Gear / Technical Help > Playback Forum
Matrix 804?
carlbeck:
What do you B&W guys think of the Matrix 804's? I have a chance to purchase a pair at a decent price to replace my Vandersteens. I'm having a bitch of a time trying to get my 2Ce Sig's to image well in my room & have decided to try another speaker. I don't know anything about the Matrix & haven't heard any higher end B&W so I have no clue what to expect.
ducati:
First, let me preface this by saying I have never heard the 2ce's. That being said, there are LOTS of people who love those vandys... So my first thought would be: have you exhausted all opportunities?
Speaker positioning makes a MONSTROUS difference in the sound quality; so much that without proper speaker positioning, sometimes gear upgrades can't be heard much, if at all. What size room do you have them in? How far away from the walls are they (both the back and the side measurements)? What kind of "wiggle room" do you have in placement?
I have heard the Matrix 805, Matrix 801, Nautilus 805 (which I own now), N804, N803, N802, and N801's... I do not like what I have heard from the N804's. There is something just not right about that speaker... Something about the driver integration isn't great. I didn't hear the M804 version, so maybe it's better; but IMO the Nautilus tweeter is WELL worth springing for, as the N805 and N801 sound vastly better than their matrix counterpart (in many areas).
To be honest, I haven't liked anything lower than the 801's, other than the 805's. I am still fiddling with 802's, tho, as anecdotal evidence suggests they are truly excellent speakers; and that I just haven't heard them in a well-integrated system. But since I don't have the room for them right now, I'm either sticking with my N805's or buying the Siggy 805's for the time being.
That being said, B&W's are pinpoint imagers, by nature. So maybe they would work where the Vandy's won't?
Speaker placement and room matching is HUGE!! My bud has a pair of Martin Logan SL3's... And they sound decent in his room, but not great... he just can't pull them out far enough into the room (wife issues)...
carlbeck:
The room is very tough & I know all my issues are from placement. The room is 14X17X7 & I have the speakers kiti-corner in the room, they are 3 ft from the rear walls but there is only 2 ft from the sides & one is a glass door! Ouch to say the least. I have been dragging these puppies around the living room for a few months without any sucess. I know everyone raves about the Vandy's but for me it's been nothing but heartache :'(
ducati:
I feel your pain, man. I was stuck in a 10x12 listening room for awhile. Nearfield only, obviously... And when I had my apartment I had the sliding glass door to contend with :(
Are you married? If not (most wives won't go for this, maybe yours is an exception tho?) you should consider some adsorbtive material to put on the first surface of reflection; I believe the company that makes tube traps maks some standing panels. That might help... You can get them in matching fabrics and such, you'd just have to move that panel every time you needed to get in and out of the slider.
Seriously, you should try a pair of N805's. I really REALLY like these speakers... Like I said, the only other B&W I have liked so far is the N801's... The 805's are really something special. I put them up against a slew of ProAc's, Thiel's, and B&Ws and the N805's came out on top, and they were at the low end of my price range! And I can absolutely attest that the love DNA power ;)
Do you have a Thiel dealer around? The new CS1.6's might work well, too... I *love* the CS2.4's, but you'd need more room for those, I think. The CS1.5's and 2.3's were readily outclassed by the N805's, IMO, tho...
carlbeck:
The problem I see with the 805 or any monitor is that I really need a sub with them, pushing the cost up a bit. I have never heard a good mini-monitor set up in all reality but I really like to FEEL the bass when I turn it up :o I'm not married yet (sept 13) but she lives here & really likes the room set up right now so my options are really rather limited. The other concern I have with speakers on stands are that I have 2 crazy huskies who could easily knock over a speaker if they are wrestling in the living room. Tough choice but keep them coming :D
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