B&w asw608, asw610, asw610xp

[crzycuyler]

Hello,

I recently purchased two Bowers and Wilkins ASW608s, but am considering upgrading to the ASW610 with intentions to purchase a second ASW610 in the future. Maybe even an ASW610XP. I was recently told by a Magnolia salesman that the ASW610 has some serious amplifier issues, but I have read recently that the ASW610 is a great subwoofer. I am not sure what to believe. Would anyone recommend the upgrade? I would ultimately own two ASW610's if I went this route. I use 685's for my speakers and use my setup for most everything. I desire the bigger subwoofer for digging deeper in movies, video games, and and the occasional party. Money isn't an issue, but I must choose from subwoofers sold by either Best Buy or Magnolia, as I am able to get incredible discounts at these stores. I get practically half off. If there are any suggestions, please reply.

Thanks

 

[theJman]

Not sure how they sound, but those are some pretty impressive spec's for such tiny subwoofers. I tend to think they're a bit optimistic though. Either way, they seem nice.

Did the salesman tell you anything specific about the amp issues? Was he trying to get you to look at something else by chance? I'm not sure if they really do have problems, but I imagine a couple of quick google searches would uncover the truth. If there is indeed an issue it's going to be documented someplace.

 

[jamie2112]

Hey there,I have listened to all of those subs and the specs look great but real world performance is another story.If you are truly thinking of upgrading I would highly recommend some other choices.Even for the price which you kind of confused me ( money is no object/ has to be at BB Magnolia ) You are much better off with an epik or SVS or HSU for what you might pay at said boxed stores.Online subs are a much better deal than anything you will find in BB or the like.Just saying,happy shopping.

 

[theJman]

What brands does BB sell? For half off I can see why you go their. Dual XP's might not be bad either. What do they run each?

 

[its phillip]

MSRP of the 610XP is $1200. I assume BB sells at msrp, so $600 each plus tax...I'd rather get the SVS PB-12 NSD. $769 shipped. Much higher performance than the ASW610XP.

At every frequency tested, the SVS beats the B&W...the numbers are only close at 63hz & 80hz. Below those, the differences get huge. Using the 2m rms numbers provided by SVS (their own testing of the PB-12 NSD) & Audioholics (ASW610XP review), these are the differences:
20hz: +19.4 dB (SVS)
25hz: +17.0 db (SVS)
31.5hz: +12.3 dB (SVS)
40hz: +7.4 dB (SVS)
50hz: +3.1 dB (SVS)
63hz: +0.4 dB (SVS)
80hz: +1.7 dB (SVS)

And note that in the AH testing of the 610XP it could not produce passing results at 16hz or 12.5hz. According to the SVS numbers from their own testing, the PB-12 NSD put out 96.0 dB (16hz) and 86.1 dB (12.5 hz).

 

[Ricci]

The above is true. It should be noted that the PB12-NSD is 2x the weight and 3.3x the external size of the ASW610XP. It's a little bit of an apples to oranges comparison. The SB-12 is a more direct competitor to the tiny ASW610XP.

 

[its phillip]

True enough. The 610XP is tiny. I just figured if he was considering buying two subs, the size wouldn't have been that big of a deal

 

[theJman]

The above is true. It should be noted that the PB12-NSD is 2x the weight and 3.3x the external size of the ASW610XP. It's a little bit of an apples to oranges comparison. The SB-12 is a more direct competitor to the tiny ASW610XP.

Agreed; the SB-12 is probably the better comparison.

I do get the intent of his post though... that perhaps more can be had from someplace else. That's one of the reasons why I was asking what else BB sells. There may be a better alternative available.

 

[crzycuyler]

Wow. Thanks for replying, guys! I'm an employee at Best Buy so I get almost all Best Buy and Magnolia subwoofers for half off. I've heard so much about SVS and it makes me sad I can't get this type of product from my store. I am currently utilizing 18 months no interest financing along with my half off discount. I also love knowing I've got protection if the amp fries or the driver breaks somehow. I don't know if I have the option of looking into any subwoofers outside of these benefits. If i truly wanted something else, I would have to save up and go without a sub for a while. Also, would this PB-12 NSD have a lively/punchy/musical feel at all for softer music? I rarely listen to party music but would enjoy the depth when doing so. And if there's no other option, would you recommend moving from ASW608 ($270) to ASW610 ($350)? I know performance would be minimal, but still better, right? (ASW610XP is $660)

If anyone wants to, they can consider looking through subwoofers at:
Bestbuy.com
magnoliaav.com

Also, I've got a Denon 3312 and will likely complete my system with 5 x B&W 685s and subwoofer(s) obviously. I don't think I want to spend an unproportional amount on a sub, or get a sub that is overpowering. Is it possible to overkill with a subwoofer?

Thanks guys,

 

[timoteo]

2 or 5 (depending on stereo or surround) 685s will make for a very nice bookshelf system!! I am really impressed with mine. Even though i only use them for my rears i have placed them up front to see how they hold up. They hold up!!!

Yes you can overpower a system with too much bass. But that can happen with only one sub. Overpowering will only happen if the sub is turned up too high in comparison to the speakers. With that said! You can almost never have too good of subs because, once you set the trim correctly a great sub will sound great with any system. Add in the fact that the less you have to push a sub the less distortion & higher headroom/dynamics you get!! So always get the best subs you can afford & integrate them into your system accordingly. If the subs have plenty of juice left in them you can always run them a little hot if you like bass.

