Surround Speakers

[GuitarPicker]

I'm currently using a Marantz SR7013 with 5.1.4 with 2 HSU subs and 1 RSL 12 sub. All my speakres are Bowers and Wilkins except for my surrounds which are old BOSE 601's that I've had for years. I'm wanting to upgrade my surrounds and use B&W. I've looked at matching 603 S2 floor standing, 606 S2 and 707 S2 bookshelf speakers. I'm thinking the asthetics of the book shelf on speaker stands would look good. I also think the 707 S2 would have mopre clarity but then again they are only surrounds but might sound good in all channel stereo. Looking for recommendations on what I should consider purchasing.

 

[GuitarPicker]

Maybe I'd be better off asking someone at Best Buy. Where is Gene DellaSala when you need him or do I have to pay a $100 an hour?

 

[Eppie]

Best Buy will recommend the speaker with the biggest profit margin.

B&W do not get reviewed here often. A quick search revealed that the 606 S2 has a bright response (elevated treble) and the 707 S2 has a scooped response (elevated bass and treble). I would not recommend those unless you prefer that type of sound and are really set on getting B&W. If you want a neutral sounding speaker, ask for recommendations in a given price range. If you're set on B&W, I would recommend that you try and demo in store first if possible.

 

[GuitarPicker]

Curious as to why Bowers and Wilkins does not get reviewed here that much? They are really great speakers from entry level to $42,000 a pair. The reference to Best Buy was just a jab as nobody after 80 something views had any knowledge or any recommendations. I would have to travel over 2 hours to a larger city to demo speakers and for me it's not worth the hassle and the temptation to go down that rabbit hole. I know Audioholics did an article on the B&W 700 S3 series speakers back in March 2024 and received a great review. After playing music for 40 years I know a little about sound and have done my research. I was thinking maybe somebody had better knowledge than me but that was wishful thinking.

 

[Eppie]

They do make some good speakers but a common issue is that when measured they can exhibit a very low impedance at certain frequencies and the phase angles are not as good as other makes. This makes them hard to drive to high volumes unless you have an amp that can handle low impedances. If the stores are too far away then finding measurements is an important consideration. The brightness of the 606 was noted by Andrew Robinson and there were similar comments on the 707 on ASR. That may not be that big of an issue if you are using them for surrounds. I would expect them to sound quite different from your old 601's.

 

[TLS Guy]

Curious as to why Bowers and Wilkins does not get reviewed here that much? They are really great speakers from entry level to $42,000 a pair. The reference to Best Buy was just a jab as nobody after 80 something views had any knowledge or any recommendations. I would have to travel over 2 hours to a larger city to demo speakers and for me it's not worth the hassle and the temptation to go down that rabbit hole. I know Audioholics did an article on the B&W 700 S3 series speakers back in March 2024 and received a great review. After playing music for 40 years I know a little about sound and have done my research. I was thinking maybe somebody had better knowledge than me but that was wishful thinking.

Like a lot of speaker manufacturers B & W speakers have been a mixed bag. Some have sounded good and measured well, and some frankly awful. The biggest issue is poor crossover design with impedance drops and highly negative phase angles. This has meant that some of their speakers have required amplifiers with power supplies normally found on welding units. They have brought death to many a receiver.

The other issue is that in many speakers they drove those yellow kevlar cones well up into their break up mode giving a peaked response and made them beam like crazy, and also making the off axis response not match the axis response.

 

[GuitarPicker]

Bowers and Wilkins seems to get the same treatment as Bose. Have you listened to B&W speakers or are your opinions based on articles written by someone who may be influenced. I actually traveled to demo the B&W before I purchased and they definitely sounded better to me without a doubt. Are there better speakers out there? Sure but at the price point I was willing to spend there was no doubt which ones I was bringing home. My Marantz drives these hard and I hardly ever get the volume half way without rattling the walls and windows. I mainly listen to TV and movies in my main listening area and dolby atmos movies feel like you are in the middle of the action. I have a dedicated room for music with a McIntosh receiver and a Dynaco ST70 with a Dynaco PAS3 pre amp. I have considered purchasing an Emotiva amp but would really like to test drive one first. I've even thought about buying another set of towers and putting the B&W as surrounds. If you were in the $1200-1500 range of speakers which one would you recommend based off what you've actually heard in person.