Anybody know how good Bowers and Wilkens speakers are? Peferably the 600 or 700 series? And what receiver or amp/preamp to pair it with??
I can get the 603s, LCR60, and 601s for surrounds for under $1697 (tax included), is this a good deal? Room is about 400 sq. foot w/12 foot ceilings. Thanks
Berny
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Yes B&W speakers have a fine reputation, the only complaint I have are their speakers with a lower price point...not very accurate, seems like someone put a very thick foam on the front of the speakers when you are listening to them. However the 600 series are a fine set. Have you thought of the NAD line specifically the T762 or the OUtlaw Audio 950 pre/pro with the Outlaw audio 7100 for US$1598? An excellent line up, I'm sure you won't be disappointed, however you haven't stated your budget so I'm pulling this recommendation out of the air and assuming that it is within the budget, considering the speakers you are thinking of acquiring! hope you enjoy them. cheers
toyotaguy
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Thanks for the help Berny. I have looked into NAD, and Outlaw, also Rotel. I would like 200 wpc, and my budget is around $2500. This post is also continued in the Amp section. Thanks again for the help!
soundoff
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Toyotaguy:
Don't shy away from a surround sound receiver i.e. Marantz, as they offer excellent two channel listening and will in the future provide the ability to upgrade. The "Hall Effect" does provide a different listening experience.
Hawk
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toyotaguy:
I would second Berny's advice for an NAD 762 receiver. I don't think there is a better sounding receiver for under $2.5K and you can get one for about $1K, or a little less. Has enough power to make your B+Ws really sound their best, too. I am not sure that the Marantz and the Rotel would have enough power to really drive the 5 channel system you are getting. As I understand your posts, you want to keep the whole system under $2500 and the NAD with speakers will be very close to your budget.
One more piece of advice, though. See what your dealer will charge to upgrade to an LCR 600 instead of the 60. I happen to think the 600 is a much better center speaker and well worth the extra $150 (difference in MSRP between the two speakers). Just a thought.
Hudson
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Anyone looked at the B&W CM 6? I am also looking at pairing them with a Rotel amp (per my stereo guys rec)but will check the power play per Hawk's post....
still lot's of thinking on this as Monitor S10's/Integra combo is in the works as well. I wish I could find a dealer that had both speakers as I find it very hard to compare them.
When I listened to the B&W's by the way I really enjoyed them. At the time I was comparing them to the Theil's which were great but for the money and my listening taste I liked the B&W's
Hawk
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Hudson:
I really like the B+W CM 6s. In fact, I like the entire CM line from B+W. Makes for a fine system with either the Rotel or the NAD amplifiers. I also like it better than the Integra/Monitor Audio combo, largely because of weakness of the Integra amp. Also, I think the Monitor Audios sound more like the Theil speakers than the B+Ws. Now, that is not a criticism in any way as all three speakers are superb, but you have indicated you liked the B+Ws better than the Theils, so I thought I ought to give you a heads up on how they compare.
Good luck!
Hudson
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Good feedback... I'm going to go listen again!!! Now I just need to find a B&W dealer that will actually deal on speakers.. Monitor guys were somewhat flexible but I get a lot of the price is the price... any ideas where you can buy B&W's on line??? Really just want a good benchmark as not too many people carry them where I am.
wigglyman
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Hawk:
You stated you think the LCR 600 is worth the extra money over the LCR 60. Would you still recommend the LCR 600 for a system with 602 fronts and 601 rears?
Hawk
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wigglyman:
Yes, if you have the extra $ in your budget. It is a close call, however. I think the LCR60 is a better match with the 600s and 601s (when used as mains) and the LCR 600 is definitely the better choice with the 602.5s and 603s. The 602s are really right in the middle and are comfortable with either the 60 or the 600. I lean toward the better center (the 600) for its better detail.