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Bowers and Wilkins speakers


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Bower and Wilkins speakers. Anyone here own any?

A friend has a pair he wants to sell. I own a pair of old school JBL century speakers (not the L100s though).

These seem to be very well made. I am thinking of doing a side by side comparison of them to see which ones perform the best.

The model I have here are DW 602.

Edited by Greg Waits
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Many years ago (I think it was the early 1970s) I had B&W DM2A speakers and loved them. Later I got B&W DM70 hybrid electrostatics; they had great electrostatic units that unfortunately were very fragile, but I didn't care for the huge dynamic bass units.

I'm not familiar with the speakers you mentioned, sorry.

By the way, it's Bowers & Wilkins.

Edited by J.A.W.
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Bower and Wilkins speakers. Anyone here own any?

A friend has a pair he wants to sell. I own a pair of old school JBL century speakers (not the L100s though).

These seem to be very well made. I am thinking of doing a side by side comparison of them to see which ones perform the best.

The model I have here are DW 602.

I imagine the model number is actually DM602. The DM602 is a larger, ported bookshelf speaker. Depending on when he bought them, they could be DM602, DM602 S2 or DM602 S3 (series 2 & series 3). They are pretty good speakers but are a bit bass shy, even with the port. However, I find that B&W speakers are the best speakers out there for acoustic bass, making them perfect for Jazz. You just won't be cranking that bass out of these at any volume.

I have an entire home theater set-up with B&W 600 Series 3 speakers, I have DM603 S3's for the front L&R, an LCR600 S3 for a center and DM601 S3's for the surround L&R. They sound very good. I can recommend DM602 S3's but I don't know about S2's or the originals.

Kevin

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Bower and Wilkins speakers. Anyone here own any?

A friend has a pair he wants to sell. I own a pair of old school JBL century speakers (not the L100s though).

These seem to be very well made. I am thinking of doing a side by side comparison of them to see which ones perform the best.

The model I have here are DW 602.

I imagine the model number is actually DM602. The DM602 is a larger, ported bookshelf speaker. Depending on when he bought them, they could be DM602, DM602 S2 or DM602 S3 (series 2 & series 3). They are pretty good speakers but are a bit bass shy, even with the port. However, I find that B&W speakers are the best speakers out there for acoustic bass, making them perfect for Jazz. You just won't be cranking that bass out of these at any volume.

I have an entire home theater set-up with B&W 600 Series 3 speakers, I have DM603 S3's for the front L&R, an LCR600 S3 for a center and DM601 S3's for the surround L&R. They sound very good. I can recommend DM602 S3's but I don't know about S2's or the originals.

Kevin

Another recommendation for the DM602 S3. Love them. FWIW, I got mine for $500/pair NEW about 5 years ago.

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I LOVE my DM601s, great for my eclectic tastes, paid ~$400 for a demo pair in 1998 I think. Paired with modest 75-80 watt/ch Rotel and NAD amps, mostly used in 15x15 spaces. Plenty of bass in a modest room or apartment setting. On stands and sitting close, these are still pretty special for me. Budget cabinets, however I think that's in the past for B&W, they seem to be more upmarket now. You'll know I'm desperate for cash when you see my 601s on Ebay; my Tukans fetched $400 last year, I'm glad I kept the 601s, more versatile.

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Have owned/heard lots of B&W models, incl. 602, always impressed, don't hesitate.

My only caveat is, even if they're called "bookshelf speakers", be sure to set them up on stands and try to optimize stand placement (distance from walls, etc). I've set some B&Ws up haphazardly and wondered what all the hype was about, but the sound was tremendously improved (and hype-worthy) when they shifted to stands. Re. bass, OK, not the strongest out there, but if set up reasonably you should have no objections.

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Have owned/heard lots of B&W models, incl. 602, always impressed, don't hesitate.

My only caveat is, even if they're called "bookshelf speakers", be sure to set them up on stands and try to optimize stand placement (distance from walls, etc). I've set some B&Ws up haphazardly and wondered what all the hype was about, but the sound was tremendously improved (and hype-worthy) when they shifted to stands. Re. bass, OK, not the strongest out there, but if set up reasonably you should have no objections.

My 805s are on some heavy heavy-duty stands (they're filled with sand IIRC) that were built to go with them, and the resulting elevation (about ear high if you're sitting down), plus good placement in the room (including relation to sound-absorbing items like rugs) makes a big difference. About bass response, I'm not a fan of strength per se but think in terms of accuracy/balance -- subjective matters, of course, but when I'm listening I don't like to hear anything in any register that sticks out. My two standard tests, aside from certain fairly imperfect recordings that can sound OK or better if things are just right, are solo piano and the lightly accompanied human voice because I think I know what a piano or a voice should sound like in a room that's about the size of my listening room. If they sound right to me, then so will, say, the Mahler Third or "Chasin' the Trane."

