo100’s (100 wpc) could ‘make them sing.’ I’ve never tried that combination, but have bi-amped them in several ways, although currently drive them with two McIntosh solid-state MC252’s bridged to mono for 500 wpc. I don’t find that giving them access to more power gives them any more volume; although it seems to help the dynamics a bit. I added a bit of low-volume subwoofer which helped their extension a little.
All of which is to say that I don’t think the amplification is your biggest problem.
I think your biggest challenge is the room, as in, it is very large, at least to me. I can’t speak to the efficacy of room treatments, but they seem to be used more for ‘trapping’ excess bass, rather than enhance it, in an effort to curb room modes.
Now, if I could put my McIntosh XRT-20’s in your space, let me assure you— you would hear the bass! Then you might need to reach for the bass traps!

Big room needs big driver(s) to move the air. Then look at your amp if they have trouble providing the power required by the driver(s) you have chosen. Not to say the 801’s can’t get the job done, but worth asking the question, in my opinion.

Neat house. You deserve the bass you need. I paid less than half what I paid for the 801’s to obtain the XRT’s as they are not as highly regarded, but boy do they deliver good, rich bass from the bottom to the top of the range (using series 2 crossover). Some say their best feature is the midrange, while the engineer was proudest of the tweeter tower. 

@chessie I would like to second much of what

@livinon2wheels and others have stated above.

As you may be aware, the Series 2 was originally brought to market with an optional equalizer. The designer, as I understand it, considered the EQ essential to the speaker’s performance, because without it the ‘6th order Butterworth crossover’ was not implemented, and the 6th order Butterworth is advertised on the box the speaker came in. I suppose marketing thought the speaker on its own without the crossover was ‘good enough.’ Evidently, many customers thought so too.
All of which is to say that implementing a DSP is one way to augment the bass. As a Series 2 owner, I can attest to the rather anemic performance in the bass register, it just doesn’t seem to have much extension. What bass there is sounds good, but there just doesn’t seem to be as much as there should be.
For my part, I can que up my 70E Warfedales, with their 15” drivers, to get that next level of bass, although they lack the ‘punch’ of the 801’s.
Another thing I do is add a subwoofer in a corner of the room, even my mini-Velodyne works wonders.
The other thing I’ve often thought would improve their sound in my room was to get them up off the floor a bit so that the midrange and tweeter were closer to ear level. The original designer is on record as saying it wasn’t necessary to raise them, and that the only reason they offered the stands was for use in studios where the added height was needed for the sound to clear the mixing desk.
Anyway, those are my thoughts on the B&W 801 Matrix Series 2. I would still love to hear my McIntosh XRT-20’s in your space. They sound wonderful in my biggest room, which is much smaller than the room occupied by your 801’s.