Allaboutmusic
pfm Member
Not true.
I have b&w 685 s2 in a medium sized room, around 30 cms from the back wall and 70 to 100 from the side walls. No boom, fast, dynamic and fill the room very nicely.
Have you tried all b&w speakers?
B&W speakers. Underrated?
- Thread starter Allaboutmusic
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I have b&w 685 s2 in a medium sized room, around 30 cms from the back wall and 70 to 100 from the side walls. No boom, fast, dynamic and fill the room very nicely.
Have you tried all b&w speakers?
Bairnstorm
pfm Member
I only have the P5 headphones which I like a lot but all speakers are KEF Reference 3.2's and LS50's. Very happy with them too. I didn't know anyone was snobbish over B&W's. I always thought they were top quality speakers.
tuga
Legal Alien
Quite bad stuff...
These measurements are from the B&W Silver Signature:
The Silver Signature's open architecture allowed me to take a look at the raw drive-unit responses without any crossover filters in the signal path.
The basic tweeter response is shown in fig.2: it both rolls out below 2kHz and shelves down by 4dB or so in the top audio octave before peaking at 27kHz.
The midrange and treble response of the unfiltered woofer is shown in fig.3.
A hint of a rising trend can be seen in the midrange, with then an impressively flat treble.
The steep rolloff above 7kHz is broken by peaks due to cone breakup modes.
Fig.2 B&W Silver Signature, quasi-anechoic response of raw tweeter (no crossover)
on tweeter axis at 45" and corrected for microphone response.
Fig.3 B&W Silver Signature, quasi-anechoic response of raw woofer (no crossover)
on tweeter axis at 45" and corrected for microphone response.
Fig.4 B&W Silver Signature, raw woofer cumulative spectral-decay plot at 45" (0.15ms risetime).
Fig.13 B&W Silver Signature, cumulative spectral-decay plot at 45" (0.15ms risetime).
The waterfall plot calculated from the impulse response is shown in fig.13.
A superbly clean decay overall is undoubtedly associated with the speaker's refined sound.
Note, however, the ridge parallel to the time axis associated with the on-axis peak at 3kHz.
Here's that pesky woofer-cone mode again.
https://www.stereophile.com/content/bw-john-bowers-silver-signature-loudspeaker-measurements
These measurements are from the B&W Silver Signature:
The Silver Signature's open architecture allowed me to take a look at the raw drive-unit responses without any crossover filters in the signal path.
The basic tweeter response is shown in fig.2: it both rolls out below 2kHz and shelves down by 4dB or so in the top audio octave before peaking at 27kHz.
The midrange and treble response of the unfiltered woofer is shown in fig.3.
A hint of a rising trend can be seen in the midrange, with then an impressively flat treble.
The steep rolloff above 7kHz is broken by peaks due to cone breakup modes.
Fig.2 B&W Silver Signature, quasi-anechoic response of raw tweeter (no crossover)
on tweeter axis at 45" and corrected for microphone response.
Fig.3 B&W Silver Signature, quasi-anechoic response of raw woofer (no crossover)
on tweeter axis at 45" and corrected for microphone response.
Fig.4 B&W Silver Signature, raw woofer cumulative spectral-decay plot at 45" (0.15ms risetime).
Fig.13 B&W Silver Signature, cumulative spectral-decay plot at 45" (0.15ms risetime).
The waterfall plot calculated from the impulse response is shown in fig.13.
A superbly clean decay overall is undoubtedly associated with the speaker's refined sound.
Note, however, the ridge parallel to the time axis associated with the on-axis peak at 3kHz.
Here's that pesky woofer-cone mode again.
https://www.stereophile.com/content/bw-john-bowers-silver-signature-loudspeaker-measurements
Martyn Miles
pfm Member
My only experience with B & W speakers are with ‘70s models, the D5 and DM4.
I liked both, the D5 being the most surprising.
The DM4s were somewhat like my Spendor BC1s.
One of the problems ( for me ) are how some modern B & W speakers look.
I couldn’t live with them, just as I couldn’t live with Kef Blades, however good they sound.
I liked both, the D5 being the most surprising.
The DM4s were somewhat like my Spendor BC1s.
One of the problems ( for me ) are how some modern B & W speakers look.
I couldn’t live with them, just as I couldn’t live with Kef Blades, however good they sound.
tuga
Legal Alien
A friend has a slightly modified 801F. Silk-dome tweeter, 5'' kevlar mid, 12'' woofer in a closed bass bin. It is one of the best speakers I've listened to.
