Up for sale is B&W Matrix 802/804 series Bass Alignment filter Clone with Linear power supply .
Filter PCB is having 2 similar RCA section, can be used for Balanced In/Out(additional power supply required).
Currently Bass alignment filter is set for Matrix 802 and 804.
For Matrix 801,803 and 805, Resistors value need to change, I can provide Resistor's detail.
16 pieces Vishay VSH resistors is used in critical places.
8 pieces Multi-cap PPFMX coupling capacitor.
All other resistors are Takman Metal film.
All parts (value and type) and pcb tracks kept as per Original filter.
Power transformer currently set for 230V AC but can also be changed to 120V AC.
Chassis is not included in sale, just to show I have matching Chassis.
If buyer is interested ,we can discuss about price.
I observed nice improvement over Stock B&W filter in terms of transparency, more smoothness, better bass.
I have sold my Matrix Speaker so this one up for sale.
Feel free to ask, if you have any questions.
I have schematic which I will share with buyer via email.
Shipping to Worldwide at buyer's risk, but it will packed carefully.
Shipping to world will be through INDIA post Registered mail which will take 2-4 weeks.
Please contact me for shipping charges.
Selling price : $125 including PayPal charges 5.5%.
Thanks for looking.
Filter PCB is having 2 similar RCA section, can be used for Balanced In/Out(additional power supply required).
Currently Bass alignment filter is set for Matrix 802 and 804.
For Matrix 801,803 and 805, Resistors value need to change, I can provide Resistor's detail.
16 pieces Vishay VSH resistors is used in critical places.
8 pieces Multi-cap PPFMX coupling capacitor.
All other resistors are Takman Metal film.
All parts (value and type) and pcb tracks kept as per Original filter.
Power transformer currently set for 230V AC but can also be changed to 120V AC.
Chassis is not included in sale, just to show I have matching Chassis.
If buyer is interested ,we can discuss about price.
I observed nice improvement over Stock B&W filter in terms of transparency, more smoothness, better bass.
I have sold my Matrix Speaker so this one up for sale.
Feel free to ask, if you have any questions.
I have schematic which I will share with buyer via email.
Shipping to Worldwide at buyer's risk, but it will packed carefully.
Shipping to world will be through INDIA post Registered mail which will take 2-4 weeks.
Please contact me for shipping charges.
Selling price : $125 including PayPal charges 5.5%.
Thanks for looking.
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It is really strange that so many owners have not understood that this filter was not some extra option, but a key part of the design on the Matrix's if you want the full performance as designed. And it is not only a low end boost.
Quite a bit more substantial the kit here than the factory one (which I have had, followed along with a set of S80's for which it is not suitable)
Cheers!
Quite a bit more substantial the kit here than the factory one (which I have had, followed along with a set of S80's for which it is not suitable)
Cheers!
It was sold as a option ... So therefore it's fair to say it is optional by design.
You could philosophically say it is not optional for anyone to enjoy them to their full ... But that's a different thing.
Indeed, even the manual says it is an optional accessory, that they are perfectly fine without it, and that with the filter, the differences are quite subtle
https://www.bowerswilkins.com/on/de...-manuals/eng_ft00008_matrix-801-s2_manual.pdf
Could you be confusing this with the Kef Kube for the Kef 107s - that was not optional, yet many people buying second hand think that it was..
How could you possibly think it could be confused with that?
Admittedly I have not run through all the manuals for the later Matrix variants.
But you can check this for further ref.
https://www.kenrockwell.com/audio/b-w/800-series-bass-alignment-filter.htm
How could I possibly think that? Because that would be the only thing that made sense regarding what you said, if you were speaking from knowledge of the manufacturer's intentions ..
But I see you were going off some guy on the internet's opinions and have suddenly been convinced he's correct and everyone else is stupid.. - which is kind of what you implied earlier.
Well, his conclusions are wrong and are circumstantial..
The reason B&W would use the better specs with the filter would be for marketing. The reason it would say sixth order on the boxes is for marketing. But those are his reasons for believing it is a necessary part of them.
However, it was sold separately as an accessory and in the manual it says it's not essential. It also says in the manual that the difference is subtle because not much musical content is down as low as it takes them (19hz -3db point in the 801s).
