Thank you for giving a podium to these gems! Still very happy with my "budget" setup: dm602 s2, XTZ 10.17 edge, Roksan kandy k2, slsm su1 & Chromecast audio. I replaced the woofers rubbers, tweeter domes and the ferro fluid some years ago.
Thanks again for another tear down video. Always great to see what’s inside equipment especially speakers. Good to know that after 20 years the B&Ws still sound good. Quality tends to last. What model B&W towers do you have that you can see in the video? Have you done a look inside of those? Keep up the great work!
No problem! I really enjoy B&W speakers from the early to late 2000's. They seem to have a warmness about them that I really enjoy. As for the speakers in the background. I think you're referring to my 802 Diamonds (D2 version) that you see in the background?
They sure are! That's what I love about them. It would be cool if B&W released a speaker like the 602 again that uses a big bookshelf cabinet and 7" woofer. They probably won't do it because then it would cannibalize sales from their more expensive models.
Thank you for doing this expose. Much appreciated. I have the smaller siblings to these which I replaced with a pair of Martin Logan Motion 15i's. The difference between the two was not night and day...new isn't always much better. The Martin has slightly sweeter highs that's about it. Recently I bought a pair of Audiovector QR3 SE speakers replacing some Sonus Faber Venere 2.5's. Now this was not a close call, the Audiovectors clearly won the battle with much better highs, tighter bass, and a sweeter midrange. The Veneres had a lot of chestiness to vocals wheres the Audiovector articulated vocals more clearly with an ethereal quality.
Thank you for the kind words! Glad you enjoyed the video. Thanks for the feedback on the Martin Logan Motion line. I have always been curious about them. You're absolutely right. Newer doesn't always mean better and I recently came across this again when I did my KEF Q3 Meta video. I actually prefer the sound from my Q350 over the Q3 Meta. Yeah, I'm not surprised by your comments on the Venere 2.5. IMO Sonus Faber kind of dropped the ball on the Venere line with the exception of the Venere S, which came out later after they realized the error in their ways. From what I remember, the Venere S is the only model in the lineup that is made in Italy and uses Sonus Faber developed drivers. The Venere S definitely has the Sonus Faber sound that most seem to love vs the rest of the line. I have never heard of Audiovector but it sounds like they make a pretty good speaker judging by what you have said about them. I'll have to keep this brand on my radar. I really like some of the designs they have. They definitely make some sharp looking speakers!
I’m still rocking a mint pair of Matrix 805s from 1995. The factory response graphs show them to be accurate to +/- 1.75 dB. $1600 was lot of money back then, but they are worth every penny.
Hi! You and I exchanged a few comments recently about your 802s. I had a feeling then we had a few things in common, and now I’m just smiling watching this video about your 602s. That’s the speakers that started my B&W journey for me too. I also bought my pair in 2004 and they look brand new. I’m about to sell them to a gentlemen in Minnesota. Although watching your video makes me sentimental and question if I should keep them! And then I click on your comparison against the KEFs and you play 99 red balloons. Are you sure you’re not a long lost brother? 😂 Those N803 in your dorm were sick.
Hello Seb! That's cool that you started out on a pair of 602s like I did. If I had more room I would probably have quadruple the speakers that I do now. Thankfully my dad is taking good care of my 602s and CDM7NTs (working on video atm) so I know they are in good hands. My vote is you should keep them if you can. B&W sound has changed over the years, especially in their 600 series. IMO the 600 series from the 90s and 2000s had a nice warmness about them which I miss dearly. To me their newer 600 series can be a bit too forward and bright sounding in the upper ranges and isn't what I remember B&W sounding like when getting started in this hobby. I may be the minority here, but I definitely prefer their older stuff in terms of how they sound versus the newer offerings they have now. Yeah, having those N803s in my dorm room was badass. No doubt it was a reckless decision on my part being a broke college student with a newly approved credit card, but it was worth it. I actually ended up selling those speakers for $500 more than I paid for them so it all worked out in the end. :) No doubt it sounds like you and I have a lot in common! Happy listening my friend! - GenerationBehindHiFi
Loving your videos! 👌I’m still rocking a pair of S312’s 😂 Interested to hear what your thoughts are of them? I’m still driving mine with a 200w/ch Denon power amp with a NADM66 pre.
Thank you! Its been a long time since I have seen a pair of JBL S312 speakers. IMO the B&W have much better imaging, clarity, and detail over the S312 and is the main reason I sold them. Sure, the JBL's had better bass, but I can easily rectify that with the addition of a subwoofer. Hope this helps.
Hello! Thanks for the kind words! Are you referring to the differences between my old JBL S312 and the 602? If so, the biggest differences I can remember was in clarity and detail from the high and midrange frequencies. IMO the 602 is much better refined and composed in this area over my JBLs. Believe it not the 602 also had a much bigger soundstage than my JBL speakers which really surprised me considering their size. The JBLs did have great bass and that's about the only good thing I can remember about them. The rest of sound was pretty subpar and typical for this time period from a budget JBL speaker -- Think I paid around $400 for the pair for them on ubid.com.