I owned a pair of 802 Matrix Series 3, three generations removed. Aluminium-dome tweeter, same(?) kevlar mid, 2x 8'' bass reflex. Ear-bleeders of the worst kind...
I owned a pair of 802 Matrix Series 3, three generations removed. Aluminium-dome tweeter, same(?) kevlar mid, 2x 8'' bass reflex. Ear-bleeders of the worst kind...
Del monaco
Del Monaco
Why did you own them if they were earbleeders?
tuga
Legal Alien
I always buy used, usually based on measurements, and if I don't like I sell at little loss.
New gear is too expensive and I don't feel comfortable troubling people or stores to listen to equipment that I am not going to buy.
I didn't know they were ear-bleeders before I bought them. I had listened to this friend's 802Fs, thought they wouldn't be too different. I was wrong.
Del monaco
Del Monaco
I see your point.They belonged in the Linn Kan/Rega Kyte/ Monitor Audio Silver camp then. All ranges have their stars and their misfires.I guess you were unlucky. I generally buy second hand but prefer to listen prior to buying just in case nobody else wants them afterwards.
tuga
Legal Alien
I haven't listened to the latest batch with the Continuum cone, but the previous models that I listened to were not up to scratch. 8xxN, 800xxD, CMx.
The last one I listened to was the CM6 floorstander last Christmas, don't know how old, maybe 8 years old. Can't say I liked it, and the tweeter had been modified to reduce the "sparkle".
Measurements of the 8xx-series Continuum cone seem to show a somewhat better behaved breakup and they've gone back to steeper filters. But the response is still far from the flatness of the F/Matrix series.
Darren
So gentle when he tries to understand.
I owned a larger pair of six hundred series speakers a few years ago. Metal dome tweeter, kevlar midrange and either one or two metal bass drivers. They looked modern and fresh - really nice.
They were by far the worst speakers I've had at home. Harsh, bright and relentless I couldnt listen to them for more than a few minutes. Fortunately, I bought them from Moorgate acoustics who agreed they 'werent for everyone' and very kindly took them back. In fact Moorgate were excellent about the whole thing and I strongly recommend their service.
They were by far the worst speakers I've had at home. Harsh, bright and relentless I couldnt listen to them for more than a few minutes. Fortunately, I bought them from Moorgate acoustics who agreed they 'werent for everyone' and very kindly took them back. In fact Moorgate were excellent about the whole thing and I strongly recommend their service.
Interesting. I still run a pair of 802 Matrix/S3 speakers which I have had for 25 years. They are far better (IMHO) than the shouty and brittle 802Ns (which came and went) and are a nice alternative to my Meridian DSPs.
The trick with big B&Ws is a very powerful amplifier - Chord and Meridian work well for me.
Yank
Bulbous Also Tapered
In the USA B&W speakers are often paired with McIntosh amplifiers.
I greatly enjoyed my B&W CM9s for nine years but I wanted a little extra so I upgraded before Christmas to the 702s2.I drive them with upgraded TagMcLaren 250 x2r mono blocks.I listen in a very well damped cosy 12’x12’room.
I continuously congratulate myself on my purchase.
The depth of that soundstage is just wonderful.
Contentment and bliss at last.
I continuously congratulate myself on my purchase.
The depth of that soundstage is just wonderful.
Contentment and bliss at last.
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Del monaco
Del Monaco
It does. My CM8s pair nicely with my Yamaha to give a clean(not bright) and neutral presentation. The treble is just right, picking out the cymbals and gleaming trumpet sounds beautifully but never overbearingly. They are well out into the room which gives depth and height.Closing your eyes you would swear they were taller. With well recorded albums they are outstanding. Though not as deep as some the bass is articulate and transparent so bass details and textures that were less obvious in the Spendors I had are more obvious with the B&Ws. As always, a well configured room, placement and well matched components are essential. I suspect that if I drive them with the older Olive Naim I used to own they would have an altogether different presentation that may verge on relentless. This happened with the Spendors on some tracks.With the B&Ws, it’s rare that I feel this and usually when the recording and production of the music are questionable.
webster
Listen & enjoy.
These speakers are part of my current set up along with Rega amp & dac - I think they sound amazing!
Del monaco
Del Monaco
As the OP said, truly underrated.