Bowers & Wilkins Matrix 801 Series 3 speakers

200,000 ₴

Home audio

2 months

Україна

Вінницька область

133 views

Published 2 months ago by alextimchenko

200,000 ₴

In Home audio category

Вінницька область, Україна

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133 item views

Condition is excellent, no repairs.

Bowers & Wilkins Matrix 801 Series 3 (also known as 801 S3) — the legendary floorstanding loudspeaker of the 1980s–1990s from the Matrix series. Considered one of B&W's most successful reference monitors, used in professional recording studios worldwide for its neutrality, scale and accuracy of reproduction.

Matrix 801 S3 — a three-way floorstanding speaker with a bass-reflex port (front-firing port). Built using the proprietary Matrix technology: inside the cabinet is a rigid honeycomb structure of wooden partitions that strongly reduces resonances and colorations, making the enclosure very inert. The design is split into two parts: a large heavy lower cabinet housing the woofer and crossover and a separate upper "head" (made of fibercrete — reinforced concrete) with the midrange driver and a tweeter on top. This provides excellent time alignment, precise stereo imaging and a three-dimensional soundstage. The speakers support bi-wiring (two sets of terminals). Series 3 is a simplified version compared to Series 2 (slightly thinner veneer, simplified Matrix construction), but the sound is very close. Many consider it one of the best in the Matrix lineup.

Specifications:
- Type: 3-way, bass-reflex, floorstanding
- Drivers: LF — 1 × 300 mm (12"), Cobex cone; MF — 1 × 126 mm, Kevlar cone; HF — 1 × 26 mm (1"), metal dome
- Frequency range: 32 Hz – 20 kHz (±3 dB on reference axis)
- Sensitivity: 87 dB (2.83 V / 1 m)
- Nominal impedance: 8 Ω (minimum 4 Ω)
- Recommended amplifier power: 50–300 W (preferably from a 100 W high-quality amplifier)
- Crossover: crossover points around 380 Hz and 3000 Hz
- Dimensions (H × W × D): 1008 × 432 × 560 mm
- Weight: about 50 kg per cabinet
- Finishes: Black Ash, Walnut, Rosewood; grille is black cloth

Sound and impressions. The speakers are renowned for a neutral, monitor-like sound with excellent detail, a holographic midrange (the midrange is often compared to electrostats — transparent and lively), powerful, deep and controlled bass, and airy but not aggressive highs.

Pros: scale and authoritative sound; excellent for classical music, jazz, acoustic recordings and studio monitoring; durability and serviceability.

Cons: low sensitivity — requires a powerful and good-quality amplifier (solid-state from 100–200 W); without proper stands or placement the bass can be a bit loose. Today these are vintage — crossover check/re-cap and driver servicing are recommended.

Published on 2026/05/18

Description

Condition is excellent, no repairs.

Pros: scale and authoritative sound; excellent for classical music, jazz, acoustic recordings and studio monitoring; durability and serviceability.

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