Need some advice - B&W 300 vs 600 vs 700 series

[tommyboy]

Good Day,
Need some advice. I have absolutely fallen for B&W but, in doing so, have gotten perplexed regarding budget vs. bang for the buck. Here is my dilemma. Which will be better for movies - I like to hear the symphonic aspects of movies but also the starwars booms as well.

Should I - budget will be a constraint
1) have 4 B&W 303's with the LCR-3 and the ASW-300?
2) have 2 B&W 602's for the front, 2 B&W 601's for the rear, an LCR-60 for the center and ASW-600 for the sub?
3) have 2 B&W 705's for the front and an HTM-7 for the center (and stop there)
4) Any other thoughts would be greatly appreciated - KEF has a similar model to the 705 I believe as well

I would appreciate any advice on this....I am perplexed

 

[nibhaz]

My 2 cents

I must confess that I also have a thing for the B&W sound...

My IMO the 600 series offers the best value, in regards to sound quality vs. price. Based on the options you've presented I would go with number 2. However, after doing a quick estimation of your budget I have another option for you to consider. Keep the 602’s as your fronts, and the LCR 60 as your center, but save a hundred bucks and go with 600’s for your surrounds. For most HTs the crossover point is set at 80 Hz, so the 600’s will work just fine as surrounds. Now forget the B&W sub at the price point you are working with, they are just not a good value. Take the hundred you just saved by going with the 600’s and what ever you were about to spend on a B&W sub and go buy yourself something nice from Hsu or SVS, you will not be disappointed…I promise!

 

[tommyboy]

Thanks for the notes!

I appreciate it quite a bit - thanks for the info on the sub!

 

[perato]

I agree about the subwoofer. From many other posts on this forum, HSU, Velodyne, and SVS are likely better values than B&W subwoofers. You might also want to investigate the Von Schweikert VR-1 which were favorably reviewed by Audioholics and have an MSRP of US$1000/pair. The difference between the 705 and 602 is that the 705 has a three dimensional soundstage whereas the 602 has a two dimensional soundstage. If you are only using the speakers to watch sci-fi movies, then you will not likely notice any improvement between 602 and 705. You will notice the difference only with recorded material that has a three dimensional soundstage (mostly certain types of music like classical or jazz). The MSRP of US$600/pair price point of the 602 is very competitive so you should investigate many other brands. Peruse these forums for suggestions. Also, whatever you choose, try not to pay MSRP.