I have to agree with Steve on this one. Once placement is sorted these produce more bass and sound stage while revealing new things in recordings than they should for their size. For example, Blondie Heart of Glass. How many times did Deborah Harry step in front of the mic to add depth to this song? These speakers will give you the answer.
I have a pair of 685s2's & really would like to upgrade to the 705s2's but can't seem to swallow the $3,000 pill. I may just go with the 606 Anniversary & be done with it. Being an audiophile tends to put my wallet on life support. Smh
Another great review. For a lot of people, even a product that is “only” $700.00 for the pair, is a significant investment. Regardless, love the fact you provide information to more budget friendly gear, that offers folks a significant value.
We raffled off a pair of these speakers at the last Audiophile Society meeting. I used them for over a month, replacing my Platinum Reference 1s. Both have 5" woofers and low sensitivity (84 dB for the B&W, 83 for the Platinums). I felt they needed considerable break-in, but after a week or so they sounded awesome. I could definitely live with them quite happily as a replacement for my more expensive speakers. A lot of audiophiles don't believe that small, low sensitivity speakers can have great bass and great dynamics, but with decent amps of 150 watts or higher, these speakers will shock people at how deep, smooth, transparent and dynamic they are (at reasonable levels). Unlike some audiophiles, I think low sensitivity is a plus -- it's a spec I always look at because I care about good bass. These speakers go lower and sound better in the mid and upper bass than most bigger, costlier, higher sensitivity speakers.
Yes, they do need at least 200+ hours to break in. It will hurt your ears out of the box because the high frequency is just too much. Takes time and tuning with cables. Pair them with a Class AB or Tube amplifier. Mine is 606, not 607. I expect it is similar.
Great reviews particularly liked this. In 40 years of buying hifi I feel these are what I needed. If they made my wife cry when I tested my first track on them then they are right. I played a guy called acker bilk, "stranger on the shore", & it was immaculately portrayed on these speakers. So much so we looked at each other with tears in our eyes (her father played the clarinet) & for the first time she said this new pair of speakers sounded stunning.
600s were my first serious speaker about 20 years ago. They were bought as much for looks as sound. Now running 702 S2s with the 600s as rears for home theatre. Promised myself the Nautillus pair upon retirement. I can just look at those and find enjoyment.
Couldn't agree more. I just bought a pair of B&W speakers and I'd have no problem recommending B&W to a friend. For my money you can spend a lot more and still be hard pressed to find better.
@@willburr5929 I didn't try that exact recording but tried multiple early albums (studio version), I might be wrong but it feels like the equipment used to do the recording wasn't that good or maybe not set correctly I don't know but there's always a noise like hissing or air or a constant shhhhh, was the BR any better?
First off, no audiophile here at all. I replaced my dead amp to power my Bose Acoustimas AM-5 (circa 1987) … I ended up with a Fosi Class D amp (TDA7498E). I was wowed at what a small, powerful, clean amp could do. But, I never loved the AM-5. They became, the weak link. Fast forward to 2021 and I bought the B&W 607 … all I can say is O M G!!! The sound is absolutely mind boggling! I’m not preaching the Fosi here, however the combo is just stellar 💕
I have the vanilla 607 and yes they are good. I really dont know why people dont like b&w. They are holographic if i was to describe the sound and for the price its really good. Only bad thing thing is if you listen more than 5 feet away the sound fall apart. I moved them to my desktop and i love them near field.
The Qs are brighter than the B&Ws? The soft dome is brighter than the aluminium dome? I am a 6 series owner and i can say they are pretty bright and tiring
Nice review. B&W is giving an accurate sensitivity rating unlike many. I’ve seen enough speaker measurements from Stereophile, Soundstage Network and Hi Fi News and Record review to know that a 5” woofer is going to be 84 dB, a 6” is 86ish and an 8” will be 87-88. More bass slightly less, less bass slightly more. They can state whatever they want but so far that’s the reality.
