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You should try it with just an old fashioned AVR and CD player and see how they sound. Nothing extra , no extra DAC no EQ just the basics like most people would have
You missed the point of the review, you need a good upstream to make these speakers work well, in other words don’t buy these if you have an AVR and budget CD player.
Good lesson in synergy! Years ago I passed up a couple of great deals on Klipsch La Scala’s because the seller auditioned them with cheap receivers in terrible rooms. Once I listened to a pair with good quality equipment I was sold!
The B&W 600 series speakers have been a great “budget” speaker. In my experience,and as you have shown, if they don’t sound good, check the source before assuming the speakers are at fault. I bought a pair of 601 S2 speakers 22 years ago and they are still in daily use. They were $427 new which would be $743 today. The current equivalent speakers are the 607 S3 which are $900 list. The price has outpaced inflation a bit but is still reasonable. I’m planning on upgrading to the new 600 series next year and retiring my 601 S2’s. They’ll still be used but not as daily drivers.
@@jamesrobinson9176 they are not made on England anymore now made in China I believe. Buy a old pair. My old ones sound good but lack mids somewhat. I haven't heard the new ones but I've read they don't sound quite as good as the old ones
@@mattm2684 The ones I spoke of that had a big midrange suckout and too hot tweeter all had a minimalist 1st order crossover too, which is usually not a good thing. However, some designers are fixated on them, even though they present many problems that you don't see in even 2nd order filters. But, they do cost less 'cause there's fewer parts. A good compromise is a 2nd order filter on woofer and tweeter, which uses an inductor and capacitor on both the woofer and tweeter and has a 12db per octave rolloff. 1st order crossovers will only an inductor on the woofer and a capacitor on the tweeter, and will have only 6db per octave rolloff, which creates more overlap between drivers, which can lead to phase and other issues.
One thing I've never understood is the passivity many audiophiles seem to have regarding tone controls. I got an earlier version of these in a sale, found them way too bright (especially when listening to a digital source), so I turned the treble down slightly and voila, they sounded perfect. Yes, blame B&W if you like for over-accentuating the top end, but it's not like there's nothing you can do about it! They're your speakers, after all. Something else interesting, after about a year I found that the B&Ws settled down (or perhaps my ears did) and the treble didn't need to be adjusted so much. I've never known other speakers change quite so much in character with use, or, alternatively, take quite so long to "break in".
I've had 606s2, 706s2, 606s2, and now 702s2 Bowers. HT and audiophile applications. They all have a break in period. I now have my 702s2 pair in a 2.2 music arrangement. Wouldn't have anything else handle my music
Obviously they are used to auditioning audio under closer to 'ideal' situations where signal purity can be replicated, but doesn't always account for less than ideal room acoustics, or in my case, less than perfect hearing where I actually usually need to boost the treble for clarity, so I pretty much always need to boost levels too. Also, some music is just recorded less than perfectly!
It's interesting that you had trouble with Airplay. I always thought Airplay was terrible. I have a nice sounding Denon AV receiver, but streaming from Roon using Airplay always sounded awful, whereas using an external streamer, even a chromecast dongle, was far better. I don't know if it is the compression Airplay uses, but it's always sounded bad to me. Glad it's not just me.
Yes, the compression Apple uses is tailored to sound best with earbuds and those USB speakers the size of a stuffed toy (95%+ of their users I'd wager). Putting their stuff through a real speaker/amp setup is almost as bad as playing rock music over AM radio. Yes, years ago we had one station where I lived that was cheap and did that, so I unfortunately remember. lol.
I've had the 606s2 for about 4 years. A lot of people hated them as harsh tweeter made the ears bleed. I initially didn't care for them either. I finally decided to give them no tow in and the harshness smoothed out. That fact and a lot of hours of playing they actually sound pretty darned good.
I picked up a new pair of 606 s2 anniversary editions for $405 and I've thoroughly enjoyed them. I knew of B&Ws reputation for being hot in the high frequencies and that's why I sought them out. I'm pushing 70yrs old and my high frequency hearing is diminishing, so the B&Ws are a perfect match for me...allowing me to hear the highs like I could, years ago. Nice bass & mid-range too.
Suggestion for a test track, dire straits "you and your friend". Had never heard it till a few months ago, but it seems to be on almost every hi fi play list I've come across on spotify or amazon. It had sounds coming from places where a speaker wasn't even close. The different guitars come through clear as day, and the way you can hear the little finger tube thingy sliding across the strings. The imaging for a song that old is next level.
I picked up a pair of early 90's B&W dm 620's awhile back for the purpose of putting together an all British system. When I went to audition these speakers they sounded absolutely terrible. It sounded like both tone controls were set at -6. I figured that for $100 for the pair it was worth the risk. I took them home and hooked them up to a Cambridge amp and Rotel cd player. Well the sound coming out of these speakers now is absolutely fabulous! So I concur that you need high quality amp and source to get the most out of this brand of speakers.
i have a sa7800 vintage amplifier hooked up to a pair of B&W DM601S1, it sounds so good. Detailed sound with good bass is present to me too, it can shake my wooden ceiling . Detailed mids and highs, i just liked it so far.
Glad you were able to resolve the elephant in the room for these speakers. I'm now wondering how much of a sound change I'll get for my own speakers in altering my current streaming / DAC sources.
Information coupled with entertainment, as always! On a different note, this might be an interesting comparison: Edifier S360DB (a $500 powered 2.1 with planar tweeter, 4 inch aluminum mid-driver and a wireless 8 inch ported sub) vs a similarly priced 2.1 made-up of passive bookshelf, amp and sub. For many, $500 is probably a reasonable budget. If the Edifier's able to hold its own, it could be an easy recommendation for those seeking a simpler setup.
This comment is not about your current video. It is about your recommendation of the Aiyima A08 Pro. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I bought this amp last week off Amazon for less than $80 to use with my desktop computer and Jamo Speakers. This is by fair the best “cheap” set up I have ever owned/heard. These comments are coming from a guy who has far to much expensive audio equipment (a system in just about every room). I truly appreciate your recommendation. Spot on!
Recently I switched from a gen3 apple TV to a Wiim Mini (Used your affiliate link, thank you!) and noticed a drastic difference when using the Wiim's app versus the native amazon music app. Airplay would never exceed 24/44.1 regardless of the track quality, frustrating when you're subscribing for hi-res. The Wiim app streams full resolution, but it will take me a little while to get used to the UI/UX and I do miss the credits and lyrics provided in Amazon. At the same time I upgraded my Aiyima DAC-A2 to the SMSL SU1, and let me say I'm a DAC believer now. Had I continued to use the A2, I doubt I would have noticed the difference between Airplay and Wiim. For reference I'm currently running B&W 606 S2 Anniversary on a Marantz model 1060, I love this setup. Thanks for the reviews, Randy!