 

[crzycuyler]

Would you at least say to grab 10 inch subwoofers over 8 in subs? The only reason I hold back on the ASW610 is because of rumored amplifier failure... I want to believe that with two of them, I would lighten the load, and with the crossover no higher than 80hz, the subs wouldn't struggle as much. Does this make any sense?

Thanks

 

[theJman]

Would you at least say to grab 10 inch subwoofers over 8 in subs? The only reason I hold back on the ASW610 is because of rumored amplifier failure... I want to believe that with two of them, I would lighten the load, and with the crossover no higher than 80hz, the subs wouldn't struggle as much. Does this make any sense?

Based upon your comment from the first post -- I desire the bigger subwoofer for digging deeper in movies, video games, and and the occasional party -- I wouldn't even consider anything with less then a 10" driver. It's hard for me to imagine an 8" driver being able to satisfy your needs. A high-end 10" should be the smallest thing you consider, with perhaps extra attention being given to subs with 12" drivers instead.

 

[crzycuyler]

I fully trust and appreciate your recommendation. I really wish I could manage some better subwoofers than what I've mentioned, but the no interest financing and half off pricing has me bent towards the ASW610. My hopes are that I'd be able to sell them later near the cost I'll pay and use additional savings to get something bigger and better. If the subwoofer does have the lousy amp issues I've heard rumor of, then the even more ridiculously discounted inclusive extended warranty I can get at Best Buy will cover it. Trust me, I'll be looking forward to a later date when I can get my hands on something better, though.

 

[theJman]

I fully trust and appreciate your recommendation. I really wish I could manage some better subwoofers than what I've mentioned, but the no interest financing and half off pricing has me bent towards the ASW610. My hopes are that I'd be able to sell them later near the cost I'll pay and use additional savings to get something bigger and better. If the subwoofer does have the lousy amp issues I've heard rumor of, then the even more ridiculously discounted inclusive extended warranty I can get at Best Buy will cover it. Trust me, I'll be looking forward to a later date when I can get my hands on something better, though.

If I was getting a 50% discount, and interest free financing, I'd be doing the exact same thing you are. Although the ID companies are hugely popular on most forums, that doesn't mean other companies don't make a nice product. And some of them are having holiday sales too. For example, Velodyne has the Optimum 10 on sale now. It has a lot of nice features, and it's 40% off. While the Velodyne stuff is probably too expensive to begin with that's a very nice discount on a really good subwoofer.

BB and/or Magnolia sells Definitive Technology and Martin Logan, don't they? If so, the DefTech SuperCube 6000 is certainly no slouch. With your discount it's probably going to be around $500. ML's Dynamo 1000 would more then likely be about the same. ML also makes a "Depth" series that has multiple drivers in a semi-triangular cabinet. Those can be a bit pricey though -- I think the cheapest is around 2 grand -- so they might be more then you're looking to spend.

 

[crzycuyler]

Definitive Technology - SuperCube 4000 8" 1200-Watt Powered Subwoofer - SC4000

MartinLogan - Dynamo 700W 10" 600-Watt Subwoofer - DYN700W

Those are the only subs that are actually carried at Best Buy's magnolia. The Super Cube 6000 is not at even at the Magnolia Design Center.

 

[theJman]

They only carry a subset of the product lines? That s#cks. Can they order them for you? Since they're an authorized retailer that might be something worth investigating.

 

[spinner26]

Anybody have an ASW608 new or used?

Man I just saw your post about the B&W ASW608. Do you still have the sub? Is there any chance I can buy one off you haha?

 

[Jexx]

Discussing employee discount prices of specific items is prohibited by Best Buy and certainly not something you should be talking about openly on forums. I think it shows a lack of integrity as well as what kind of employee you are i.e. not a very good one. To give an example of how strictly Best Buy takes this policy, employees have asset protection tear up receipts for cheap non discounted items like a sprite or dr pepper.

 

[Julian Knight]

Hi - joining this conversation a bit late in the day, but my experiences of ASW608 and ASW610XP are very good. The ASW608 is powerful and very sweet sounding on music, Great for following the bass-line in music and digs very deep for it's size. I purchased an SVS 2000 and it was crap on music, due to a gating function at low volume. The manufacturers admitted it had this feature and that was that. I sent it back. Purchased an ASW610XP (500w) and OMG it was a much better sub for music (less boomy). I since built a replica using the same driver (cost £200 UK). These two subs are stunning on music. The B&W amplifiers are all ICEPower and you can easily purchase them. They are used in many products and are no reason to worry. Recently a capacitor blew on my ASW608. The 3.15A fuse cost more than the 0.1uF 680v capacitor that blew. Yes - for those who have been searching, that is the capacitor value for the one that connects to three parallel resistors. I had to do a bit of searching but found the circuit diagram eventually.

 

[lovinthehd]

Hi - joining this conversation a bit late in the day, but my experiences of ASW608 and ASW610XP are very good. The ASW608 is powerful and very sweet sounding on music, Great for following the bass-line in music and digs very deep for it's size. I purchased an SVS 2000 and it was crap on music, due to a gating function at low volume. The manufacturers admitted it had this feature and that was that. I sent it back. Purchased an ASW610XP (500w) and OMG it was a much better sub for music (less boomy). I since built a replica using the same driver (cost £200 UK). These two subs are stunning on music. The B&W amplifiers are all ICEPower and you can easily purchase them. They are used in many products and are no reason to worry. Recently a capacitor blew on my ASW608. The 3.15A fuse cost more than the 0.1uF 680v capacitor that blew. Yes - for those who have been searching, that is the capacitor value for the one that connects to three parallel resistors. I had to do a bit of searching but found the circuit diagram eventually.

What is a gating feature?