Hi Steve. I purchased these 607 on your recommendation. Truth is they sound awful frankly! Highs are so bright and lows are almost nonexistent. Anything you can recommend to get a better sound from them? Thanks
Hi Gary. I have a pair of these hooked up to a Leak Stereo 130. Now, I know that these things are very subjective, but the sound is really good. It doesn’t forgive bad recordings, so its true to source.
i like watching your reviews and Andrew Robinson reviews and i was so surprised of your differences on this speaker ,he said the tweeter was unlistenable
So I noticed about Andrew, but when you look back over the comments from eight months ago from people who had heard the 607 he seem pretty happy with the sound. So I’ll stand by my review.
Hey Steve, I love your channel and I appreciate your work! - Always valuable information from you. Regarding the b&w speakers: Now I saw some very controversial reviews. Can you please show your listening room / situation you listened to these little b&w. Maybe that might explain some of the controversial opinions on the speakers. Best from Germany - Stefan
I bought these speakers used and matched it with my used Marantz PM6006 and a new SMSL SU1 DAC and they sounds great ! I don’t know why people call these speakers bad. They sound amazing to me.
I have the bigger 606 Anniversary version. Far better than expected. With a modest sub the sound becomes magical. Never been a great fan of other B & W speakers below the 800 series and I owned a 703s. This one is pretty exciting for a small bookshelf speaker.
5:46 Low sensitivity is the answer to that question. To get bass like that in a small speaker, you have to take away everything else (to a lower level) cos with passive crossovers they can only take away, not add. So they trade efficiency for better more punchy bass. I muck around with crossovers and speakers and it's easy to get mean bass from the tiniest speaker and have like only 80 db @ 1 watt @ 1 meter. Or even less if you want 2" woofer speakers (with killer bass). You can get 2" super woofers.
Hi Steve, A great review as usual. What is your take about the reports of tiring super highs of these speakers? Two reviewers have compared the highs to red bull and too much sugar in a cup of tea
I have 601s3's in my spare system, its a good product but once you move up in product's you notice their flaws(which are not huge, a warm midrange that lacks clarity). I like that they're the last 600 series made in the UK. I believe the next series was made in.... Favourite Nick Cave, its Grinderman stuff
I am glad B and W is moving farther in the direction of transparency, since I always thought they were lacking in that department. I would be curious about the upgraded crossover, because that has been the weak spot in B and Ws in the past in my opinion. My experience with B and Ws is that they have a house sound that is appealing at first but that becomes tiresome in the long run. I have used B and Ws in the past and do not care for their house sound. But to each his own.
These are actually moving farther away from transparency. Some people already compared their frequency response graphs to much older versions which were much flatter. These have some of the most boosted highs ive ever seen with a massive peak and dip right next to each other in the midrange. Thats the opposite of transparency. I dont know how anyone can enjoy these for more than 3 minutes before getting a headache.
@@sergeysmelnik I agree with you but if you have watched Steve's channel for any length of time, you would know he does not put much stock in measurements, including frequency response graphs.
@@armanddimeo6575 cause he doesnt know how to do them or read them. And if he did then he would have to talk about the flaws of whatever he's reviewing and actually pay attention to what hes listening. The way he does it he can make up any bs and his job is much easier.
I have the original 606s...love ‘em....Steve didn’t in a previous review...agree to disagree 😊 and I remain a loyal subscriber....also appreciate the many music recommendations he makes... has helped expand my palette.
@@janco333 Yep that's it, you got! If you repeatedly tell people it's a Porsche, not only will they believe it, you also believe it. Just think of the flu as being badged as covid 19, if you tell people it's....
I hooked up a REL TZero to my B&W 607's and I just had to turn the crossover down to about 60-65 from about 80 where I started then it blended perfect and helped fill out a little of that sound stage so on lower volumes it doesn't have to get as loud to fill the room. A sub helps and when you do crank it now holly POW they sound like 10k-12k speakers. They do make good bass on there own. They also sounded better after I Bi-Wired them with T-14 bi wire speaker wire from DH Labs. The cable is completely manufactured in the U.S.A. The process begins with strands of high purity Continuous CrystalTM copper, which are individually coated with a thick layer of silver.
man, "because of you" I bought 607 S2 - I hope I don't have to "unsubscribe" your channel when I start listening to them ;-) paired with Rega Elex-R... Thank you Steve ;-)
Nice reviewfrom someone who doesnt show us a daft graph going on about ferquencies at down pips not showing bright marks and upward curves not levelling at sonic plateaus.He`s just telling us in detail after listening to them that B and W are very good.No bullshit,just sensible take on how these speakers sound.Thanks.
