Bowers & Wilkins 685 S2
- Thread starter Art K.
- Start date
You probably cannot differenciate sound advice from marketing speak. My idvise to you - do a research: learn what matters in audio system design. Othewise you will be always milked by gear makers and their dealers big time.
Gossy
Active Member
Art, I am curious as to what the purpose of leaving the CD player on 24/7 is? Capacitors used in CD players usually are not the polymer type which last 10.000hrs+ at high temperatures.
I am very curious as to your findings on the LS50's I've had a chance to spend some time with those a while ago and was pleasantly surprised - so was my wife who suggested it might be a good strategy to get them for as long as our little one's coordination is lacking - currently our large livingrooms speakers spend most of their time shielded by 3mm thick pieces of plywood lol..
I am very curious as to your findings on the LS50's I've had a chance to spend some time with those a while ago and was pleasantly surprised - so was my wife who suggested it might be a good strategy to get them for as long as our little one's coordination is lacking - currently our large livingrooms speakers spend most of their time shielded by 3mm thick pieces of plywood lol..
Last edited:
Art K.
The Voodoo You Do!
You need to move on...seriously. The only thing keeping this thread from being fun is you trolling.
Not being stupid I do know that for multi channel music the ideal is all channels identical...SACD, DVD-A and the like. Home theater is a different beast with different standards. These B&W 685 S2's are being used for two channel, capiche.
Last edited:
Art K.
The Voodoo You Do!
It sounds better that way.
And ask someone to teach you how communicate on a public forum without using "F" word.
Art K.
The Voodoo You Do!
The language has many words and I choose to use all of them not just the ones that make you or anyone else happy. Your best bet is to look for threads where you can contribute rather that troll for trouble.
Art K.
The Voodoo You Do!
Ongoing observations;
You get markedly more sound for your watts with 685's as they clearly more efficient than the KEF's and Wharfedales. I'm not sure what the specs show but that is my experience here. Also the B&W's are clearly more detailed than the other two. Decay is far more audible with them as are room acoustics.
I sure wish I could hear the PM1's in here.
You get markedly more sound for your watts with 685's as they clearly more efficient than the KEF's and Wharfedales. I'm not sure what the specs show but that is my experience here. Also the B&W's are clearly more detailed than the other two. Decay is far more audible with them as are room acoustics.
I sure wish I could hear the PM1's in here.
Art K.
The Voodoo You Do!
I really would say that. There is a lot on tap with the 685's that is not offered with either of those other two designs. They really have me rethinking what I want in my home office. That is one reason I am closely watching the ProAc Studio 118 thread. There is a lack of refinement with the B&W's compared to the KEF and Wharfedale speakers but man there is so much more musical information...hmm.
cwall99
Addicted Member
I happen to be a bit of a Bowers and Wilkins fan-boy, but, really I just sort of stumbled into it starting about 10 years ago when I was looking to upgrade my front speakers in my surround rig. Was traveling to three different shops looking at KEF, B&W, and PSB. This went on for a couple years as I was doing a slightly less thorough job assessing the sounds than you are.
Finally, after a couple years of being a bother to the sales staff at these shops, the closest shop let me know that they were selling their demo models of a set of DM603 S3s and an LCR600 S3, and were marking them down 40%. I didn't even let Opportunity's knuckle hit the door a second time, and I bought them.
Yeah, my rig's a home theater rig, but it does a mighty fine job with two-channel audio as well.
My point? Not to recommend B&W over any other product. No, I'm just enjoying reading about your decision-making process.
Thanks.
Finally, after a couple years of being a bother to the sales staff at these shops, the closest shop let me know that they were selling their demo models of a set of DM603 S3s and an LCR600 S3, and were marking them down 40%. I didn't even let Opportunity's knuckle hit the door a second time, and I bought them.
Yeah, my rig's a home theater rig, but it does a mighty fine job with two-channel audio as well.
My point? Not to recommend B&W over any other product. No, I'm just enjoying reading about your decision-making process.
Thanks.
Art K.
The Voodoo You Do!
Well...in my home office, I'm embarrassed to report, the B&W 685s2's have totally outclassed the KEF LS50's and Dentons. I am not finished yet but the results are fairly strong. I'm afraid this means that I will have to turn in my audiophile ID card. Shit, this is almost as bad as buying and actually liking Monitor Audio speakers. Perhaps I had a stroke and am unaware...
Art K.
The Voodoo You Do!
Funny you say that as the B&W manual warns that the speakers may seem too upfront for the listener but to give it some for you (the listener) to break in.
Gossy
Active Member
Ooooh yeah, the breakin period.. Seems everything under the sun now comes with this breakin period warning ^^ but there's truth in it though I hope it isnt as dramatic as some put it. If performance would change so much over such a relatively short period of time, the expected lifespan would not be so good.. and who knows, maybe it isn't. I have not taken my trusty old b&w's back to the servicecenter for another measurement in over a decade.
Sometimes all thats needed to say is you are going to warm to this speaker, I promise you ^^ and even when it starts going south over time, you just carry that feeling along.
Sometimes all thats needed to say is you are going to warm to this speaker, I promise you ^^ and even when it starts going south over time, you just carry that feeling along.
Gossy
Active Member
:thmbsp:
Same here. Salesmen like to play this up though for some reason when they prime the customer these days..
I think with those nice b&w's you have there it may be more pronounced due to the particular cone material used.
Why?
Art K.
The Voodoo You Do!
That was a joke.