B&Ws are hard to beat. I've owned a pair of Matrix 803s2 for a quarter of a century now, and they sound amazing to this day. They are driven by a custom-made dual mono 250 Wpc power amp of the same vintage.
HiFi World magazine (UK) had a great tip for taming bright speakers like this Bowers & Wilkins model. They suggested wiring your amp to the woofer terminals, then use the included jumper to connect the two minus terminals but then substitute for the jumper a 2 ohm resistor (5 watts or greater) when connecting the positive terminals. Feel free to try different resistor ohm values. Fancy audiophile resistors are worthwhile but hardly necessary. Cheap, easy, adjustable, reversible, won’t void your warranty, and you can’t break anything.
Just bear in mind that when you add a resistor, that increases the impedance of the tweeter, which lowers the crossover frequency for the tweeter, so there will be more overlap between drivers, which may or may not be a good thing, depending on the design. In many B&Ws, which have a big midrange suckout and too hot tweeter, that will improve the sound all the way around, as it will fill in the mids and reduce the too hot treble.
@@DougMen1 Seems to me the added resistor would increase the impedance of the tweeter (and change the crossover frequency) only if the resistor is placed after the tweeter crossover components right at the tweeter’s terminal inside the enclosure. A resistor placed at the system’s input before the crossover would only cause the amplifier to see a higher impedance of the tweeter section and result in less power input to the tweeter crossover, which, of course, is the goal here.
I'm also curious about whether it's worth upgrading from Diamond 12.2's, which I would characterize as a totally issue free, easy listening, speaker for music and movies.
@@NsteveAyou'd probably be better picking Wharfedale Evo if you already like the diamonds. Though I feel the Evo will be very slightly on the warmer side. B&W is a whole different sound; maybe try to EQ the diamonds to the frequency response of b&W
That makes a lot of different devices in where the signal are switching and travelling. Of course it sounded bad. I've tested these but with a cd player and a turntable, in a receiver and in a combo pre-amp/power, and they sounded like for my taste.
I got the Px8 around a month back. And omfg these are the best headphones I have tried. After comparing against QC45, they are not even in the same league. I know that's not saying much. I haven't compared to other brands like AudioTechnica or Sony (I don't like Sennheiser at all) but Px8 will crush them all imo. The only other headphones which can beat the Px8 would be Focal headphones. Although they are quite expensive, and at that price I would definitely get B&W loudspeaker set. B&W speakers and tech reproduce sound faithfully imho.
I always wonder about that too with these "giveaways". If someone will clickbait, they might not be above baiting their hook with fantasy without substance. I 've seen this kind of thing on other channels and on this one before. UA-cam should check up on these guys occasionally and make them produce proof they sent someone something, with the date sent of utmost importance. Fudging something once you are called out on it, is what I think they would try. Using a friend or relative to deceive. Not saying this happened; but it's a good bet it has happened before on UA-cam.
When you first listen to a new speaker don’t use a streaming source. Why not just use a high quality CD player with a high quality preamp and amplifier? The fewer pieces of electronics that you have in the audio chain the better everything sounds. It’s an old fashioned theory that actually works. After the first listen then use a goofy streaming source. But minimize the equipment in the playback chain. Each piece of gear adds noise and distortion of different types. You may not agree with this but it’s reality and that’s all it is.
My go-to for years was an old (vintage) Pioneer amp with a CD player attached to it. The brick would go down to 4 ohms, so the problem was never the speaker - lol. But I get it - he's trying to replicate the experience us "cheap audio" people are likely to experience. But, yes, so many things in a chain, with so many little chips all waiting to have a headache with something else.
I tried a bunch of speakers. Really disliked them all except the b&w… which I totally loved. I’ve got a WiiM amp at the moment. I think that’ll be an upgrade path for me in the future.
@cheapaudioman - Thanks for these. Two questions. I still own my pair of ELAC UB52’s primarily because of what I read about them and UA-cam reviews like yours on them. Three years later, how do you feel they hold up? Also, I’ve them paired up with an ELAC S10.2 sub and a Marantz SR5013 140W/channel @ 6 ohms. I play locally stored lossless ALAC files via WiFi & AirPlay 2 hosted on my MacBook Pro. So I get CD quality “lossless” playback. You mention your application of AirPlay was bad here in this video. Can you recommend a way to get better playback of the lossless files on my MacBook with my AVR? Thanks, bud.
I had the B&W CM6 S2, now about at same price point, but originally a step above at >$2K/pair. The mid range was horribly mushed compared to my new Pearlacoustics Sibelius SG (higher price league) on a Rotel RA1572 (B&W and Rotel have same parent company, so should be tuned to one another) back then, with direct source input. Was happy to get rid of them. I think with B&W you pay a lot for the name, but not a lot of quality. I would look elsewhere. The B&W CM6 SII were my first serious speaker, so I paid for my mistake and lack of experience. Putting better electronics on the Sibelius (PrimaLuna Evo 300 pre, PassLabs XA25 power, solid sources) improved sound even further.
I thought it was a really fun speaker. I wouldn't mind having a pair to rotate in every now and again. Probably wouldn't be my forever speaker but they can be fun with the right tracks and the right front end.
I still own the cm6s2 and i drive em with an LFD LE3 amp. No mushed up midrange at all. Huge soundstage, staggering transients, transparency & dynamics & with a super extended airy & sweet treble. Even after listening to some super duper setups, i don’t feel short changed when listening to my cheap cm6s2. When i listened to the cm6s2 at the showroom, they sounded really meh. Brought them home & i got a huge WOW! I pair them with a REL T7i sub & what a blast!
You can't use cheap audio amps or poor recordings with Bowers. They actually used to be worse. They have smoothed them out a little the last few releases. It's all about clarity and details. Bad sources are shrill...
Hi Randy . Another great interesting video, how do you compare these over the 606s2 annerversary, I have still have dm602s3 with my Rotel A11 tribune , also sounds petty good but I prefer my old b&W speakers . Regards mark
I have the Rotel A11 Tribute and I am running it through the old 600 bookshelves. I like it, but I will be upgrading to these new S3's... The bookshelves will go in my office with the A10 and turntable. I love that A11!
@@geographyinaction7814 hi, I also have dm600 s3 they are on my Hitachi ax-m140 system and sound pretty good, I recently bought 606 s2 anniversary although they sound good I still have my old dm 602 s3 , as you know on the A11 you have 2 sets of speaker outputs so I can still enjoy my old and new sound . I think the new A10 is great but won’t be replacing my A11 as new mk2 don’t have a b speakers and no pre output for your sub . Good luck with your new system it’s going to sound great . Regards mark
Great review on the speaker. A bit unrelated but I've had two non functioning WiiM pros recently. Both ordered thru Amazon. 1st had terrible sound and the WiiM smelled like hot wires. Unit didn't get hot but something was wrong with it. Second one came through Amazon as a replacement and I couldn't start it up. Everything plugged in and not life what so ever. Have you heard similar issues? I saw the reviews on Amazon and it seems more recently that a few people have had similar or quality issues. I think I'll go back to my Marantz for streaming...just not crazy about HEOS app.
