Description
B&W Bowers & Wilkens Matrix 2 Series 2 walnut finish audiophile 2-way 2-driver bass reflex loudspeakers with weighty metal stands $189/best offer (1988 retail price $1600) All photos of actual speakers and stands offered in very good condition except for some discoloration of the right speakers cabinet top as pictured Features: • B&W’s innovative patented Matrix enclosure construction• 200mm (7 7/8in) homopolymer polypropylene cone bass/midrange driver• 25mm (1in) ferrofluid cooled polyamide metal domed tweeter• B&W’s upgraded patented APOC protection circuit• Real walnut wood veneer cabinets• Made in England 1988-1992• Weighty metal stands with isolation spikes From the manufacturer’s original instruction manual (https://www.avsforum.com/attachments/matrix-2-s2-om-1-pdf.1483801/) Your B&W Matrix 2 Series 2 loudspeaker system incorporatesthe first radical improvement in enclosure design for manyyears Invented by Laurence Dickie (B&W Chief ElectronicsEngineer) it is an ingenious new type of construction, concealedwithin the loudspeaker cabinet. This unique construction-the B&W Matrix-virtually eliminates cabinet vibrations, which in ordinary loudspeakers add their unwanted contribution to the final sound.This is a monitor quality loudspeaker system capable ofgenerating extremely high sound levels. At the same time, due to its wide and balanced frequency response, it will faithfully reproduce the quieter sounds of a solo instrument requiring considerably lower sound level for a faithful reproduction of the live performance.Quite deliberately, the B&W Matrix series of loudspeakers aredescribed as digital monitors. They have been designed for the age of the compact disc, with all the additional requirements that this material places on the loudspeaker system - such as increased dynamic range, increased transient information, lower noise floor, etc B&W Matrix 2 Series 2 is, however, just as much at home with good analogue material and essentially will faithfully reproduce whatever signals are fed to it.The aim of this instruction manual is to increase your knowledge of the product and in doing so, to give you greater enjoyment from its use: Because any high quality loudspeaker is dependent both on the signals fed to it and the environment(ie the listening room) in which it is used, we have devoted separate sections to these subjects. The B&W Matrix series of DigitalMonitors design background Laurence Dickies timely breakthrough slotted perfectly into the ongoing development work of our Research Department-culminating in what we believe to be a very significant advance in loudspeaker technology. The B&W Matrix enclosure The newly invented B&W Matrix enclosure, on which patent applications are pending throughout the world, is the heart of this loudspeaker and represents one of the few new inventions related to loudspeaker enclosures for many years. The B&W Matrix or honeycomb structure which fills the air space inside the cabinet prevents the enclosure (as opposed to the loudspeaker drive unit) from radiating sound, almost completely. This has never before been achieved.There are a number of ways in which this elimination of enclosure sound radiation benefits the reproduction of the complete loudspeaker system:(a) It reduces the coloration so frequently associated with box type loudspeakers, and so provides a more natural open sound. The point being that conventional enclosures add something of their own character, so to speak, to the relatively neutral uncoloured sound of the drive unit.(b) Because the sound radiated from the enclosure takes a long time to decay, its elimination improves transient performance, especially at low frequencies(c) The radiating area of the sound source from the B&W Matrix enclosure is a smaller source than that of a conventional enclosure (because sound is not being radiated from the enclosure). Dispersion is therefore better, seating positions less critical and stereo information more accurate. In other words, the sound is perceived as coming from the space between the loudspeakers, rather than emanating from the loudspeakers themselves. The loudspeaker drive units Having made this major breakthrough in enclosure design, B&W used their ongoing research programme to design equally exacting drive units.Your Matrix 2 Series 2 incorporates a refined version of the polypropylene coned bass unit employed in the original model and a totally new metal domed tweeter. With a complete absence of diaphragm breakup modes to well beyond audibility the high frequency unit produces superb linearity and transparency. The low moving mass and response to 35kHz also ensure impeccable transient performance. Crossover, filter network and protection circuits In any product, when the designer improves one module, others have to be upgraded if the whole is to be superior. Take the example of a car for which a new, improved engine is developed; better brakes and suspension must then complement the improved performance from the power unit if the car is to be a totally better product. Likewise with the B&W Matrix series of loudspeakers: having improved both the enclosure and the drive units, corresponding improvements were necessary both in the components and design of the crossover. The APOC protection circuit on which B&W hold world patents, has also been upgraded. Specifications: Frequency range: (–6dB points) 45Hz to 35kHzSystem tuning: 39HzFree field response: listening axis ± 2dB, 80Hz to 25kHz; ± 30º horizontal ± 2dB to 10kHz; ± 5º vertical ± 2dB to 20kHzSensitivity: 88dB (2.83V)Drive unit complement: Two: one 200mm (7 7/8in) bass/midrange driver with polypropylene cone, 31mm (1 1/4in) voice coil on Kapton former, phenolic bonded and heat cured; one 25mm (1in) metal domed tweeter, polyamide terminatedDistortion: for 95dB SPL at 1m 2nd harmonic: <2.0% (20Hz to 500Hz) <0.5% (500Hz to 20kHz) 3rd harmonic: <1.5% (20Hz to 500Hz) <0.5% (500Hz to 20kHz)Impedance: Not less than 6.5?Amplifier limits: 50W–150W at 4? (recommended)Dimensions: Height 60cm (23 1/2in), Width 26cm (10 1/4in), Depth 32cm (12 1/2in)Weight: 16kg (35.2lb)
Live search