Hi Steve, thanks for the enthusiastic review of the 607 S2 speakers. I have recently purchased a pair of these speakers, paired up woohoo my Naim Unity Atom and Linn Genki CD player. When I first set them up and listened to them, I was astounded at the sound quality and agree, Pretty much with all the positive things that you said about them. However, the more listened to them, the more I noticed a very annoying tinny sort of sound at higher frequencies and especially female vocals, to the point that they almost become hard to listen to. I listen at at about 70db, which is not excessive and it is there, anywhere in the 80’s is unbearable. I am still breaking them in of course but they have probably had over 20 hours listening, so I hope it will improve in time. This is so disappointing because I so much want to love these speakers because they have so much going for them but there is no getting away from this one unfortunate blemish, that I am not sure that I can live with.
Thats because these speakers are massively boosted at the high end. Just get rid of them and never buy B&W again. Theyre all designed to sound this way. They have some of the most boosted highs in the industry. I made the same mistake once...
I have the original 607’s but they’ve been relegated to my surround speakers because they was not a ‘relaxing’ listen. Yes the bass was tight and midrange was very good but just the high end got to me after a while. I now have a pair of Triangle BR02’s at the front
So I have to know, after watching this and other reviews by you, which of these three do you prefer? Bowers & Wilkins 607 S2 Anniversary Edition , ELAC Uni-Fi 2.0 UB52, ELAC Debut Reference DRB62, or something else?
@@stevenwaldstein2249 I've owned both B&W and ELAC, my impression was B&W excelled in dynamics, low level detail and "sparkle of the tweeter". ELAC always seemed to be slightly veiled and less dynamic. I ran them on several amps including McIntosh, Peachtree and Rega.,
Steven- I would recommend Canton Vento Reference 9.2 DC 7" 2-Way Bookshelf Speaker Piano Black Pair for $1499 as well. I own the Reference 3.2DC towers and they are incredibly dynamic. and detailed.
I run a pair of 603 floor standing - through a Rotel seperate power and pre Amp - the sound stage in width exceeds the speakers constantly - been going back through my CD collection and discovering some amazing stuff in the music - In Australia we pay a lot of cash even for the budget stuff Steve reviews
@@cornel1965 they generally pair well , and I’m enjoying mine -( Rotel as I understand have a distribution deal with B&W ) - another friend of mine runs B&Ws on his vintage Merantz his feedback is very positive as well. iv found speaker placement is important as well - they need space to breath in the rear I had then about 10 inches from the back wall and found the sound stage flat and was always leaning in to pick up the detials and it seemed to miss any real punch - bring them out another 10 inches and sound stage deepens and grows in hight and the speakers punch a lot better
The tweeter is several decibels too hot, if you sit even slightly below the tweeter axis there is a cancellation issue from 2khz to 4khz, and the horizontal dispersion is pretty uneven too. If you like bright speakers and can EQ away the uneven midrange and treble these may be okay if you are perfectly on axis and like the coloration as you won't be able to fix it all with EQ.
Nick Cave records are fantastic and that Macy Grey album is super good! Ive been listening to Theon Cross. I just picked up his Fuah album and it is out of this world good.
I see all the Audio Science Review fans are chiming in and shitting all over Steve, Tharbamar, WhatHiFi and several others who happen to like these speakers. You all are so convinced a speaker has to have perfect measurements, pre-determined by numbers fans, to sound good. Your enthusiasm for powered speakers with weak, low dynamic amplifiers that provide a neutral, flat, boring sound mystifies me. Isn't it interesting that Amir found all those measured flaws with the B&W 607 s2 that the teams of Bowers and Wilkins engineers missed or didn't care to address with, I assume, their far more extensive equipment and an actual anechoic chamber, than the Kipple NFS Amir used. He certainly created a stir, if that was his intent.
Audio Science Review just scientifically measured these out and found the basic design to atrocious. Anything but transparent and lacking any sensitivity/dynamics
Yep. I dont know how anyone can listen to these for any period of time without getting a headache with that absolutely massive high end boost. The midrange is all fucked up too.