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My two standard tests, aside from certain fairly imperfect recordings that can sound OK or better if things are just right, are solo piano and the lightly accompanied human voice because I think I know what a piano or a voice should sound like in a room that's about the size of my listening room.

What if it was recorded in Carnegie Hall, or outdoors in a field,, or an isolated room even smaller than your living room?

Sounds quarellous, probably, but not meant to be. Always interested in hearing how different people "hear", what their expectations are, etc.. So no "picking a fight" or anything here, honest.

Edited by JSngry
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Sorry to hijack this conversation, but I'm also interested in getting a decent sound system (and looking at B&W offerings), but I was wondering what I should be looking for if I mostly listen to pre-1950s jazz?

Are there benefits to having a quality speaker/sub setup if the dynamic range was never there to begin with? Thanks in advance.

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You might be surprised how wonderful early recordings can sound. I use two pairs of speakers designed and built by Steve Deckert and Bob Zigler of Decware in my systems. These incorporate a radial dispersion driver and ribbon tweeters that really bring out the best in the recordings. I find that the dispersion pattern creates a very natural sound and adds a perceived body to recordings that need heft.

I also am a big fan of Decware amplifiers and as I am using a moderately large space their Torii Mk III amplifier is the choice for my main system. These speakers are hand-built in America with lifetime warranties to the original owner. An excellent company making wonderful products.

The speakers:

ERR: http://www.decware.com/newsite/ERR.html

Omni: http://www.decware.com/newsite/HR1.html

The integrated amp: http://www.decware.com/newsite/TORII.htm

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My two standard tests, aside from certain fairly imperfect recordings that can sound OK or better if things are just right, are solo piano and the lightly accompanied human voice because I think I know what a piano or a voice should sound like in a room that's about the size of my listening room.

What if it was recorded in Carnegie Hall, or outdoors in a field,, or an isolated room even smaller than your living room?

Sounds quarellous, probably, but not meant to be. Always interested in hearing how different people "hear", what their expectations are, etc.. So no "picking a fight" or anything here, honest.

As for your variables, well, sure, but my sense is that one can detect the presence of far-range-of-the-scale factors quite readily and take them into account.

Never could afford stereo equipment beyond Sears/etc. When I work on my masters for reissue I listen on very high end or custom equipment.

Whatever.

I recall some seemingly substantial in every way speakers when you lived on N. Kimball.

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Sorry to hijack this conversation, but I'm also interested in getting a decent sound system (and looking at B&W offerings), but I was wondering what I should be looking for if I mostly listen to pre-1950s jazz?

Are there benefits to having a quality speaker/sub setup if the dynamic range was never there to begin with? Thanks in advance.

The lowest note on a standard string bass is 41 Hz, tubas and organs can go lower but if you are listening to jazz you are probably not going to miss much if your speakers produce down to 40 Hz. Most decent speakers will be fine. Bass response can be increased or decreased based on the room and placement in the room as Larry suggested above. If you want to het an education about audio I can heartily recommend Audiokarma.org. They have members in Autralia too.

I have not heard B & W speakers myself but comments I have seen elsewhere seem uniformly positive.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I love the 805s.. They do need a serious amplifier to sound the best. The higher the damping factor the better..

As example: they sound pretty good with most McIntosh amps.. (damping factor is medium, runs between - 600 and 2000 depending)

But pair those B&Ws with a serious Damped amp, Like the Crown Reference One or Two (damping factor is 30,000) and you will hear the difference immediately. Other highly damped amps would be: Pass Labs. Omega. And for lower budgets the Hafler Trans Nova series (9000 is the best one of these.) Another important consideration when choosing the B&W 800 series is room size..

Those 805s prefer a room that has pretty good volume and ratios.

Glenn

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  • 3 weeks later...

B&W don't make the

Have had a pair of Nautilus 804 floor-standing speakers for 5 years or so; I believe I am their third owner. They sound excellent and I'd recommend any iteration of them (they re-did them every few years and upped the price tag slightly each time).

B&W doesn't make the N800 series anymore. The diamond tweeter and upgrades to crossovers were developed a few years ago, making the top end as good as the lower frequences. I sold my N802s about five years ago and upgraded to the 802Ds. Apparently those are no longer in production either, as B&W now makes a piano-gloss version instead. I haven't heard the current model--it's supposedly a significant upgrade.

As for the 600 series, I think they're a decent choice along with some of the Polk and other midrange brands.

Edited by EyeSpeech
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