I own a pair of B&W 802 f Specials, bought new in 1984. I took a trip to England and the Continent with the main intention of buying the speakers,
The f Specials are similar to yours with the same drive complement, kevlar mid, 2 6.5" woofs and the ice cream cone tweet. The main difference is in the cabinet design. Mine are acoustic suspension with a traditional internal cabinet for the woofs. Yours, of course have the Matrix inside the cabinet and are ported. I believe there is also a slight difference in the tweeters and likely some differences in the crossover, although I'd be hard pressed to talk about them.
My speakers also sit atop Sound Anchors...imperative for physical stability and performance. When I added the sound anchors soundstage got much taller and deeper. It was as iff the speakers were putting out sound form in front of me and beside me.
Oddly, the only other tweak I've done was to replace the original tweets with the Matrix 1 series tweets. I thought there was a great improvement, although, again, I couldn't tell you what is different about the two series' tweeters.
I drive them with a B&K ST202+ amplifier, a basic American big balls amp (200/ch) that was competed in its day with the Adgom GFA555 and Sumo Andromeda, Carver 1.0, and the "high end" Japanese amps from Denon and Pioneer. I felt the B&K was the best bang for the buck...still do. I bought the amp in 1989 and still have it. If I were to replace a component, however, the amp would be the thing. I like the Classe, but would be afraid it doesn't have enough oomph to wake up my speakers. Your version is a couple db's more efficient because of that port. Also the Classe is a very smooth, polite amp. I'm not sure I'd enjoy the match with the oh-so-polite B&W sound. I heard an AKSA amp that I thoroughly enjoyed and felt would be a great match. I also have always had a soft spot for Threshold Amps (but keep in mind I was in the hifi business throughout the '80s and early 90's...it's where my hifi heart and soul remain).
My pre is an Audible Illusions Modulus 2D (also from 1989/90) and I love it. It's quirky (2 volume knobs...no balance) and eats 6DJ8s like candy, but it is smooth and silky and has never given me an ounce of problems. I really like how it tempers the amp and lets the speakers sing.
I have considered a mod to the crossover if for no other reason than the capacitors are 25 years old. I don't know enough about the mods (or current xovers for that matter) to act on it at all. (Finances are another factor).
I have also considered a few times downsizing to a smaller, more contemporary speaker. The 802's on Sound Anchors have a relatively low WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor); in fact my wife refers to my hifi as "The Other Woman." I haven't found any speakers I like as much as the 802s and I've had them longer than I've had my wife (only a couple weeks...we started dating right after I came back for Europe). Also, I've never had an argument with my speakers and they have rarely disappointed me, so for now, they will stay.
In my experience, the best tweak for the speakers isn't really a speaker tweak at all. Properly setting up the speaker relative to your room will maximize its performance beter than any tweak or mod. It's tedious (a few millimeters can make all the difference) and doesn't have the "oooooh coool" factor of mods or new components, but the results can be startling. There are lots of experts here at AN. They can give you instructions on proper placement. If you are in the Raleigh area, there are frequent get-togethers where you can meet other members in the flesh. This is an excellent group of folks and the are very giving of their time and expertise.
Other than suggesting a room tweak, I'm not much help on mods etc. I can give you a piece of advice: do not blow or damage your woofers. The woofers and their parts are no longer made. A couple years ago one of my woofs was physically damaged and it took everything I had to perssade B&W of America to get the last woofer recone kits from the parent in England. There are no more to be had. If you break one, the only way to fix it (from what B&W told me) is salvage one from an old pair.
Comments? Glad to have another 802 fan at AN. I don't feel so alone anymore.