I just bought the 606s2 in black . Saw oak and black on b&w advert but couldnt find them anywhere . Doh. Oh well good job i like the look of them anyway . Sexy and minimal .
I'm looking to replace my decades old Linn Kans. I heard KEF Q150s demonstrated at a dealer before Covid and really liked them but then I went off and bought a new guitar instead. Now I'm back again and can't get excited about the Kef's black or white only finish. So I reckon the 607 in oak looks a winner. Now I need to find a dealer who'll let me demo at home.
Well I have a pair of the 606’s on the way. Curious to see how they stack up to my Quad S2’s. If you get a chance to get your hands on a pair of these Steve, do do! They’re amazing and getting hard to find.
Ooh, don't see many Quad S2 owners around. They were one of the first speakers onto my shortlist, which has since grown quite a lot! How do you find them in general? I had heard that they can be very unforgiving and revealing of poorer recordings which gives me pause for thought. Otherwise they seem to get positive reviews from the few places I've seen them reviewed.
@@ednewmy 606'S were here and now on their way back. They are a good speaker, just not even close to being as good as the Quad S2's. It is a shame that more people are not in the know about the Quads. Missing out on a true hi-fi gem. Just bough my second pair today. I've only ever bought the same speaker more than once. It was the ZU Audio Omen Dirty Weekend.
84 db. absurd, really. near every other industry worries about efficiency - I'd think 90 db minimum would be the target for speakers currently. at the engineering standard 3 db = twice the power, so really this speaker needs near 4 x the power of average. granted modern Econo receivers have a rated 100w ( Yamaha, Sony etc ) for $ 150. so that covers it.
After many reviews particularly with bookshelf speakers I'm not sure that I want to commit to another pair of bookshelf speakers I mean how much better does it get then Klipsch RP6OO'S even though it is another fantastic review
Obtuse comment: I have a pair of 600M's with 2 subs in a quite large room (32' x 24' x 17'). I have an ancient pair of Advent's (no sub) in a fairly large bedroom (18' x 15' x 8'). The pairs are so different that they're hard to describe in words. I like them both, but for vastly different playback qualities. [I guess sometimes I like bassoons for some music, other times, trombones for other music.] But the space is ONE overriding issue: The Klipsch's drive the big room quite well to beyond reasonable SPL's. The Advents never could do that. But the Advent's have a sort of sweetness that suits the room and some music. The Klipsch's rather demand attention, even at modest SPL's. I get to chose my weapons, and I usually play different music in the different spaces. -Just one man's view.
@@leeh4722 I agree as to vocals on the 600M's. They can have this high sibilance and an unsatisfying treatment of male and female vocal midranges. I thought I was the only one who noticed. Personally, I don't often listen to vocals on them.
I have a pair of 601 S2s and I am breaking in a pair of 606 S2 Anniversary Editions. They are surprisingly close. The newer have noticeably more punch. I believe if I were blindfolded I would guess which are which 3 out of 5 times.
I recently (3 days ago) was able to test a pair of DM602 S3 on my system. And I was quite disappointed. It sounded muffled, like if there was a veil (or a blanket) on them in comparison to my regular speakers (Polk RT10 and Technics SB-CR77 which are definitely not in the same league). Agreed, you need to crank up the volume for the veil to kind of go away but even then it still sounded kind of retrained, not bad just restrained. I know my Rotel receiver is a bit limited in terms of power (80W) but plugging back the Polks, wow, it's breathing again. So I guess those are not for me (at the moment, maybe with a different system, we'll see) Thanks for the great review as always.
Hey, Hi!!!! I have a Marantz stereophonic receiver 2215b, and a Nakamuchi receiver and I’m looking for a pair of decent but cheap loudspeakers that can work with them, is there still any national store I could get them from?? I’ve been looking but no luck, thanks!!!👍😻
Not worth 500 quid but i got a pair for 250 offer.But it is a worthy pair of speakers.More accurate sound with good bass and midrange when you let them bed in.
Its like Andrew and Steve are taking about two completely different speakers , is it the room , equipment, cables ? I'm going to audition a pair and see for myself.