Yeah, my AVR520 still works beautifully. The backlit lighting is really dim after all these years and the primary remote died years ago. Now I use a generic remote with it but would like to find another HK remote. I really miss quality HK products from this time period. They really did offer warm sounding equipment for an affordable price. The AVR8000 was a beast back in the day. I think those AVRs were nearing 30lbs in weight if I remember right?
@generationbehindhifi yeah they did seem to have issues with the remotes. 30 lbs I wish lol. Hk didn't skimp on the components on this one each amp had huge aluminum heat sinks in total it weights over 50 lbs I think they listed 53 to be exact. But moving it felt more like 60-70 I should probably workout lol.
@@generationbehindhifi yeah I just can't bring myself to throw it away. I've tried having it repaired before which didn't work. Apparently its too complicated or too hard to find a repair tech that knows what they are doing? Maybe one day who knows till then it's a big bulky paper weight 😂
@@jasonnelson6624 I don't blame you. It would be hard for me throw it out too. Have you tried emailing Harman Professional Solutions at HProServiceUSA@harman.com to see if they repair it? I would give them a try and see what they say.
Bigger is usally better for bass. Only in cases were manufacturers focus on making a rip off product this doesnt holds true. Like a big box to hide the effect of a too small bass magnet etc.
They have a jacked up treble and base, but they always seemed to sound small and harsh to me. I had a pair then switched to PSB. The difference was huge. Much more coherent sound and not as artificial sounding. Bowers always gave me the impression I was listening to recorded music instead of music period.
First rate, your doing a much better job than most audio channels
Thanks, Jeff! I really appreciate the kind words. I'm just having fun here and trying not to be too serious.
Thanks for this excellent video! I have B&W DM602 S3 which I bought them back in 2001 and I am very satisfied with how they performance.
Love these tear downs, great content.
Thank you for giving a podium to these gems!
Still very happy with my "budget" setup: dm602 s2, XTZ 10.17 edge, Roksan kandy k2, slsm su1 & Chromecast audio.
I replaced the woofers rubbers, tweeter domes and the ferro fluid some years ago.
Top of the line job, as usual.
Great video.. I actually really liked hearing your journey, your history of becoming an audio enthusiast.
Thanks, Paul! I'll try and talk more about my journey when I can.
Thanks again for another tear down video. Always great to see what’s inside equipment especially speakers. Good to know that after 20 years the B&Ws still sound good. Quality tends to last. What model B&W towers do you have that you can see in the video? Have you done a look inside of those? Keep up the great work!
No problem! I really enjoy B&W speakers from the early to late 2000's. They seem to have a warmness about them that I really enjoy. As for the speakers in the background. I think you're referring to my 802 Diamonds (D2 version) that you see in the background?
Those things are huge for a bookshelf. They look awesome.
They sure are! That's what I love about them. It would be cool if B&W released a speaker like the 602 again that uses a big bookshelf cabinet and 7" woofer. They probably won't do it because then it would cannibalize sales from their more expensive models.
Great work you are doing.
Thank you!
Thank you for doing this expose. Much appreciated. I have the smaller siblings to these which I replaced with a pair of Martin Logan Motion 15i's. The difference between the two was not night and day...new isn't always much better. The Martin has slightly sweeter highs that's about it. Recently I bought a pair of Audiovector QR3 SE speakers replacing some Sonus Faber Venere 2.5's. Now this was not a close call, the Audiovectors clearly won the battle with much better highs, tighter bass, and a sweeter midrange. The Veneres had a lot of chestiness to vocals wheres the Audiovector articulated vocals more clearly with an ethereal quality.
Thank you for the kind words! Glad you enjoyed the video.
Thanks for the feedback on the Martin Logan Motion line. I have always been curious about them. You're absolutely right. Newer doesn't always mean better and I recently came across this again when I did my KEF Q3 Meta video. I actually prefer the sound from my Q350 over the Q3 Meta.
Yeah, I'm not surprised by your comments on the Venere 2.5. IMO Sonus Faber kind of dropped the ball on the Venere line with the exception of the Venere S, which came out later after they realized the error in their ways. From what I remember, the Venere S is the only model in the lineup that is made in Italy and uses Sonus Faber developed drivers. The Venere S definitely has the Sonus Faber sound that most seem to love vs the rest of the line.
I have never heard of Audiovector but it sounds like they make a pretty good speaker judging by what you have said about them. I'll have to keep this brand on my radar. I really like some of the designs they have. They definitely make some sharp looking speakers!
Made in England oh the good old days!
I’m still rocking a mint pair of Matrix 805s from 1995. The factory response graphs show them to be accurate to +/- 1.75 dB. $1600 was lot of money back then, but they are worth every penny.
The Matrix 805 is very nice speaker. Enjoy them!
Hi! You and I exchanged a few comments recently about your 802s.
