I auditioned the B&W DM601 S3 speakers a week ago and really loved the sound. I returned to the dealer yesterday to listen some more and was stupid enough to listen to the DM602 S3's as well.
I must say I was impressed by the extra bass of these speakers. I did however get a feeling that the 602's were a little less precise than the 601. Suspecting that this was due to lack of power I switched amp (from NAD C320BEE to NAD C352), with no result. I guess that the filing of less precission could be due a somewhat "crashed" tweeter on the left 602 speaker.
Have any of you had the chanse to compare these speakers? What do you think; are the 602's worth the extra $160?
I guess, what I'm really wondering is: Are the 602's a great pair of speakers or are they just a pumped up 601 to satisfy those who crave a litle more bass dispite the price of loosing precission and overall quality?
Hm... this post wasn't very well written... perhaps reflecting my generall confusion (I'm into HiFi for the first time of my life).
Ignore this comment -> I'm just posting this comment to put this thread on top the draft that I managed to post with the same title... <- Ignore this comment<
602 S3 are fine speakers, yes there forte would be Bass which is commendable. IMHO of 602 s3
Amazing BASS, was better than some well reviewed floorstander. (if i remember correctly) Needs to be partnered Carefully - while many members here say NAD is a good Combination - I agree to disagree. I used NAD 352 and was never happy, switched to Rotel 1062 and Very Nice Build. And yes details are as good as Others in the 600 Range.
I think you felt that way for details as 602 S3 are not great at imaging and 601 would image better as they are smaller.
I had 601's for rear surrounds as when I auditioned them in a 'small' room they did seem to have reasonable bass, but they also had very precise imaging. Unfortunately they were a let down in our own room and I went for the 602's. I was so impressed with them that I bought another pair to replace my JBLXti60 floorstanders and I have never looked back. They have a wonderful bass extension (not bloated as some would say here) their mid range is very open and their highs are crisp and clean. I was driving these with a Marantz AVR SR7300 which was quite okay for surround audio, but I felt for stereo listening especially, the 602's would benefit from a better amp. With the NAD C162pre and C272 power amp, the 602's perform absolutely wonderfully. They do seem to thrive on a substantial power supply even though one may never use all those extra watts. While they are very good at low volumes, they absolutely excell with a little twist of the dial. Imaging, though maybe not as precise as the smaller sisters, is fine especially when toed in to the listening position.
The B&W's will also improve after many hours of use and while there are certainly better speakers around, where I come from I don't think there is anything that cames as close for the money.
Thanks for the answer! You are not the first to talk well about Rotel amplifiers. Too bad that they are nearly twice as expensive as the NAD 352. I'm currently a student so, unfortunately, price does matter...
While I bought my amplifier (C320BEE) with a shorttime perspective in mind, I plan to buy a set of speakers that I can live with for more than just a couple of years. Surely I wont get everything out of the speakers untill I upgrade the apmlifier, but both the 601 and the 602 sounded great with the C320BEE (compared to anything else in the same price bracket ).
Imaging is a new concept to me... do you have the time to explain?
Trying to oversimplify as much as possible. Could one say that these are the essential pros to be weighted against each other in the choise between 601 and 602?
601: price, imagin, aestetics(I think they look nicer) 602: bass, ability to fill a larger room
Soren, i am not the best person to word my thoughts but i shall give imaging a shot for you.
Some times speakers are capable of making us believe that the singers and musicians are with us in the room. eg when you position your self in front of the speeakers and can differentiate between the Singer and other musicians like drummer, guitarist and there positions etc - it is because the speakers are painting a acoustic image in front of you. You will know once you experience it . Hope this helps. I am sure there are many members who can explain better than this. And yes i agree with My Rantz that 602 S3 benefit from extra power. They are not as easy a load on the amps as shown on there spec sheet.
Do you have any idea of what the limit might be for what size of room the 601s will "fill"? I live in a quite small appartment with a livingroom measuring 3,8x6,7 meters (25m2). The speakers are standing close to one of the long walls pointing towards the other. Do you think the 601s will suffice if I have to go with the "cheap" alternative?
Anyhow, judging from your and Saurabh's posts, I should probably go for the 602s. I just hope I can afford it...