I don’t understand andrews review as well. Ive audition these speakers and was really impressed for the asking price. I mean its more lively than wharfedale evos but not even close how klipsch rp600m are.
So I need some advice here. I listen to most of my music through a pair of Sennheiser HD650s and recently decided to get a stereo set up in the living room. I went for a Marantz PM7000N, Project Debut Carbon EVO and the 607 S2 anniversary editions. One reason for the speaker choice is size restrictions. The cabinet they have to go on is only 13.5inches deep (606s are JUST too big unfortunately). I am a drummer and like to focus on that. When listening to "play" by David Grohl for example via Tidal I get lots of beautiful clarity on the cymbals, the bass drum is nice and punchy. BUT the bass guitar and toms almost sound off in the distance, not present. So questions: - do I need these speakers to be loud to get the full sound for the bass guitar and tom toms? - should I expect it to sound like there's something missing in the low end? - Would a subwoofer hit the range I think I can't hear well? - Are my ears just used to headphones and no speaker can meet what my ears are used to? Thanks in advance for replies
Steve it does no make sense to me these low sensitivity speaker, to get the most of them you have to pair them with an amp that cost at least twice as much in addition of a sub then you end to pay more then a decent floor standers would be a smarter choice.
Thank you for this Steve. I don’t know what you mean by small room but mine is 10 ft x 12 ft by 10 ft high with carpet and hard stuff like a desk and tool boxes in it. Do you think these would be ok for my room? Or do you think they’d be too much speaker? Thank you.
Hello Steve. Thanks for a review. I have two questions. 1. For a room 3meter x 4 meter which one is better b&w 607 s2 or 606 s2 ? 2. s2 aniversary version is 100$ more than 607 not s2. How do you think s2 is significally better than original ?
Has there ever been a bad speaker review given on here? Not every one of them can be the best, greatest, good, or even average. Some are just plain terrible. Not saying this one is, but I would love to see an honest review once in a while. One where you just say "This thing sounds horrible. No matter what I paired it with, it plain old sucked."
I always thought that rear ported speakers were good if you put them about a foot from the wall and let the sound from the port bounce off the wall to help fill the room more from the natural sound reflection...
It seems like the 5 inch woofer is now much more popular than the 6 inch. Would love to know why? Is just manufacturing efficiency or demand for thin towers, or is there a technical reason that enables better quality?
Also i think the best affordable speakers are : Wharfedale Diamond 11 series , EVO series and Elysian series designed by Peter Comeau. They sound and look like speakers that cost 3 or 4 times more , they are unique and very good built. I HAVE SPOKEN :D
Spend a bit more and buy well taken care of used Tyler Acoustics D4Ms. Or ProAc Studio 100s. All these size need Target spiked stands filled with Lead Shot to connect the Bass to the room. Do not put speakers sized similarly on bookshelves.
If the crossover isn't active then it looks like the acoustic centers of the speakers aren't aligned or a 4th order crossover would make it less noticeable they look cool but Id want to see a graph of the response before throw 700 at a pair of speakers
Great job Steve! In the past you have reviewed the DYNAUDIO Emit M10, can you please tell me how it compares with this 607 in termns of sound signature??Thanks and cheers!!!
I'd recommend to audition both elac and b&w to hear which suits you the most. Regarding 606 vs 607, 606 will be better sounding unless your room is really small
So I heard these and Q350s at a store and found these to be very transparent and bright (a good thing) but significantly lacking in bass as compared to the 350s. We tried both speakers with 2-3 different amps with the same outcome. idk, I preferred the sound of the Q350s, just my preference...
Would you advise to use them as Top Front speakers (like for Atmos setup)? As B&W doesn't have specific Atmos speakers I though to use a pair of these 607 S2 for that...
Hope you are right. Over the years, I would listen to the low end B&W boxes--yes muted is a good word for them--they never interested me. I won't rule them out. The smaller Martin Logan stand mounted spkrs seem to need too much power--and that is disappointing. So I am looking for alternatives. The Klipsch RM 600s have that deep dip in db's right were the crossover is, rules them out for me.