I had a feeling then we had a few things in common, and now I’m just smiling watching this video about your 602s. That’s the speakers that started my B&W journey for me too.
I also bought my pair in 2004 and they look brand new. I’m about to sell them to a gentlemen in Minnesota. Although watching your video makes me sentimental and question if I should keep them!
And then I click on your comparison against the KEFs and you play 99 red balloons. Are you sure you’re not a long lost brother? 😂
Those N803 in your dorm were sick.
Hello Seb!
That's cool that you started out on a pair of 602s like I did. If I had more room I would probably have quadruple the speakers that I do now. Thankfully my dad is taking good care of my 602s and CDM7NTs (working on video atm) so I know they are in good hands. My vote is you should keep them if you can.
B&W sound has changed over the years, especially in their 600 series. IMO the 600 series from the 90s and 2000s had a nice warmness about them which I miss dearly. To me their newer 600 series can be a bit too forward and bright sounding in the upper ranges and isn't what I remember B&W sounding like when getting started in this hobby. I may be the minority here, but I definitely prefer their older stuff in terms of how they sound versus the newer offerings they have now.
Yeah, having those N803s in my dorm room was badass. No doubt it was a reckless decision on my part being a broke college student with a newly approved credit card, but it was worth it. I actually ended up selling those speakers for $500 more than I paid for them so it all worked out in the end. :)
No doubt it sounds like you and I have a lot in common!
Happy listening my friend! - GenerationBehindHiFi
@@generationbehindhifi I could not agree more.
I have the 685S2 bookshelf speakers I bought 10 years ago for 600.00 pair.
I found a mint condition pair and they sound just as good as R3 Metas, call me
crazy and they love power
Loving your videos! 👌I’m still rocking a pair of S312’s 😂
Interested to hear what your thoughts are of them? I’m still driving mine with a 200w/ch Denon power amp with a NADM66 pre.
Thank you! Its been a long time since I have seen a pair of JBL S312 speakers. IMO the B&W have much better imaging, clarity, and detail over the S312 and is the main reason I sold them. Sure, the JBL's had better bass, but I can easily rectify that with the addition of a subwoofer. Hope this helps.
Since you had it apart. Did you change the steel nuts to brass? I bet you did lol! Looks like a well built speaker. 👍🏻
lol! You guys are starting to know me too well. :)
What’s the difference between the jbl’s and the b&w? Really enjoy your videos keep it going!
Hello! Thanks for the kind words! Are you referring to the differences between my old JBL S312 and the 602? If so, the biggest differences I can remember was in clarity and detail from the high and midrange frequencies. IMO the 602 is much better refined and composed in this area over my JBLs. Believe it not the 602 also had a much bigger soundstage than my JBL speakers which really surprised me considering their size. The JBLs did have great bass and that's about the only good thing I can remember about them. The rest of sound was pretty subpar and typical for this time period from a budget JBL speaker -- Think I paid around $400 for the pair for them on ubid.com.
Wow the hk is still going? I have the avr8000 but it stopped working decades ago. 🤣🤣
Yeah, my AVR520 still works beautifully. The backlit lighting is really dim after all these years and the primary remote died years ago. Now I use a generic remote with it but would like to find another HK remote. I really miss quality HK products from this time period. They really did offer warm sounding equipment for an affordable price.
The AVR8000 was a beast back in the day. I think those AVRs were nearing 30lbs in weight if I remember right?
@generationbehindhifi yeah they did seem to have issues with the remotes. 30 lbs I wish lol. Hk didn't skimp on the components on this one each amp had huge aluminum heat sinks in total it weights over 50 lbs I think they listed 53 to be exact. But moving it felt more like 60-70 I should probably workout lol.
@@jasonnelson6624 Wow! Over 50lbs?! That's crazy. My AVR520 is heavy too but not that heavy. Shame it no longer works.
@@generationbehindhifi yeah I just can't bring myself to throw it away. I've tried having it repaired before which didn't work. Apparently its too complicated or too hard to find a repair tech that knows what they are doing? Maybe one day who knows till then it's a big bulky paper weight 😂
@@jasonnelson6624 I don't blame you. It would be hard for me throw it out too. Have you tried emailing Harman Professional Solutions at HProServiceUSA@harman.com to see if they repair it? I would give them a try and see what they say.
I've had a pair before, they are nice, though i always seem to get rid of B&W speakers eventually.
Nothing wrong with that. That's what makes this hobby so interesting is that we all have different tastes.
Great speaker but pretty ancient now?
Yeah, they are old speakers, but newer isn't always better and I like old things.
Bigger is usally better for bass. Only in cases were manufacturers focus on making a rip off product this doesnt holds true. Like a big box to hide the effect of a too small bass magnet etc.
They have a jacked up treble and base, but they always seemed to sound small and harsh to me. I had a pair then switched to PSB. The difference was huge. Much more coherent sound and not as artificial sounding. Bowers always gave me the impression I was listening to recorded music instead of music period.