DSJR
Major Contributor
My mastering engineer pal used 801's in his room driven by a large HH (V800?) MOS-FET amp. He had to turn the stands they had on their sides to lift the speakers so the 'module' could be seen over the meter bridge and his colleagues did the same and I have to say I wasn't hugely impressed with the sound they gave in this airless room from master grade material. Some years on, B&W updated them to the M801 version and he was able to get his 'old' monitors signed out to him (he still has them thirty years or so on in his AV system) and in his home, they sounded great I remember. His version lacked the protection buttons on the front edge.
P.S. I remember at work in 1981 or so, we had a Quatre (QMI) Gain cell power amp in and it drove the 801's, KEF 105's and also 3 ohm or so Linn Isobariks to phenomonal levels, this unfettered power delivery something I'd not really heard before and showing what speakers like this really could do. Not sure any of these Gain Cell amps have survived (apparently they went into terminal melt down after a few years and maybe took the speakers connected to them as well?).
P.S. I remember at work in 1981 or so, we had a Quatre (QMI) Gain cell power amp in and it drove the 801's, KEF 105's and also 3 ohm or so Linn Isobariks to phenomonal levels, this unfettered power delivery something I'd not really heard before and showing what speakers like this really could do. Not sure any of these Gain Cell amps have survived (apparently they went into terminal melt down after a few years and maybe took the speakers connected to them as well?).