Hi Steve and everyone! great review as always, how does Bowers & Wilkins 607 S2 stack against Elac uni-fi 2.0? The Boyuurange A50 MkIII stereo integrated amplifier you reviewed a while ago, does it make a good match for Bowers & Wilkins 607 S2 or Elac uni-fi 2.0?
Thanks, sorry the tube amp will not cut it with either of the speakers, not nearly enough power. I guess I would give the edge to the ELAC in this contest. It’s just a livelier sounding speaker.
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac Thanks for the answer, since i live in Italy it is easier to get Bowers & Wilkins than to get Elac uni-fi 2.0, but i will wait and try to get Elac , i trust your taste! If you can make a video just for Elac uni-fi 2.0 i in which you recommend solid state/tube amplifiers in different price categories, that would be greate!
Hi I’ve just set these up with the DENON PMA-800NE which is the more powerful version of the 600NE. I feel they don’t move enough air to fill my living room though. It just feels like they lack a bit of punch for the job. I’m considering upsizing to the 606 or 706. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Steve. Thanks for this. I need your help with something: could you let me know if pairing these speakers with a Yamaha RX-V596RDS receiver would work well? It’s an oldie, but I love it. Thanks.
They are not bright sounding. The new 607 s2 are fantastic for the money, but you need a great amp to get the best from them. I use the musical fidelity m6 si .
@@r423sdex They are indeed bright. In fact they are so insanely bright they might be one of the brightest speakers on the market. The frequency response graphs prove it. Audio Science Review recently posted measurements of these which match some of the hifi magazine measurements. These speakers are the definition of bright. And it has nothing to do with aluminum. These were voiced this way on purpose by B&W. Some people think its for old men who have high frequency hearing loss. Some people think its so they sell on the showroom floor. Probably both.
Impressive for the size! Got totem arros, love them...but a driver is starting to distort. Considering just selling them. Wondering how these (or their larger siblings) would compare?
@@alexanderboehm80 well... they could use a bit more.. Bought them for my Dorm room, wouldn't mind something nicer to look at.. a bit more bottom end, let me take out the tiny 8" sub i have. Honestly, would move them to rear channel probably.
Just came across your channel and love what i see thus far, just wondering do you have any knowledge of the 1970's to mid 1980's Disco ( sound equipment only) and then to make it More specific ... RICHARD LONG and ALEX ROSNER products.
Are Reference monitors a good idea for an audiophile speaker set? I have a pair of Alesis Monitor Ones which became available when I replaced them with JBL s
Hi, I'm looking to upgrade my speakers but I don't know if it is worth since I don't have a dedicadet amplifier but only an entry level Pioneer 5.1 receiver that came with cheap satellite speakers. I did replace the subwoofer with one I had and it's noticeably better and much much louder (I have to keep the bass level low otherwise my windows and doors are shaking) but the satellites are just not good, not clear. There is no midrange whatsoever and sometimes when I watch movies the conversation is not clear. Could you suggest good bookshelf speakers? Not sure if I need bass, rather midrange and highs (tweets) I think I can't connect an amplifier to the receiver. Thanks
Just curious do you allow for any break-in time before you do your reviews? What is your feeling about break-in times? For me anyway it's critically important for most speakers and electronics.
If the manufacturer recommends break in, I ask them to do it. Some of the time the review samples were used in other reviews before getting to me. In any case, I add another 10 or so hours. I do over 100 reviews a year, I don't have time to put hundreds of hours on a speaker to do a review.
@@edwardbalboa5528 I've always been sceptical about running in equipment. Whats being run in, the equipment or your ears? How much of the improvement is down to the equipment and how much due to our hearing learning to appreciate (getting used to) the sound of new equipment? I have no idea. I suppose some recordings during the process would reveal the truth.
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac hey Steve I have the new Marantz PM6007 to hook up to these when they arrive. Does that suffice in your opinion? Or go with KEf Q150? Thanks so much. U rock
The only thing they changed is the crossover. Where did you get the photo of the crossover? I don't think it's real. But there is a video where the guy disassembled and looked inside the 606 s2 model and there you can see the crossover. I always said that the speakers at bowers wilkins are almost the same and the difference in sound is given by their crossovers. So it is and now they just replaced the crossover in the model 606 and all together say that they sound great and even the famous website whathifi writes the same thing.
