Not only possible, but advisable

Posted by madisonears (A) on May 7, 2012 at 21:16:24

In Reply to: Is it possible to modify older high-end speakers? posted by Pete Watt on May 7, 2012 at 12:45:03:

This topic has come up many times on many forums.

I owned 802's for over fifteen years and thoroughly enjoyed them. I enjoyed them even more after improving the crossovers. B&W spent a lot of time and money developing decent drivers and made beautiful enclosures in which to house them, then threw in a functional but really low quality crossover. I think it was designed to fit in the base of the cabinet, so it was compromised by the size restriction and lack of quality components.

Send B&W an e-mail, asking for your model's design details. You will receive a pdf file containing pages of complete engineering drawings, showing a breakdown of all the components inside the speaker, including a crossover schematic. Buy new caps, the best you can afford, for the tweeter. Buy decent caps for the midrange. If it will no longer fit in the base of the enclosure, mount them externally. For a couple hundred bucks and a few hours labor, you will be rewarded with much sweeter yet detailed highs and fuller mids. If you use the same value as what is specified, you will not change the basic tonality of the speaker at all--it will just sound better.

If you get really adventurous, bypass the protection circuitry entirely. If your electronics are stable and you don't blast them with hundreds of watts, they'll be perfectly safe and more dynamic without it. The drivers are very robust and it takes a disaster or a dummy to wreck them.

You might also consider using better binding posts. They do make a difference, especially in the highs and mids. I recommend Vampire gold over copper (not brass), but there are many others available. The only ones I would avoid are Eichmann cable pods.

I don't even like B&W's newer tweeters, and it would probably be difficult and terribly expensive to convert old models to new drivers. You can make a substantial improvement with much less money and effort.

Peace,
Tom E
berate is 8 and benign is 9

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Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - Is it possible to modify older high-end speakers? - Pete Watt 12:45:03 05/7/12 (17)

The only thing - badman 10:05:16 05/16/12 (1)

RE: The only thing - Raymond Leggs 10:10:56 05/21/12 (0)

Not only possible, but advisable - madisonears 05/7/1221:16:24 05/7/12 (1)

RE: Not only possible, but advisable - tommytube 17:18:25 05/8/12 (0)

RE: Is it possible to modify older high-end speakers? - Pro Sound Guy 17:10:51 05/7/12 (2)

My present configuration consists of... - Pete Watt 17:57:58 05/7/12 (1)

RE: My present configuration consists of... - Pro Sound Guy 06:13:54 05/8/12 (0)

My philosophy - kavakidd 15:01:23 05/7/12 (1)

Bingo! +1! If they are good enough to keep revealing electronics upgrades, leave 'em be. - Enophile 16:03:28 05/7/12 (0)

RE: Is it possible to modify older high-end speakers? - Pro Sound Guy 13:53:59 05/7/12 (2)

RE: Is it possible to modify older high-end speakers? - hahax@verizon.net 20:31:06 05/7/12 (1)

I talked to North Creek Music - Pete Watt 08:51:32 05/8/12 (0)

I supposE you could add sneeze-through windvents, star-studded... - Mr. Dick Hertz 13:14:31 05/7/12 (4)

And don't forget factory air conditioned air... - R Browne 20:10:45 05/7/12 (0)

RE: I supposE you could add sneeze-through windvents, star-studded... - tomservo 16:31:22 05/7/12 (2)

Ah, a fellow traveler. Here in the City of Fine Music. - Mr. Dick Hertz 17:17:34 05/7/12 (1)

RE: Ah, a fellow traveler. Here in the City of Fine Music. - Alnicoman 04:36:39 05/9/12 (0)

Follow Ups

Not only possible, but advisable - madisonears 05/7/1221:16:24 05/7/12 (1)

RE: Not only possible, but advisable - tommytube 17:18:25 05/8/12 (0)

Not only possible, but advisable

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