Got me a wiim pro plus on Amazon day, seems decent. Bluetooth is kinda weak, no surprise. Anyone know what bit rates it can output digitally? Pretty sure one of y'all youtubers ia getting an affiliate kickback 😊
Got the original 606 a couple of years ago for half off (like 450$). It sounds like the new tweeter's too bright. I don't have that lack of detail/overly bright issues on the original and the S2 HTM6. Not sure if you do this, but maybe try the older generations? See what you think in comparison.
These remind me of the old Tannoy Revolution bookshelf speakers from about 20 years ago. Solid, and about as good as you can expect for something this small. That said, no, they are not even as good as my old JBLs from the 90s. But then again, large bookshelf speakers the size of a PA speaker /mini fridge haven't been a popular option for a while. TL;DR: As good as these are, they are not a similar priced 8 inch speaker if you have the space, because mass generally wins in the end.
I say that all the time abt jazz & acoustic, especially if it's an older recording bfore the 80's. Alot of the newer overly compressed stuff with alot of sibilance would probably sound best on a more neutral speaker.
Many heavy metal recordings are terrible, best way to gauge heavier , or heavy instrumental music go with a well produced , great music production Progressive Rock albums , Rush, Dream Theater , Aryeon albums are usually produced well . Grunge music is Terrible for any test listening runs .
All B&W 600 speakers have had a midrange dip and tipped up tweeter, but the 600S3 series in the early 2000s were the last ones that had a mild mid dip and treble rise that was listenable. All the subsequent 600 series since then, until now, had that huge midrange suckout and way too hot tweeter, which only accentuated the midrange suckout, and they all sounded terrible, totally unlistenable. This is the first 600 series since those 600S3 series in the early 2000s that toned it down again, and don't have a too huge midrange suckout and way too hot tweeter, and are now finally more listenable again, with the tamer balance that they had back in the day. But, if a record or CD is mixed with hot treble, these are still going to maybe accentuate it too much, compared to more balanced speakers.
B&W tunes their speakers to dazzle listeners in a showroom by boosting the treble (and bass). This is why they are viewed as "ruthlessly revealing", but they are tuned to be bright to give the illusion of hyper detail. If you like that type of sound then these may be a good speaker for you. Personally, I don't enjoy that type of sound. But if I wanted an analytical and highly revealing/detailed speaker, I'd more likely look to brands like Revel, KEF, or Focal.
Just wondering if the grilles fall off incredibly easily and frustratingly like the 607 and 606 S2s do? With both of those models, all you have to do is breathe on them a bit too heavily and the grilles drop right off. Annoying.
I would disqualify any speaker that uses titanium or aluminum tweeters, especially titanium. But they make great golf drivers! Remember when B&W stood for quality crossovers and silky tweeters that were non fatiguing... Now they're just over priced big box store gear. "A good time"?
I love and I hate B&W. I have become addicted to their "bad" sound. Can't live without their magic, even if I think they sound like shoe boxes when I a/b test. They use some black magic of some sort. Judging sound is about throwing in the towel. If it tickles the right places it's good.
Very analytical, You must really be into your stuff, Me I just love music on a decent system. I do have B & W which obviously impress because for the first time ever the wife stopped midway walking in the room & said wow they sound amazing, first time in 40 years of marriage. She never compliments on my performances normally. Nod nod wink wink.
LS50’s aren’t my favourite speakers but they’re not ear burners. I’m surprised at the bass and balance I hear from my little LSX’s with their tiny woofers.
Audiophile + Airplay = ERROR. B&W is known for their bright upfront presentation. They probably should be paired with a slightly warm amp. You should also review the Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G They are probably more balanced than these but have the same general character.
Oh man Randy have you ever listened to a band called morphine . Their main gig is an alto sax.. jazzy lomo ended slow beautifully creative splices of total x tilian kind of psychological tests and feeling in your brain.. I've been using this band morphine's music to audition both speakers and subs.. and what does band is created work so well for that it really does check it out. And tell me that you done what I've asked you.. Listen to the stuff that they created for MIT technology institute back in the day.. privately just for the student bodies who just happened to be around when they were playing.. you know that morphine is a cure for pain.....😂😂😂
randy - when you switched away from airplay to use your wiim ... how did you stream it? maybe I'm a dumbass - I don't follow what you did to change your source?
I had a pair of these. I couldn’t wait to get rid of them. Screaming highs that caused immediate listening fatigue. B&W needs to revamp the entire line and make better products. They also need to price their products competitively and quit acting like a prima Donna.
Well, the vast majority of the system he was using was made or designed in the good ol' US of A. It's daft to generalise about Chinese manufactured hifi.
Did you remember to feed the signal through the nurdlemaster grungetingler with super duper enhanced spurgledumpher opamps and added twang? If not you’re wasting your, and our, time.
Nice review as usual, but how about focusing your next several speaker reviews on CHEAP ones, maybe one at $200 or under and another review of a sub-$400 speaker. Not everyone out there can afford a pair of B & W or Buchardt speakers. Please keep your original subscriber base in mind and don’t do the equivalent of a car magazine focusing only on high-performance and/or luxury $70,000 plus vehicles or an outdoors magazine that only occasionally will review a sub-$1500 rifle. We all get that value does not always mean only a super low price and that oftentimes quality gear requires quality components that do cost more. But the way you’re headed, Randy, we have to wonder if your next review is going to be of a pair of $400 interconnects or $600 speaker wires.
Randy has reviewed several low priced speakers. Don't think he needs to be told what to review. You never know when you might happen upon an open-box or used pair of B&Ws... and it would behoove you to be able to spot a good deal.
Well, I normally listen to music over 120db in the room.I know it's loud😂 I believe in crushing bass, beautiful mids, and highs that are like glass breaking. And just doing it with 2 speakers, but that's me. 2 way speakers are OK. But the best reproduction of the full spectrum, in my opinion, is done with a 3-way set of speakers. Imaging is crucial in any speaker setup. Also, my opinion. But I would never pay $ 1100 on a bookshelf speaker that is insane. Also, my opinion. To me, being a cheapo. I love taking cheap speakers, and making them sound good is easy to add an eq to make up for the as i would say ,the dipp in the crossover region. love your channel. Keep up the good work.
As a hearing care professional, I would advise you to stop listening over 120 dB. Also, are you sure it's 120 dB? I can't imagine that being a fun experience. Either way, you are causing irreversible damage to your hearing if you listen anywhere near that loud for extended periods. And that type of noise-induced hearing loss often leads to very bad tinnitus and needing to wear hearing aids to understand speech later on. Don't do that to yourself.