And then, anecdotally, users have said the filter as provided by B&W themselves creates a viel over the midrange and treble... makes them sound worse.
Anyway, read the manual i linked to. Hopefully you'll be better informed and less inclined to criticise people for using them without the filter.
By the way, I have been to a couple of mastering studios who use the 801 Matrix as their monitors and they do not use the filter. My pair came from an Abbey Road mastering suit and no filter was used (I asked the owner i bought them from who once worked there..)
But I see you were going off some guy on the internet's opinions and have suddenly been convinced he's correct and everyone else is stupid.. - which is kind of what you implied earlier.
Well, his conclusions are wrong and are circumstantial..
The reason B&W would use the better specs with the filter would be for marketing. The reason it would say sixth order on the boxes is for marketing. But those are his reasons for believing it is a necessary part of them.
However, it was sold separately as an accessory and in the manual it says it's not essential. It also says in the manual that the difference is subtle because not much musical content is down as low as it takes them (19hz -3db point in the 801s).
And then, anecdotally, users have said the filter as provided by B&W themselves creates a viel over the midrange and treble... makes them sound worse.
Anyway, read the manual i linked to. Hopefully you'll be better informed and less inclined to criticise people for using them without the filter.
By the way, I have been to a couple of mastering studios who use the 801 Matrix as their monitors and they do not use the filter. My pair came from an Abbey Road mastering suit and no filter was used (I asked the owner i bought them from who once worked there..)
I bought this unit AND the original B&W BAF. I could not try the original B&W BAF because I am running balanced to my amps and my pre-amp doesn't have a "tape loop" or Processor loop" to insert it into the path.
This unit is balanced but I have to swap out the transformer before I can try it. Once it's ready I'll see if I can try both units using the single ended connections to a different amp. I wouldn't expect either one to add enough "noise" to the signal that my old @$$ would notice. As for the subtle low end lift / gain, I bought the 802's to be crossed over @ 125 to my servo controlled subs so in the end I won't be using either unit. I bought them "in case" I use the 802's full range in the future.
This unit is balanced but I have to swap out the transformer before I can try it. Once it's ready I'll see if I can try both units using the single ended connections to a different amp. I wouldn't expect either one to add enough "noise" to the signal that my old @$$ would notice. As for the subtle low end lift / gain, I bought the 802's to be crossed over @ 125 to my servo controlled subs so in the end I won't be using either unit. I bought them "in case" I use the 802's full range in the future.
I had the filters, I measured the filters
- did you? or are you just seeking confirmation for having made the best choice by not having the filters ;-)
I am sorry if I am coming across as implying - but yes it was a "stone in the shoe" comment as I noticed that many 2nd-3rd-4th? owners were unaware of the "option".
But there are plenty of other references to the benefits of the filter out there - and thinking that the B&W engineers made this just for fun or out of boredom should be absurd to anyone who have ever been in R&D.
It is however also easy to see that depending on the room acoustics, the extensions could create other issues.
For some reason i don't get an option to quote your last post ..
I had the B&W filter, but now have an aftermarket one by Anodyne (from the 90s I think - all descrete from memory?
Anyway, at least you are now acknowledging it as an option, which is a change to your first post.
Now that you realise that it was totally an optional accessory, you can begin to understand why people tend not to use them....
Why do you assume people are unaware of the option?
The fact is, because it was an option, not many original owners bought them! I have 3 pairs of 805s, 2 pairs of 802s and one pair of 801s. I have bought and sold two other pairs of 805s also on the past. Some of those pairs were purchased from their first owners, one came from the factory without serial numbers (or veneer), from a B&W employee....
.. and yet none of them ever came with the bass alignment filter. The bass alignment filters are hard to find because notany were sold in comparison to the speakers themselves.
So, this means that the dealers did not think they were needed for their customers, nor were they pushed by B&W as much more than an accessory. And, let's face it, not many audiophiles want some box plugged into their tape loop and definitely not between pre and power.
Anecdotal reviews from the time were also negative and the box was thought have an overall negative effect ...
It all makes total sense. It's not down to ignorance as you imply