Audiosciencereview of the B&W 607 s2 anniversary edition

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TrevC

Well-known member
They tell all but the most important part - whether YOU'll like that specific piece of gear or not.

1 comment that was saluted by the drones on ASR was that "the purpose of an amplifier is to do just that: amplify". But it's not, is it? It's purpose is to bring musical joy.

No, it's the music that provides the joy. The amplifier just has to accurately reproduce the signal fed to it. I can tell more about how a speaker will sound by reading the ASR reviews that I can reading WHF ones which are more or less meaningless.
 

rainsoothe

Well-known member
No, it's the music that provides the joy. The amplifier just has to accurately reproduce the signal fed to it. I can tell more about how a speaker will sound by reading the ASR reviews that I can reading WHF ones which are more or less meaningless.
It is indeed the music that provides the joy, but I completely disagree with the system having to accurately reproduce it bit.
 

Friesiansam

Well-known member
Why?
I want my system to reproduce the signal (music) I give it as accurately as possible. Surely the majority do. Isn't that what hi-fi is all about?
Strictly hifi is all about reproducing as accurately as possible but, surely it's equally valid to want music reproduced in a way that pleases the listener, regardless of the degree of accuracy. Just a matter of personal preference. If it sounds good to you, it is good, as has often been said in this very forum.
 

Gray

Well-known member
Strictly hifi is all about reproducing as accurately as possible but, surely it's equally valid to want music reproduced in a way that pleases the listener, regardless of the degree of accuracy. Just a matter of personal preference. If it sounds good to you, it is good, as has often been said in this very forum.
I know what you're saying.
But high fidelity means true to the original.
If some (as many people do) prefer some colouration and a little bit of added distortion to rose tint their sound, good for them - they've got more choice.
After all there's only one version of accurate (which is never perfectly achieved of course), whereas if it's inaccuracy you desire, your choices are infinite (y)
 

manicm

Well-known member
Strictly hifi is all about reproducing as accurately as possible but, surely it's equally valid to want music reproduced in a way that pleases the listener, regardless of the degree of accuracy. Just a matter of personal preference. If it sounds good to you, it is good, as has often been said in this very forum.

That notion of accuracy is a bit of a myth actually. After a recording, mixing is applied, then compression, etc etc. The producer and/or engineer then decides on what is an acceptable mix for the listener at home.

So let alone live music accuracy, you’re not even getting studio level accuracy, you’re just getting the final product, and it’s up to hifi to reproduce it as well as it can.

Back on topic which is the B&W 606/7 Anniversary, the more ‘commercial sound‘ began with the mk1 version, or even the 685 S2 - before the takeover by Sound United, but around the takeover by the previous owners who oversaw the Formation range - I think it’s under them when the 6 series underwent significant changes.

Trust me, I had the 685 mk1 and it sounded positively ethereal - and I don’t believe I’m the first to describe it as such. It’s to date the best speaker I ever had, it’s scale and clarity unmatched. People often describe soundstage width and depth, but the 685 mk1 had height as well - and not many much more expensive speakers pull this off.

Then again, the 6 series, and B&W have always had a perception of being bright speakers for 20 odd years now.
 
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gasolin

Well-known member
clarity is not always bright and details is not always equal to a bright sounding speaker

Accuracy = no frequency from the speakers is to loud or low in level, then most songs sound as they are recorded with only a few exception
 

rainsoothe

Well-known member
That notion of accuracy is a bit of a myth actually. After a recording, mixing is applied, then compression, etc etc. The producer and/or engineer then decides on what is an acceptable mix for the listener at home.

So let alone live music accuracy, you’re not even getting studio level accuracy, you’re just getting the final product, and it’s up to hifi to reproduce it as well as it can.

Besides this, everyone's hearing is different. Perhaps my hearing is less sensitive to high frequencies, so in reality, some bright sounding system is balancing everything back to "neutrality", bringing my perception closer to the intended mix. Not to mention the fact that you're hearing what sounded good to the sound engineer and/or producers, lol.
 

rainsoothe

Well-known member
I know what you're saying.
But high fidelity means true to the original.
If some (as many people do) prefer some colouration and a little bit of added distortion to rose tint their sound, good for them - they've got more choice.
After all there's only one version of accurate (which is never perfectly achieved of course), whereas if it's inaccuracy you desire, your choices are infinite (y)
That's what I mean. And notice, both me and the ASR post I mentioned are talking about amplfiers, not Hi-Fi :)
 

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