@Mark198d yes I agree long exposure is bad but have my car was over over 131db so at the driver seat. And my hearing I have had checked its good even to my surprise 😮. And I agree when you ears are ringing the next day well its probably to loud 😅
@@Amplified208 I'm glad you got your hearing checked, but typically the damage doesn't appear right away. But trust me, if you are listening to those volumes for extended periods, you have damaged your hearing there's no way around it. It may not be detected by a hearing screening now, but possibly at higher frequencies that are not tested by the hearing care provider, but that damage will creep into speech frequencies later on. This naturally happens to an extent with aging, but will be made worse with noise exposure. I'm assuming you're an adult and I'm not your Dad, but please protect your residual hearing and stop listening at 120 dB. Even 85 dB for extended periods is too loud.
@Mark198d well I agree damage is probably already done, but hey, for another 10 years, we might just have a Dac. I can get wired directly to my brain 🧠 😉 lol. Much appreciate your professional advice.
I had already B&W 706 S3 and I was very disappointed. To men highs, no midrange! They sound like a soundbar in same cases. The sound stage is for these expensive speakers very poor.
Terrible speakers....You have to spend too much time and money to make them sound decent and other components such as amplifiers DAC cables to make them sound decent. There are other brands that sound amazing with less effort and money.
What are you talking about the kef ls50 has plenty of base for its size withing reason of course and it's all round a better speaker than this mass produced junk
My dude! Mission lx2 mkll - curious if you’ve e heard them, possible review? Any of the lx series looks good but the lx2’s look promising. Big sale at the moment too! @missionhifiofficial5876
They're very revealing. I have a decent Yamaha amp with tone controls and a subwoofer added. Ive heard things through these speakers that I've never heard before and that's always fun!
I love B&W! I have a pair of 683 S1 I love them. I have upgraded my amp a few times and they have grown with every new amp. Rn it's hooked up to an NAD c389 really amazing! My local hifi store has a lot of b&w and I often come down to listen and I have never been disappointed
I seen these on sale on Amazon during prime days for $599 but stayed away. All the reviews sounded like these had horrible top end. Holding out for the Revel Concerta2 M16 to go on sale in black.
I heard some 606’s a few years ago before buying some ProAc Tablette 10’s. They shrieked at me through most gear. I did get to hear them sound ok, never great, through an Audiolab system. The Tabs are better in every way and sound great with any gear. They are very well made and look good.
Going to be really frank here, but this is the review where you went from objective to the typical Stereophile review where the expensive speaker "lifted a veil to the true intent of the artist". Ping me if you're interested in true double-blind testing, but we all know that's not how the bills are paid.
He's not wrong. I'm just some random amateur idiot, but I have these, the Klipsch 600m's, and the Polk R200's and these do sound very noticeably less veiled than the other two. I was shocked by how veiled even the Klipsch sound by comparison.
Nothing new here from B&W…same formula, different product name and all made in China. All of this business of by-wire is not needed. It’s all marketing mambo-jumbo. Please just use a simple hard wired system to review components. Air-Play is nonsense and only degrades the signal. Consistency with all reviews is critical in order to compare any component.
I have ordered a pair after having auditioned some at a hifi store in my city. I really love the open top-end, although I understand that it's not everyone's cup of tea. My current speakers are great, but lack that 'sparkle'. System matching is important though, so hope they play well with my home set-up. The store have them playing through both the Audiolab 7000A (spectacular IMO) and the NAD c3050 (not bad, but no where near the 'body' of the Audiolab). I don't want to keep spending, but... that Audiolab.. sigh. EDIT: they arrived and I have been loving them. I have the black and I think the finish is very good, personally - I've had speakers in real wood veneers, but I'd trade them for the better sound any day!
Pretty much the review I expected when you started with them sounding terrible. Similar experience with my kid years ago trying to play MP3 from his phone through the blue tooth dongle into my Rotel gear and the CM10’s. Awful. B&W speakers, regardless of price point will be ruthless with bad signal path, MP3’s, poorly mixed recordings, gear issues. Finish quality comment was a surprise though. That’s not how they have rolled in the past. . New ownership seems to be having an effect and not in a good way.
I find B&Ws speakers particularly the 600 series to be bright and boomy. I returned mine and bought the Focal Aria 926 instead and boy it sounds way more better and pleasing to my ears. It has smooth and natural sounding midrange. Sonorous highs without being harsh and shrilling. Tight and punchy bass that is not overpowering. In short, excellent tonal accuracy.
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You should try it with just an old fashioned AVR and CD player and see how they sound. Nothing extra , no extra DAC no EQ just the basics like most people would have
Most people with $1100 B&W speakers don’t have a CD player and a cheap AVR. And if they do, why?
You missed the point of the review, you need a good upstream to make these speakers work well, in other words don’t buy these if you have an AVR and budget CD player.
Good lesson in synergy! Years ago I passed up a couple of great deals on Klipsch La Scala’s because the seller auditioned them with cheap receivers in terrible rooms. Once I listened to a pair with good quality equipment I was sold!
@@tylerhackman6832I have a Rotel cd player. Sounds great.
@@tylerhackman6832 who said cheap AVR? Mine were in the 1500 dollar range and would power those speakers easily
The B&W 600 series speakers have been a great “budget” speaker. In my experience,and as you have shown, if they don’t sound good, check the source before assuming the speakers are at fault.
I bought a pair of 601 S2 speakers 22 years ago and they are still in daily use. They were $427 new which would be $743 today. The current equivalent speakers are the 607 S3 which are $900 list. The price has outpaced inflation a bit but is still reasonable.
I’m planning on upgrading to the new 600 series next year and retiring my 601 S2’s. They’ll still be used but not as daily drivers.
Totally. Got an ancient pair of 601 S2 and they are amazing. You can pick them up as used in the UK for next to nothing
I'm stuck wondering if they're made in the same factory as the old ones. What's the extra $ gone towards?
@@jamesrobinson9176 they are not made on England anymore now made in China I believe. Buy a old pair. My old ones sound good but lack mids somewhat. I haven't heard the new ones but I've read they don't sound quite as good as the old ones
@@mattm2684 The ones I spoke of that had a big midrange suckout and too hot tweeter all had a minimalist 1st order crossover too, which is usually not a good thing. However, some designers are fixated on them, even though they present many problems that you don't see in even 2nd order filters. But, they do cost less 'cause there's fewer parts. A good compromise is a 2nd order filter on woofer and tweeter, which uses an inductor and capacitor on both the woofer and tweeter and has a 12db per octave rolloff. 1st order crossovers will only an inductor on the woofer and a capacitor on the tweeter, and will have only 6db per octave rolloff, which creates more overlap between drivers, which can lead to phase and other issues.
One thing I've never understood is the passivity many audiophiles seem to have regarding tone controls. I got an earlier version of these in a sale, found them way too bright (especially when listening to a digital source), so I turned the treble down slightly and voila, they sounded perfect. Yes, blame B&W if you like for over-accentuating the top end, but it's not like there's nothing you can do about it! They're your speakers, after all.
