Chinese attempt at B&W 805: Oatlon WZ-501S Speakers!

2025-06 Aliexpress reached to me with custom discount codes for my US viewers, these will be valid for the next 12 months (untill 2026-06), here they are - enjoy!
$39-5: 【ZONE】 $89-10: 【ZONE10】 $149-25: 【ZONE25】 $259-45: 【ZONE45】 $349-60: 【ZONE60】 $459-70: 【ZONE70】 $599-120: 【ZONE120】
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Remote beer tap control :D
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2025-06 You can try and use coupouns to lower the price, just copy and paste them when in payment app screen:
These are valid until August 2025.

First thing: right after doing video I've done the basket dampening mod. And its superb!
Best effect so far, it seems that these really needed some vibrations to be removed.
Already excellent, thay got additional clarity in mids and bass. Its 15 minutes job and the result is instant level up for them. I think I will do a revisit video after x-over mods.

Now, to the regular part of the desciption:

These are chineese lookalikes for B&W 805N. But they are not a copy. They are scaled down, similiar in looks, but different speakers. Very good on their own too - watch the full review.

If you'd like to get yours, get them from the same shop I got mine from (so tested as safe and reliable - and thats not always the case, but you do not get to see the reviews for the equipement that was damaged or lost on the way, obviously). Check here:
Or here (same shop owner as I've learned ordering center and second pair)

Audio setup used for my listening session (you can find reviews of most of these in my channel):

FLAC/DSD files - Foobar2k - Fully passive 11th gen Intel PCwih LPS - AQ Jitterbug -
Chord USB - Singxer SU-6-IIS via fk AQ Thunderbird - Gustard X26 Pro and Semibreve DA50 (yes two DACs) - fk Dragon RCA - D5Pro and 2x 851W - fk Dragon/K2 - Oatlon speakers
Power: two Pavalle power strips with additional DIY EMI filters, power cords: fk AQ Dragon Source (DACs etc), AQ Dragon HC (amplifiers)

If youll look on YT for speaker type you'll find some videos with tube amp pairings by some chinese(?) shop. These pair well with tubes and anything high current.
When I'll get my mic setup sorted I will add sound demo vid.

[mikec]

Keep up the good work. You've saved audiophiles a collective fortune. And a shout-out to China for subsidizing good sound worldwide!

[worldofelectronics]

Thanks for the detailed review. I bought a pair of these speakers in April 2024. They are connected to my Dayton Audio HTA200 Integrated Stereo Hybrid Tube Amplifier. I am very happy with the design and sound.

[liamporter]

There are many nice design speakers from China. Hope to see more reviews of them in the future in YouTube audiophiles community.

[pierresalagnac]

Have you identified any good sub to go with these on Ali ? I tend to believe that a good and affordable sub would be great upgrade to many systems...

[Tedahsonsonson]

Mind sharing how you dampen the driver? + what voltage the caps should be?

You think it'll run good on my Sansui AU-X517R. It is pretty bass heavy and throws out about 80w.

[TheRockerxx]

I dampen inside cabinets with metal plates drowned in silicon, glue bracing if none inside, silicon gaskets. Better caps in the X over. Results are breathtaking.

[marcinwasilewski]

Wymiana tych elektrolitów na MKP spowoduje zwiększenie analityczności. Pomijając kwestię "jakości" kondensatorów, z czysto elektrycznego punktu widzenia, znaczna część postrzeganej różnicy (nie twierdzę, że cała) będzie wynikiem tego, że kondensator elektrolityczny ma wysoką rezystancję wewnętrzną (ESR) i na schemacie można by to przedstawić jako kondensator z szeregowo podłączonym rezystorem. Zmieniając elektrolit na MKP o minimalnym ESR niejako zwiększamy głośność tweetera. Jeśli kolumna głośnikowa gra przykładowo "szczupło" to po takim zabiegu będzie jeszcze szczuplejsza, co może z początku się spodobać (zachwyt nad "detalicznością") ale na dłuższą metę może być męczące i powinno się dodać rezystor szeregowy do tweetera rekompensujący różnicę ESR. W ogóle wyregulowanie głośności tweetera może być robione w zależności od pomieszczenia, docelowego ustawienia kolumn, charakteru wzmacniacza. To może zaoszczędzić masę pieniędzy na głupie ruchy z wymianą sprzętu / kolumn.

