B&W 801 Series 80 protection circuit and spare parts

[laama86]

Hello,

I just bought those speakers in title.

Few questions:

I have read from inernet that its good to bypass that protection circuit.
What is the point with this story?

I need some spare parts for those speakers. Just a little things.
Controlling buttons to that protection circuit. Those what are on upper part of front baffle. Buttons have lightbulb logo and lightbulb logo overwrited with slash. And third button also with dunno what kind of logo. What does those buttons do? I also need 4pcs of B&W logos.
Where i can get those?

I don`t know that is this area right for this kind o question, but i hope i get some answers.

THANKS !


Here is example picture of B&W 801 Series 80:

 

[Inductor]

I have read from inernet that its good to bypass that protection circuit.
What is the point with this story?

I don't see the point, unless it was used to the limit for many times and has alt. specs.
Also the type of prot. circ. maybe involved with the final decision. You can mention the reason for it.
Some information. http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?cspkr&1261541465
http://www.bwgroup-support.com/downloads/techmanuals/bw/801-TM.pdf
Good source for parts. http://www.falcon-acoustics.co.uk/

 

[laama86]

Ok. Thanks!

Now i have a problem.
Some previous a**hole owner has changed other tweeter to some noname cheap tweeter and now i have to find new to replace it.
Do you have hint for where to get new one?
Do i need to replace both tweeters to get them match or is one good enough?
On other forum one said that ferrofluid has allready run out from the working tweeter magnet and i should change it too. What do you think?

 

[Inductor]

Do i need to replace both tweeters to get them match or is one good enough?

This is a personal opinion, I don't have experience with this material besides the forum. If of the same make, one would be fine. If different, like when their (years of) use is/are different, I would make/buy a matching pair. Always on the safe side. You, also, have a repair in case of emergency. Now, I don't know the reference for said tweeter (have to look if available for references/specs, is it available?). You want similar (same reference/can you find it?) or different/other make? What appends is sometimes the xover has to change if it (tweeters) differs a lot. When the variable pad is in use that can help a little with choice (without changing xovers).

It helps to know your country. Another and more places for doubles (in case it's UK) and in case you are not used to do it.
https://www.wilmslow-audio.co.uk/catalog/index.php
Audio Components, Loudspeaker components, loudspeaker restoration, loudspeaker repair, loudspeaker design and build, loudspeaker measurement service, Loudspeaker parts, Speaker drive units, Loudspeaker drivers, Crossover Design
Also check with http://www.bowers-wilkins.com/display.aspx?infid=1426

 

[Inductor]

Happens (excuse me).

 

[abraxalito]

Some previous a**hole owner has changed other tweeter to some noname cheap tweeter and now i have to find new to replace it.

As far as I'm aware, B&W make their own tweeters so you won't find an equivalent (unless its a direct copy of the B&W tweeter).

Do you have hint for where to get new one?

B&W's service department would be my first port of call.

Do i need to replace both tweeters to get them match or is one good enough?

Depends how picky you are. As your ferrofluid has gone, I'd replace the pair. I don't think tweeters are really so expensive - depending on where you are the shipping costs might be a similar order of magnitude.

 

[laama86]

Thanks for answers!

I live in Finland and i contacted local dealer. He is trying to find out that do they still have those original tweeters in stock in England.

B&W has 15 years quarantee for spare parts. It`s almost 30 years when this pair is made. So doesn`t look so good.

If they don`t have, can i use these:
B&W Aluminum Tweeter for N800 Nautilus 802 801 803 - eBay (item 160481730743 end time Oct-15-10 19:32:01 PDT)

This may recuire some mods to crossover.

Does those tweeters even fit to original housings?

 

[Inductor]

No, that's the tweeter for the Nautilus 800 Series. Yours is the Matrix 800 Series, I would say.

 

[winslow]

B&W Matrix 803, 804, 805 Tweeter ZZ085232 | The Speaker Exchange®

They used to have replacement drivers.

 

[dcathro]

Make sure you get the right one, the first series was fabric dome, then they moved over to metal domes.

 

[laama86]

I think its getting inpossible to find original fabric ones so i maby have to concide to buy series III tweeter wich according user from HTGuide forum user fits perfectly to that Series 80 and doesn`t need crossover modification.
Yeah it will sound different, because its aluminium dome, but there is no much other options left.

 

[Inductor]

That's an option, if it works. You can always measure later. Also, you have variable tweeter pad (working?) to adjust for right level amount.

 

[allenzachary]

Very late to the game, here, but it may halp someone in a similar predicament. Fabric 801 and 802 "80 Series," the originals, was called TS-26. The series 2 metal dome tweeter is the TSX-26. TSX-26 may also be what is used in Series 3. All are physically and electronically interchangeable. Sonically, I prefer the metal dome. I believe it has slightly better image placement and a bit more zip.

 

[audiomagnate]

Very late to the game, here, but it may halp someone in a similar predicament. Fabric 801 and 802 "80 Series," the originals, was called TS-26. The series 2 metal dome tweeter is the TSX-26. TSX-26 may also be what is used in Series 3. All are physically and electronically interchangeable. Sonically, I prefer the metal dome. I believe it has slightly better image placement and a bit more zip.

I've spent lots of time working on and researching this particular speaker (801 series 80). The very first 801s, beginning in late 1979, used a woven polyester tweeter (T-26) which was later changed to polyester film (also designated T-26). I prefer the original by a fairly wide margin. I have a spare woven T-26 but it's not going anywhere.

As to the APOC, get rid of it or bypass it. It runs the mid and highs through relay contacts and is totally unnecessary for home use.

 

[jayflynn]

hey i know its a long shot..i have a pair of b and w 801fr 80 series speakers.
i was given them and told the tweeters are gone..apparently someone plugged in some sort of mixer and it shorted the tweeters out.
i have tested them and have bass and mid range but no high end.
it seems impossible to find a pair of replacement tweeters..

any ideas or suggestions?

just want to get them working..not very technically minded but am ok with a soldering iron if needs be..any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[NATDBERG]

It depends how much you wish to spend but you may have the best luck by buying any Matrix model with cosmetic problems or blown mid/bass drivers and using the tweeters from those.

I did find a spare pair of the original polyester film T-26 tweeters on ebay when I needed them a couple of years ago but it took a lot of looking..

Personally though I did prefer the metal Matrix tweeters myself too, like the person above.

 

[Inductor]

As was said by another member above they are interchangeable. Minor tweaks can then be calibrated. A metal dome is prefered for monitors/studio environment with better dispersion, in a broad sence.

 

[NATDBERG]

As was said by another member above they are interchangeable. Minor tweaks can then be calibrated. A metal dome is prefered for monitors/studio environment with better dispersion, in a broad sence.

I had a pair of 801s about 15 years ago and replaced the tweeters with the Matrix metal domed ones.

I seem to remember from my research at the time that they aren't an exact match and have a different sensitivity. I didn't bother though and enjoyed the sound.

For that reason, if it were for real monitoring purposes, I'd go with the original tweeter if possible. Whilst it sounds better to my ears, I don't see that it's necessarily more accurate when put in the wrong speaker.

Someone above said that the original woven dome was better than the polyester film one - some reports from the time say the opposite.