Something else interesting, after about a year I found that the B&Ws settled down (or perhaps my ears did) and the treble didn't need to be adjusted so much. I've never known other speakers change quite so much in character with use, or, alternatively, take quite so long to "break in".
I've had 606s2, 706s2, 606s2, and now 702s2 Bowers. HT and audiophile applications. They all have a break in period. I now have my 702s2 pair in a 2.2 music arrangement. Wouldn't have anything else handle my music
+1 for tone controls, a must for me. Especially if you want to listen at different volume levels
Obviously they are used to auditioning audio under closer to 'ideal' situations where signal purity can be replicated, but doesn't always account for less than ideal room acoustics, or in my case, less than perfect hearing where I actually usually need to boost the treble for clarity, so I pretty much always need to boost levels too. Also, some music is just recorded less than perfectly!
It's interesting that you had trouble with Airplay. I always thought Airplay was terrible. I have a nice sounding Denon AV receiver, but streaming from Roon using Airplay always sounded awful, whereas using an external streamer, even a chromecast dongle, was far better. I don't know if it is the compression Airplay uses, but it's always sounded bad to me. Glad it's not just me.
Yes, the compression Apple uses is tailored to sound best with earbuds and those USB speakers the size of a stuffed toy (95%+ of their users I'd wager). Putting their stuff through a real speaker/amp setup is almost as bad as playing rock music over AM radio. Yes, years ago we had one station where I lived that was cheap and did that, so I unfortunately remember. lol.
I've had the 606s2 for about 4 years. A lot of people hated them as harsh tweeter made the ears bleed. I initially didn't care for them either. I finally decided to give them no tow in and the harshness smoothed out. That fact and a lot of hours of playing they actually sound pretty darned good.
A few dealers have remaining brand new stock at £349 ( about 440 USD)
End of line now Were £699 in UK. Many bad reviews on the tweeter
I picked up a new pair of 606 s2 anniversary editions for $405 and I've thoroughly enjoyed them.
I knew of B&Ws reputation for being hot in the high frequencies and that's why I sought them out. I'm pushing 70yrs old and my high frequency hearing is diminishing, so the B&Ws are a perfect match for me...allowing me to hear the highs like I could, years ago.
Nice bass & mid-range too.
And that's why the proper way to debut speakers is with the same reference setup and physical media every time.😅
200K??!!! Let’s go!!!
Suggestion for a test track, dire straits "you and your friend". Had never heard it till a few months ago, but it seems to be on almost every hi fi play list I've come across on spotify or amazon. It had sounds coming from places where a speaker wasn't even close. The different guitars come through clear as day, and the way you can hear the little finger tube thingy sliding across the strings. The imaging for a song that old is next level.
I picked up a pair of early 90's B&W dm 620's awhile back for the purpose of putting together an all British system. When I went to audition these speakers they sounded absolutely terrible. It sounded like both tone controls were set at -6. I figured that for $100 for the pair it was worth the risk. I took them home and hooked them up to a Cambridge amp and Rotel cd player. Well the sound coming out of these speakers now is absolutely fabulous! So I concur that you need high quality amp and source to get the most out of this brand of speakers.
Thanks CAM, fun review! 🙃
Awesome review Randy. Always love your perspectives.
I appreciate that!
Congats on 200k!
Great review. Love the detail,and comparisons. Keep it up.
i have a sa7800 vintage amplifier hooked up to a pair of B&W DM601S1, it sounds so good.
Detailed sound with good bass is present to me too, it can shake my wooden ceiling .
Detailed mids and highs, i just liked it so far.
Glad you were able to resolve the elephant in the room for these speakers. I'm now wondering how much of a sound change I'll get for my own speakers in altering my current streaming / DAC sources.
Information coupled with entertainment, as always!
On a different note, this might be an interesting comparison: Edifier S360DB (a $500 powered 2.1 with planar tweeter, 4 inch aluminum mid-driver and a wireless 8 inch ported sub) vs a similarly priced 2.1 made-up of passive bookshelf, amp and sub. For many, $500 is probably a reasonable budget. If the Edifier's able to hold its own, it could be an easy recommendation for those seeking a simpler setup.
This comment is not about your current video. It is about your recommendation of the Aiyima A08 Pro. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I bought this amp last week off Amazon for less than $80 to use with my desktop computer and Jamo Speakers. This is by fair the best “cheap” set up I have ever owned/heard. These comments are coming from a guy who has far to much expensive audio equipment (a system in just about every room).
I truly appreciate your recommendation. Spot on!
Huge B&W fan here from Grapevine thanks buddy for the review.
What up, brother! Been a while
Same old same ol, i still use my 804 D3's from B&W and a full set of their out door speakers too, @@cheapaudioman
Use a warm, powerful amp with these speakers (Parasound, Arcam, Hegel, Accuphase, McIntosh, etc..) & get rewarded.
If you can afford those amps, you're not going with B&W's entry level.
THANKS RANDY 🤗😎REVIEW…SHOWING,THIS IS THE BEST TIME TO BE AN AUDIOPHILE 💚💚💚
Recently I switched from a gen3 apple TV to a Wiim Mini (Used your affiliate link, thank you!) and noticed a drastic difference when using the Wiim's app versus the native amazon music app. Airplay would never exceed 24/44.1 regardless of the track quality, frustrating when you're subscribing for hi-res. The Wiim app streams full resolution, but it will take me a little while to get used to the UI/UX and I do miss the credits and lyrics provided in Amazon.
At the same time I upgraded my Aiyima DAC-A2 to the SMSL SU1, and let me say I'm a DAC believer now. Had I continued to use the A2, I doubt I would have noticed the difference between Airplay and Wiim. For reference I'm currently running B&W 606 S2 Anniversary on a Marantz model 1060, I love this setup.
Thanks for the reviews, Randy!
Please do not forget to mention which amplifier you have used while testing.
Great to see you try out this speaker!
B&Ws are hard to beat. I've owned a pair of Matrix 803s2 for a quarter of a century now, and they sound amazing to this day. They are driven by a custom-made dual mono 250 Wpc power amp of the same vintage.
HiFi World magazine (UK) had a great tip for taming bright speakers like this Bowers & Wilkins model. They suggested wiring your amp to the woofer terminals, then use the included jumper to connect the two minus terminals but then substitute for the jumper a 2 ohm resistor (5 watts or greater) when connecting the positive terminals. Feel free to try different resistor ohm values. Fancy audiophile resistors are worthwhile but hardly necessary. Cheap, easy, adjustable, reversible, won’t void your warranty, and you can’t break anything.
