B&W Identification Questions...

[Monkeyfister]

Hi folks,

I'm a newbie here, and am deeply impressed with the collected wisdom on these pages... WOW.

Here's a fun situation:

I just couldn't pass up a bid on a pair of "B&W DM600 Series" speakers (see images below).

So, I got the pair for US$103.00, which may or may not be a good price, but, my itchy bidding finger...

Heh, now that they are mine, is there anyone out there who can tell me a little bit about them? What years were they sold? Power rating? Are they comparable at *all* with the DM600 S3s? Are there noticeable advantages to them? Disadvantages? Freq. Response/range/sensitivity?

Can you tell that this was an impulse buy that I never expected to win?

I'm a bit concerned about the two little dings that I see in the surround of one of the woofers, but, the seller says they work perfectly... I can practically see the distortion around those scars, but, who knows)...

I'll be using them with my new NAD T743 (just purchased for US$499.00 sold w/a B&W 2000 IFS center)-- aaahhh, that debbil eBay... I've got a pair of AR 2052's that I'm going to try to pass off as rear speakers for now, and I've got a decent older JBL 10" subwoofer for now. I just started on this new upgrade spiral, beginning with the NAD... I'm looking to rotate in, new B&W DM601s to the Front and the older 600s to the rears...

Any background on these older B&W speakers would surely be appreciated.


Thank you in advance...


Tony B.

 

[corysmith01]

Hey Tony-

Not sure these are exactly it, but I downloaded the spec sheet for the DM600i, which look strikingly similar in the picture. You can found this info on the B&W back catalogue portion of the site. Here it is:

http://www.bwspeakers.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/products.backcatalogue/Label/Range DM600 Series

Click on the 600i...I didn't see just a straight 600. I also went back a page and chose the DM series and didn't anything there, so that seems like it. Click away...there's a downloadable pdf with all the specs on them...if they are in fact the right ones.

Hope this helps.

 

[Monkeyfister]

WOW! Thank You... One More Question re: Impedence Ratings...

Yikes! I had no idea these were 4ohm speakers... The eBay ad only said, "Work perfectly." All of my other available speakers are 8ohm, and the latest 600s are 8ohm.

OK, we know that the the NAD T743 can easily handle 4ohm, and I've read in the back pages here that mixing 6/8 ohm speakers is alright, but, isn't 4/8 a bit wide of a spread for even a receiver that can handle down to two ohms? Should I get a balancer/selector? Where would be the best place for this? The Shack?
Would heavier guage wire, like 16-guage, make a difference?

I wasn't quite ready to think about the 4ohm world just yet.

Well, again... Any advice would be appreciated.



Tony B.

 

[hrtbeat2]

I looked at those on ebay myself. What I came up with was they were made around 1988. I'm very new to audio/video myself but from what people have told me was that if the woofer(drivers) are in good shape they should be fine. I'm not saying the newer speakers are better (which they are) but thats technology. I have a matching set of DM302's and CC3, and I love them. I will some day advance up B&W ladder. Have fun with them. One last thing I've been doing alot of reading on loudspeaker set up on the front page of Audioholics and they have helped me by centering/adjusting my speakers to get the best sound out of them! One example was placing my center channel back by 5inches centered with my T.V and not out farther than my Lefts/Rights and you could her a3-5db increase in sound! Good luck

 

[annunaki]

Those are definitely older B&W's. They are, in no way, similar to the new DM600 S3. If you would like to know more about them, I would suggest emailing Mike Sheehan at B&W's technical support. He is very helpful and prompt. msheehan@equityaudio.com

Hrtbeat2, did you verify your output gain with an SPL meter? Most people barely notice a 3db change in output. I would re-calibrate my system if I were you, as moving the speaker could change the response. In any case good luck.

 

[midphy]

B&W DM610i center channel pairing?

I know this is an old thread, hope this post wakes things back up! or one of the more experienced members is free to set me straight if i should really just be starting my own thread? as a first time poster.... thanks in advance!

I've been using B&W DM610i's for years, originally with a c.1978 marantz and a NAD (730?) until going towards home theatre... and just this past week I finally started bi-amping with my Denon avr888. my weak jbl center is driving me more mad than ever, so back into the marketplace i go...

general "identification" question is what center channel did B&W intend to be used with my DM's? i think the 600 IFS, but not sure how it compares in practical terms to the 2000ifs... well except that the 600 is 8ohm vs the 4ohm of the 2000. the cc3 also seems a reasonable option. while the power remands for the cc6 (and lcr6/60?) seem a bit daunting for my current budget & receiver. just thought i'd try tapping into the collective knowledge before emailing tech support.

I did try reading through the spec pages for each, but I only have experience with in-person listening evaluations. iow, I don't really know how to guess @ which numbers are more likely to mean smooth blend with my existing system... while also hoping to come away with much better vocal support for tv/ movies.

btw, if it matters: bose model 21 for my surrounds, but as i'm considering a foam refirb. of some Advent Prodogy II's. The Bose, though while serviceable, may not be around for long.

and the long shot, Monkeyfister: if you happen to see this post i'm particularly interested in how you liked the pairing with the B&W 2000 IFS assuming you concluded you had sufficient power to drive the 4ohms of both front and center channels... very confusion spec sheet on the 2000ifs as they suggest wiring a pair on the center channel in series thus the nominal 8ohm rating, but 4 ohms if used solo!

 

[walter duque]

I am not sure at the moment, but I think I had the big towers in that series. I still have the owners manual, but no speakers. If it is, I purchased them in 92. The manual has all 4 speakers in the series that I had. I just noticed this is from 2005, wow....

 

[blind]

Nad 208

I have two NAD 208s pm me if you want to buy
thanks

 

[midphy]

I am not sure at the moment, but I think I had the big towers in that series. I still have the owners manual, but no speakers. If it is, I purchased them in 92. The manual has all 4 speakers in the series that I had. I just noticed this is from 2005, wow....

the 600 series? by all 4 than it was the 600 (bookself) 620 (floor) and 600 ifs (center)... how long were you happy with it?

update:
back home and i've re-calibrated with the audyssey and finding slightly better pan across the front than when i used a db meter... or i've just trusted the auto settings more than i had the last time. also realized i semi-blocked the rear port of the JBL (flix1... cheap-o i know) before the settings reset, wonder if i should just leave it as is?! guess we'll have to see after my next full volume movie listen, but the 1st 25minutes of Inception sounded pretty solid last night, much to my surprise the vocals sounded crisper. is it possible that blocking the port is making the center sound more like the closed box design of the B&W's?

so i'm not feeling rushed to upgrade, but still looking for a good price / vocal match... $50 sounds like a good price for a 2000IFS?

 

[walter duque]

Just found old owner manual, mine where the DM 640's.