Good explanation - don't see how it could be made any clearer! I've never experienced it to the extent where the musicians take the step into my livingroom, but enought to hear them moving around the stage (not just left to right speaker). I still look forward to the real "enlightenment"
I understand that both 601 and 602 are quite hungry when it comes to power, but that could perhaps be seen as a sign of quality? High quality sound reproduction can't be achieved with a couple of 1.5 Volt bateries.
My room is about 7X8 metres. I use half that area as a listening room. My (main) speakers are about 3.5mts apart and .6mts from the (brick) wall. Placement on the short wall of a room is usually better, but other concerns sometimes prevent the preferred methods. We have high ceilings so the area (in cubic metres) is quite large to fill.
The 601's might suffice, however if you prefer a decent bass extension then the 602's may be the go. Either way, good heavy spike coupled stands will benefit both.
See if your dealer will let you try the 601's and replace with the 602's without loss if not suitable for you. I was fortunate with my dealer in this regard.
I far prefer the 601s to the 602s. I disagree with you that they are a little less precise. I think they are a LOT less precise. People go on about their bass response, but most of the time all they're hearing is bass boom from the port and cabinet colouration as the cabinet vibrates away. The 601 is far more precise, has far less cabinet colouration, only a little bass boom which is more euphonic.
I often demonstrate 7601s in our 7m x 5m room and the 601s fill it fine since I place them as you have, with the long wall behind them. Very often this works better than placing speakers on the short wall because if they are placed on the short wall you very easily get multiple reflections causing destructive interference. By placing them along the long wall, you have far less reflections to deal with.
Another thing is that they (in common with all B&Ws) really appreciate having a decent signal behind them. It's remarkable how much better they perform when they are fed a significantly better signal with more control. They are not difficult speakers to drive. It's just that they illustrate the benefits very clearly when fed a quality signal from something like a Naim, Cyrus, Arcam or Rega system.
And incidentally, the 602s are halfway between the price of the 601s and the Dynaudio Audience 42 - now that's a really nice speaker (which will also work just as well in your room)!
Soren - we all have our own ears, likes, and dislikes. Just as Frank does. Frank has been a long time foe of the 602's and that's his perogative, but if we all liked the same thing there wouldn't be much choice. The 602's actually made the list of HiHi New's top 100 audio products and have been a very well reviewed speaker. As for cabinet coloration, this applies to all box speakers to some degree and I think the 602's have a rigidity that comapares extremely well even with others much more expensive.
Trust your own ears and certainly try other brands such as Dynaudio, but budget wise I believe you'll be hard pressed to beat the B&W 601/602's.
Look forward to reading of your outcome. Good Luck.
Although I would love to look at speakers in the higher price range, I probably shouldn't. The 601s where a little over the budget, but I just loved the sound. I could, perhaps, stretch to the 602s, but definetly no further.
I'll audition the speakers a couple of times more and perhaps even try convince the local dealer to let me try them at home before I make up my mind. I'll be sure to get back to you with my decition.
Once again, thanks for taking the time to help a novice take a very important step towards his frist HiFi equipment.
Petersen, depends of your room. If you have large go buy a 602 s3. But if you have small room 601 is a lot better choice( specially if your room is shape of a cube.
At leasr 602 will fill the room. But be avair that that kind of powrfull speakers can't work close to wall!!
Ribeiro: My amp is currently a NAD C320BEE and will be for some time ahead. I dont plan to go HT untill they can produce an amp that produces a decent stereo sound.
To be honest, I didn't like the DM600 at all. They sound cheep and boxy to my ears. Sub or no sub.
I plan to use the speakers without sub since I havn't got the money to buy one. Id rather spend my money on a pair of good speakers than than a mediocre pair + sub.
Angello: My room is aprox 7x8 meters, the speakers will be situated ~ 0.8 meters from the long wall, pointed towards the other long wall.
Thanks for all your help and advice! I've finaly bought a pair of speakers and thaught I'd lett you know how the story ended; or at least this chapter.
I had nearly made up my mind on the 602s when I got an offer on a pair of used B&W CDM1 for about $80 less than the 602s (NIB). Although I'm still a novice when it comes to HiFi, I think I made the right decision not to let that offer pass by...
Anyhow, after upgrading the electic wires to some decent bi-wire cables I was very impressed by the preformance of my new system. Can't wait to get some real stands to place the speakers on ...