Just bear in mind that when you add a resistor, that increases the impedance of the tweeter, which lowers the crossover frequency for the tweeter, so there will be more overlap between drivers, which may or may not be a good thing, depending on the design. In many B&Ws, which have a big midrange suckout and too hot tweeter, that will improve the sound all the way around, as it will fill in the mids and reduce the too hot treble.
@@DougMen1 Thanks for your thoughtful addition 👍
@@DougMen1 Seems to me the added resistor would increase the impedance of the tweeter (and change the crossover frequency) only if the resistor is placed after the tweeter crossover components right at the tweeter’s terminal inside the enclosure. A resistor placed at the system’s input before the crossover would only cause the amplifier to see a higher impedance of the tweeter section and result in less power input to the tweeter crossover, which, of course, is the goal here.
that intro was hilarious
Cool!
Thanks!
Thank you so much!!!
I loved old B&W speakers a lot
The ones using paper cones
Then they switched to kevlar and i can't say if it was a great change
I'd be really curious: does a speaker like this compare at all with something like a Wharfedale Diamond 12.2, which is way cheaper?
I'm also curious about whether it's worth upgrading from Diamond 12.2's, which I would characterize as a totally issue free, easy listening, speaker for music and movies.
@@NsteveAyou'd probably be better picking Wharfedale Evo if you already like the diamonds. Though I feel the Evo will be very slightly on the warmer side.
B&W is a whole different sound; maybe try to EQ the diamonds to the frequency response of b&W
That makes a lot of different devices in where the signal are switching and travelling. Of course it sounded bad. I've tested these but with a cd player and a turntable, in a receiver and in a combo pre-amp/power, and they sounded like for my taste.
When is the review of the Vanatoo transparent one encore plus. I have them, they rule, but I'd like to hear your opinion.
I got the Px8 around a month back. And omfg these are the best headphones I have tried. After comparing against QC45, they are not even in the same league. I know that's not saying much. I haven't compared to other brands like AudioTechnica or Sony (I don't like Sennheiser at all) but Px8 will crush them all imo. The only other headphones which can beat the Px8 would be Focal headphones. Although they are quite expensive, and at that price I would definitely get B&W loudspeaker set. B&W speakers and tech reproduce sound faithfully imho.
Just out of curiosity, did anyone, not a patron, win a give-a-way item? I didn't see anything about it.
I always wonder about that too with these "giveaways". If someone will clickbait, they might not be above baiting their hook with fantasy without substance. I 've seen this kind of thing on other channels and on this one before. UA-cam should check up on these guys occasionally and make them produce proof they sent someone something, with the date sent of utmost importance. Fudging something once you are called out on it, is what I think they would try. Using a friend or relative to deceive. Not saying this happened; but it's a good bet it has happened before on UA-cam.
When you first listen to a new speaker don’t use a streaming source. Why not just use a high quality CD player with a high quality preamp and amplifier? The fewer pieces of electronics that you have in the audio chain the better everything sounds. It’s an old fashioned theory that actually works. After the first listen then use a goofy streaming source. But minimize the equipment in the playback chain. Each piece of gear adds noise and distortion of different types. You may not agree with this but it’s reality and that’s all it is.
My go-to for years was an old (vintage) Pioneer amp with a CD player attached to it. The brick would go down to 4 ohms, so the problem was never the speaker - lol. But I get it - he's trying to replicate the experience us "cheap audio" people are likely to experience. But, yes, so many things in a chain, with so many little chips all waiting to have a headache with something else.
I've got the 707 s2 with my powernode I love them
I tried a bunch of speakers. Really disliked them all except the b&w… which I totally loved.
I’ve got a WiiM amp at the moment. I think that’ll be an upgrade path for me in the future.
I have seen an oak finish with a black baffle surround on a you tube video.
Might be available in another region.
I like these better than my 909’s because the tweeters are on top.
…wait a minute…
😂
@cheapaudioman - Thanks for these. Two questions. I still own my pair of ELAC UB52’s primarily because of what I read about them and UA-cam reviews like yours on them. Three years later, how do you feel they hold up? Also, I’ve them paired up with an ELAC S10.2 sub and a Marantz SR5013 140W/channel @ 6 ohms. I play locally stored lossless ALAC files via WiFi & AirPlay 2 hosted on my MacBook Pro. So I get CD quality “lossless” playback. You mention your application of AirPlay was bad here in this video. Can you recommend a way to get better playback of the lossless files on my MacBook with my AVR? Thanks, bud.
I had the B&W CM6 S2, now about at same price point, but originally a step above at >$2K/pair. The mid range was horribly mushed compared to my new Pearlacoustics Sibelius SG (higher price league) on a Rotel RA1572 (B&W and Rotel have same parent company, so should be tuned to one another) back then, with direct source input. Was happy to get rid of them. I think with B&W you pay a lot for the name, but not a lot of quality. I would look elsewhere. The B&W CM6 SII were my first serious speaker, so I paid for my mistake and lack of experience. Putting better electronics on the Sibelius (PrimaLuna Evo 300 pre, PassLabs XA25 power, solid sources) improved sound even further.
I thought it was a really fun speaker. I wouldn't mind having a pair to rotate in every now and again. Probably wouldn't be my forever speaker but they can be fun with the right tracks and the right front end.
Rotel doesnt pair well with B&W. Marantz is muuuch better pairing.
I still own the cm6s2 and i drive em with an LFD LE3 amp. No mushed up midrange at all. Huge soundstage, staggering transients, transparency & dynamics & with a super extended airy & sweet treble. Even after listening to some super duper setups, i don’t feel short changed when listening to my cheap cm6s2. When i listened to the cm6s2 at the showroom, they sounded really meh. Brought them home & i got a huge WOW! I pair them with a REL T7i sub & what a blast!
You can't use cheap audio amps or poor recordings with Bowers. They actually used to be worse. They have smoothed them out a little the last few releases. It's all about clarity and details. Bad sources are shrill...
Hi Randy . Another great interesting video, how do you compare these over the 606s2 annerversary, I have still have dm602s3 with my Rotel A11 tribune , also sounds petty good but I prefer my old b&W speakers . Regards mark
I have the Rotel A11 Tribute and I am running it through the old 600 bookshelves. I like it, but I will be upgrading to these new S3's... The bookshelves will go in my office with the A10 and turntable.
I love that A11!
@@geographyinaction7814 hi, I also have dm600 s3 they are on my Hitachi ax-m140 system and sound pretty good, I recently bought 606 s2 anniversary although they sound good I still have my old dm 602 s3 , as you know on the A11 you have 2 sets of speaker outputs so I can still enjoy my old and new sound . I think the new A10 is great but won’t be replacing my A11 as new mk2 don’t have a b speakers and no pre output for your sub . Good luck with your new system it’s going to sound great . Regards mark
GOOD JOB !!!!! KEEP IT UP!!!!!!