(Eng.) Replacing these electrolytes with MKP will increase analyticality. Leaving aside the issue of "quality" of capacitors, from a purely electrical point of view, a significant part of the perceived difference (I do not claim that all of it) will be the result of the fact that the electrolytic capacitor has a high internal resistance (ESR) and in the diagram it could be represented as a capacitor with a series-connected resistor. By changing the electrolyte to MKP with minimal ESR we somehow increase the tweeter volume. If the speaker cabinet plays, for example, "thinly", after such a procedure it will be even thinner, which may be liked at first (delight in "detail"), but in the long run it can be tiring and a series resistor should be added to the tweeter to compensate for the difference in ESR. In general, adjusting the tweeter volume can be done depending on the room, the target speaker setting, the character of the amplifier. This can save a lot of money on stupid moves with changing equipment / speakers.

[WardDorrity]

Glad you're back, chief. So what is this basket dampening mod.?

[ChicagoRob]

I still have my vintage 1995 B&W Matrix 805s. Paid $1600 for them and worth every penny.

[davebutler]

Very good points.
Especially detail at lower volumes...
Most of the time you have to turn the volume up to get any decent sound.

[MrKrampyHands]

China literally kills it when it comes to audio that's a country that is seriously slept on i know Phil Jones eho owns AAD and PJB he makes some seriously awesome high end amps and speakers some of them costing a hslf million dollars his regular stiff is made in China with edifier stuff that he also designs (he designs allot of edifier speakers and amps) anyway he has a bunch of engineers over there and they are genius level humans absolute geniuses and they come up with some incredible solutions i personally have been mind blown by them guys

[DN]

I was already writing a comment on the lack of dampening inside until I saw the last 30 seconds of the video 😅.

[FunRunEndsInTragedy]

$250!? In the run up to the black Friday deals Aliexpress kept emailing me about these speakers but they were priced at £292 ($370). They’re now £328 ($416).

[johnnewcomb]

$250 dollars is a great deal.
Nice video.

[RyanScanlan-oo]

Love the channel
So Ive bought these and am modding them. As far as the crossover, please advise if this is correct? 4.7uf polar and 18uf bi polar? both in 250v? Jantzen superior z cap?
Your help is much appreciated!

[mddawson]

These were around $500aud (with discount voucher) during the sale. I seriously considered getting a pair but decided against it as they would be too small for my listening room. I have a second hand pair of original NHT Superzero speakers that, even in combination with my SVS sub, fail to fill the room with sound. I need a larger bookshelf speaker (8" bass driver) at minimum. My regular speakers are Arendal 1723 Tower THX. Although they are a Norwegian brand who design the speakers, they get them made in China yet the build and sound quality surpasses speakers twice the cost.

[jorged]

Just wow. I’m looking for a new set of small speakers to replace my Elac DB5.2. I was looking at the Kef LS50 Meta or Elac Debut Reference. Do you think these could challenge such reputed speakers? They are to go very close to the corners of the room, so the front ported is very welcomed

[CarkeekW]

Otalon M10 Review next ? the 804 D4 type looking one

[Anatoly_Panchenko]

Bottom FR at 35hz… It sounds like I have car. May be it’s Rolls Royce? May be Volkswagen beetle? Maybe it’s a Kenworth truck?
Is there a difference 35hz at -1.5dB or -10, or -20dB?
It’s like those amps, claimed as 2x200w, with single 100w transformer
Kevlar cone asking for a bit more advanced crossover, due to persistence of resonance peak. Original B&W 704 has a peak near 4 kHz. After slightly modifying a crossover, the sizzling of my 704 is gone, and now it sounds really pleasant with female vocals, and pianos.
Damn they did not copied nautilus tweeter’s structure. Chinese diaphragm really really good. Once I burned 704, tweeter, and while waiting for original part, I ordered just replacement diaphragm with voice coil from Ali. I was stunned when I measured repaired driver. It has a bit more smooth FR than the original, while accurately maintaining general character of the original FR
P.S. There is inexpensive calibrated USB microphone UMIC-1, that able to measure loudspeakers for review and modding purposes. Just plug and play, no sound card or preamp required.

[nsxt]

Thanks for the review. Have you ever had a chance to review coaxial speaker from China? Such is tannoy clone? Would love to watch that.🥂