Great review on the speaker. A bit unrelated but I've had two non functioning WiiM pros recently. Both ordered thru Amazon. 1st had terrible sound and the WiiM smelled like hot wires. Unit didn't get hot but something was wrong with it. Second one came through Amazon as a replacement and I couldn't start it up. Everything plugged in and not life what so ever. Have you heard similar issues? I saw the reviews on Amazon and it seems more recently that a few people have had similar or quality issues. I think I'll go back to my Marantz for streaming...just not crazy about HEOS app.
Got me a wiim pro plus on Amazon day, seems decent. Bluetooth is kinda weak, no surprise. Anyone know what bit rates it can output digitally? Pretty sure one of y'all youtubers ia getting an affiliate kickback 😊
You can go into the menu and select your output resolution, up to 24/192.
@@pnichols6500 thanks 👍
Got the original 606 a couple of years ago for half off (like 450$). It sounds like the new tweeter's too bright. I don't have that lack of detail/overly bright issues on the original and the S2 HTM6. Not sure if you do this, but maybe try the older generations? See what you think in comparison.
I assume none of the described sound was due to the room instead?
These remind me of the old Tannoy Revolution bookshelf speakers from about 20 years ago. Solid, and about as good as you can expect for something this small. That said, no, they are not even as good as my old JBLs from the 90s. But then again, large bookshelf speakers the size of a PA speaker /mini fridge haven't been a popular option for a while.
TL;DR: As good as these are, they are not a similar priced 8 inch speaker if you have the space, because mass generally wins in the end.
B&Ws may not be best Metal or Grunge speakers , but they shine with folk, classical, jazz, acoustical.
I say that all the time abt jazz & acoustic, especially if it's an older recording bfore the 80's. Alot of the newer overly compressed stuff with alot of sibilance would probably sound best on a more neutral speaker.
Many heavy metal recordings are terrible, best way to gauge heavier , or heavy instrumental music go with a well produced , great music production Progressive Rock albums , Rush, Dream Theater , Aryeon albums are usually produced well . Grunge music is Terrible for any test listening runs .
All B&W 600 speakers have had a midrange dip and tipped up tweeter, but the 600S3 series in the early 2000s were the last ones that had a mild mid dip and treble rise that was listenable. All the subsequent 600 series since then, until now, had that huge midrange suckout and way too hot tweeter, which only accentuated the midrange suckout, and they all sounded terrible, totally unlistenable. This is the first 600 series since those 600S3 series in the early 2000s that toned it down again, and don't have a too huge midrange suckout and way too hot tweeter, and are now finally more listenable again, with the tamer balance that they had back in the day. But, if a record or CD is mixed with hot treble, these are still going to maybe accentuate it too much, compared to more balanced speakers.
Gotta love this grifter/scammer/ sellout.
B&W tunes their speakers to dazzle listeners in a showroom by boosting the treble (and bass). This is why they are viewed as "ruthlessly revealing", but they are tuned to be bright to give the illusion of hyper detail. If you like that type of sound then these may be a good speaker for you. Personally, I don't enjoy that type of sound. But if I wanted an analytical and highly revealing/detailed speaker, I'd more likely look to brands like Revel, KEF, or Focal.
Just wondering if the grilles fall off incredibly easily and frustratingly like the 607 and 606 S2s do? With both of those models, all you have to do is breathe on them a bit too heavily and the grilles drop right off. Annoying.
True!
What happened to the "cheapaudioman"?
That IS cheap for Audiophile gear!
I would disqualify any speaker that uses titanium or aluminum tweeters, especially titanium. But they make great golf drivers! Remember when B&W stood for quality crossovers and silky tweeters that were non fatiguing... Now they're just over priced big box store gear. "A good time"?
I love and I hate B&W. I have become addicted to their "bad" sound. Can't live without their magic, even if I think they sound like shoe boxes when I a/b test. They use some black magic of some sort. Judging sound is about throwing in the towel. If it tickles the right places it's good.
Wouldn'r set-up be a lot easier if you just used a decent turntable or CD rather than all of that electronics?
Can you compare it with klh model 3?
Very analytical, You must really be into your stuff, Me I just love music on a decent system. I do have B & W which obviously impress because for the first time ever the wife stopped midway walking in the room & said wow they sound amazing, first time in 40 years of marriage. She never compliments on my performances normally. Nod nod wink wink.
Randy with the war going on, can you please change your opening rockets, blood & bloody bodies, thank you, 😢. Great job getting past 200k
The best amp pairing would be one with a treble control so you can turn it down.😂
why do audiophiles consider using an amp's treble and bass controls a mortal sin?
LS50’s aren’t my favourite speakers but they’re not ear burners. I’m surprised at the bass and balance I hear from my little LSX’s with their tiny woofers.
Audiophile + Airplay = ERROR. B&W is known for their bright upfront presentation. They probably should be paired with a slightly warm amp. You should also review the Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G They are probably more balanced than these but have the same general character.
Sounds like a speaker to avoid for the price
Oh man Randy have you ever listened to a band called morphine
. Their main gig is an alto sax.. jazzy lomo ended slow beautifully creative splices of total x tilian kind of psychological tests and feeling in your brain.. I've been using this band morphine's music to audition both speakers and subs.. and what does band is created work so well for that it really does check it out. And tell me that you done what I've asked you..
Listen to the stuff that they created for MIT technology institute back in the day.. privately just for the student bodies who just happened to be around when they were playing.. you know that morphine is a cure for pain.....😂😂😂
randy - when you switched away from airplay to use your wiim ... how did you stream it? maybe I'm a dumbass - I don't follow what you did to change your source?
I had a pair of these. I couldn’t wait to get rid of them. Screaming highs that caused immediate listening fatigue. B&W needs to revamp the entire line and make better products. They also need to price their products competitively and quit acting like a prima Donna.
B&W makes excellent speakers for old school analog systems. They are exposing the ChiFi crap in your system. Now you're caught up.
Well, the vast majority of the system he was using was made or designed in the good ol' US of A.
It's daft to generalise about Chinese manufactured hifi.
Did you remember to feed the signal through the nurdlemaster grungetingler with super duper enhanced spurgledumpher opamps and added twang? If not you’re wasting your, and our, time.
It's all fun and games until the spinorama drops.
My experience with Bowers & Wilkins is that they always charge a few hundred dollars more for the name.
900$ and 1100$ is expensive man. don lie, don lie
Nice review as usual, but how about focusing your next several speaker reviews on CHEAP ones, maybe one at $200 or under and another review of a sub-$400 speaker.
Not everyone out there can afford a pair of B & W or Buchardt speakers. Please keep your original subscriber base in mind and don’t do the equivalent of a car magazine focusing only on high-performance and/or luxury $70,000 plus vehicles or an outdoors magazine that only occasionally will review a sub-$1500 rifle.
We all get that value does not always mean only a super low price and that oftentimes quality gear requires quality components that do cost more. But the way you’re headed, Randy, we have to wonder if your next review is going to be of a pair of $400 interconnects or $600 speaker wires.
Truthfully it wouldnt suprise me if he did.
There is a point of diminishing returns, and speaker prices across the board seem to be skyrocketing. $1000 is the old $600.
Randy has reviewed several low priced speakers. Don't think he needs to be told what to review.
You never know when you might happen upon an open-box or used pair of B&Ws... and it would behoove you to be able to spot a good deal.
I have also noticed that using Airplay with my WiiM streamer sounds like crap. Worse than bluetooth.
It's pronounced continue-um.
Well, I normally listen to music over 120db in the room.I know it's loud😂 I believe in crushing bass, beautiful mids, and highs that are like glass breaking. And just doing it with 2 speakers, but that's me. 2 way speakers are OK. But the best reproduction of the full spectrum, in my opinion, is done with a 3-way set of speakers. Imaging is crucial in any speaker setup. Also, my opinion. But I would never pay $ 1100 on a bookshelf speaker that is insane. Also, my opinion. To me, being a cheapo. I love taking cheap speakers, and making them sound good is easy to add an eq to make up for the as i would say ,the dipp in the crossover region. love your channel. Keep up the good work.
As a hearing care professional, I would advise you to stop listening over 120 dB. Also, are you sure it's 120 dB? I can't imagine that being a fun experience. Either way, you are causing irreversible damage to your hearing if you listen anywhere near that loud for extended periods. And that type of noise-induced hearing loss often leads to very bad tinnitus and needing to wear hearing aids to understand speech later on. Don't do that to yourself.
@Mark198d yes I agree long exposure is bad but have my car was over over 131db so at the driver seat. And my hearing I have had checked its good even to my surprise 😮. And I agree when you ears are ringing the next day well its probably to loud 😅
And yes, to the 120db is very enjoyable. I like feeling the music as well, and sometimes I use hearing protection just for fun.
@@Amplified208 I'm glad you got your hearing checked, but typically the damage doesn't appear right away. But trust me, if you are listening to those volumes for extended periods, you have damaged your hearing there's no way around it. It may not be detected by a hearing screening now, but possibly at higher frequencies that are not tested by the hearing care provider, but that damage will creep into speech frequencies later on. This naturally happens to an extent with aging, but will be made worse with noise exposure. I'm assuming you're an adult and I'm not your Dad, but please protect your residual hearing and stop listening at 120 dB. Even 85 dB for extended periods is too loud.
@Mark198d well I agree damage is probably already done, but hey, for another 10 years, we might just have a Dac. I can get wired directly to my brain 🧠 😉 lol. Much appreciate your professional advice.
I had already B&W 706 S3 and I was very disappointed. To men highs, no midrange! They sound like a soundbar in same cases. The sound stage is for these expensive speakers very poor.
I always laught at bi-ampable bookshelf speakers.
Terrible speakers....You have to spend too much time and money to make them sound decent and other components such as amplifiers DAC cables to make them sound decent. There are other brands that sound amazing with less effort and money.
What are you talking about the kef ls50 has plenty of base for its size withing reason of course and it's all round a better speaker than this mass produced junk
Cheapaudioman gone *PRICEY*
You had to check if your stepson had crossed polarities ? Seriously ? UGGHHH. Never you again.
Wipe away all the bs and these are no go speakers. Sound bad in way to many ways.
They sound really bad
Bowers and Wilkins are so suck its suck!
My dude! Mission lx2 mkll - curious if you’ve e heard them, possible review? Any of the lx series looks good but the lx2’s look promising. Big sale at the moment too! @missionhifiofficial5876
If you need all that shxt to make these shxts sound enjoyable, b&w can keep their little shxts. Respectively 🙂🪽
They're very revealing. I have a decent Yamaha amp with tone controls and a subwoofer added. Ive heard things through these speakers that I've never heard before and that's always fun!
I love B&W! I have a pair of 683 S1 I love them. I have upgraded my amp a few times and they have grown with every new amp. Rn it's hooked up to an NAD c389 really amazing! My local hifi store has a lot of b&w and I often come down to listen and I have never been disappointed
I seen these on sale on Amazon during prime days for $599 but stayed away. All the reviews sounded like these had horrible top end. Holding out for the Revel Concerta2 M16 to go on sale in black.
I heard some 606’s a few years ago before buying some ProAc Tablette 10’s. They shrieked at me through most gear. I did get to hear them sound ok, never great, through an Audiolab system. The Tabs are better in every way and sound great with any gear. They are very well made and look good.
When are you going to do the big "giveaway"?
Going to be really frank here, but this is the review where you went from objective to the typical Stereophile review where the expensive speaker "lifted a veil to the true intent of the artist". Ping me if you're interested in true double-blind testing, but we all know that's not how the bills are paid.
He's not wrong. I'm just some random amateur idiot, but I have these, the Klipsch 600m's, and the Polk R200's and these do sound very noticeably less veiled than the other two. I was shocked by how veiled even the Klipsch sound by comparison.
Nothing new here from B&W…same formula, different product name and all made in China. All of this business of by-wire is not needed. It’s all marketing mambo-jumbo. Please just use a simple hard wired system to review components. Air-Play is nonsense and only degrades the signal. Consistency with all reviews is critical in order to compare any component.
AirPlay is just a control. It doesn’t affect source. One can AirPlay a high-def wired source.
Agree, compared to their older lines, these new offerings are sub par. Literally
Awesome analysis, Randy. Your description of the sound at freqs was great. Love the new interlude music.
Glad you liked it!
I have ordered a pair after having auditioned some at a hifi store in my city. I really love the open top-end, although I understand that it's not everyone's cup of tea. My current speakers are great, but lack that 'sparkle'. System matching is important though, so hope they play well with my home set-up. The store have them playing through both the Audiolab 7000A (spectacular IMO) and the NAD c3050 (not bad, but no where near the 'body' of the Audiolab). I don't want to keep spending, but... that Audiolab.. sigh. EDIT: they arrived and I have been loving them. I have the black and I think the finish is very good, personally - I've had speakers in real wood veneers, but I'd trade them for the better sound any day!
Pretty much the review I expected when you started with them sounding terrible. Similar experience with my kid years ago trying to play MP3 from his phone through the blue tooth dongle into my Rotel gear and the CM10’s. Awful. B&W speakers, regardless of price point will be ruthless with bad signal path, MP3’s, poorly mixed recordings, gear issues. Finish quality comment was a surprise though. That’s not how they have rolled in the past. . New ownership seems to be having an effect and not in a good way.
I find B&Ws speakers particularly the 600 series to be bright and boomy. I returned mine and bought the Focal Aria 926 instead and boy it sounds way more better and pleasing to my ears. It has smooth and natural sounding midrange. Sonorous highs without being harsh and shrilling. Tight and punchy bass that is not overpowering. In short, excellent tonal accuracy.