B&W 606/607 sucks, not worth 5 stars

[gasolin]

I had the 607 s1 and 607 s2 anniversary edition, the highs sucks, is fatigue,horrible, finally one who feel the same as i did, how can whathifi add them to the best speaker list and give them 5 in the review, how can B&W make the highs so horrible.

Do you feel the same, is there any other hifi unit that definitely don't deserve 5 stars ?

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8sGsOWR5rg

Bowers & Wilkins 607 S2 Anniversary Edition Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the B&W 607 S2 Anniversary Edition. It was kindly sent to me by a member and costs US $700 through their various dealers. The 607 S2 comes in different color. My same was in black: Disappointing to see no attempt at directivity control with a...

www.audiosciencereview.com

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8VxlO68ses

 

[Al ears]

If they are so bad why did you have them?

 

[gasolin]

i wanted to try them and i didn't pay retail price

 

[plastic penguin]

I had the 607 s1 and 607 s2 anniversary edition, the highs sucks, is fatigue,horrible, finally one who feel the same as i did, how can whathifi add them to the best speaker list and give them 5 in the review, how can B&W make the highs so horrible.

Do you feel the same, is there any other hifi unit that definitely don't deserve 5 stars ?

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8sGsOWR5rg

Bowers & Wilkins 607 S2 Anniversary Edition Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the B&W 607 S2 Anniversary Edition. It was kindly sent to me by a member and costs US $700 through their various dealers. The 607 S2 comes in different color. My same was in black: Disappointing to see no attempt at directivity control with a...

www.audiosciencereview.com

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8VxlO68ses

Hi Gasoline.

With respect, you've owned hi-fi for long enough not to take reviews too seriously. Bear in mind that WHFI spent around a million pound developing their demo rooms. Is that a good representation of a normal listening room? Of course not.

I have purchased 5 star products (Leema, Arcam CD73 etc ) but not without exhaustive listening before parting with my hard earned.

Some of the best stuff I've heard, such as my old Arcam A65+ (4 stars) and demoed Usher S520 (only awarded 3 stars). I know it's boring but the trick isn't about what mags suggest are the best but what works best with your kit.

 

[Al ears]

It is perhaps that simply B&W are not for you as it's not just WHF that have them best buy or highly recommended reviews.
As PP says reviews are simply a way to shortlist and can often be taken with a pinch of salt.
To be honest the only B&W that I have owned and liked were the old 685's

 

[gasolin]

The 607/606's got good reviews and wanted to know what the fuss is all about, so i found a cheap pair (cheaper in uk but not do brexit and living in denmark), i quickly sold them and the anniversary edition wasn't that much better, i returned them do top the highs i still thought was as bad or worse than dali zensor 1 (it was more than 6 month ago)

I had both version before the review (first video) made by Andrew Robinson

 

[nopiano]

I wonder if the somewhat polarised reactions to this design are due to the brightness and possibly the tweeter resonant frequency above 20kHz?
Details here, and on the measurements page.

B&W 603 S2 Anniversary Edition Loudspeaker Break Up Blues

Break Up Blues While B&W's ingenious 150mm Continuum Cone midrange is a common link across the 600, 700 and flagship 800 series loudspeakers, their respective treble units show marked differences. All employ diaphragms that are both light and stiff, pushing the dome's primary breakup to as high...

www.hifinews.com

At my age, I’d be happy to hear 15kHz so this will probably be irrelevant to me. And CD sources contain no signal above 20kHz. However, lots of hires streamed files have significant ultrasonic content that might ‘inflame’ the tweeters and younger ears.

 

[RoA]

I wonder if the somewhat polarised reactions to this design are due to the brightness and possibly the tweeter resonant frequency above 20kHz?
Details here, and on the measurements page.

B&W 603 S2 Anniversary Edition Loudspeaker Break Up Blues

Break Up Blues While B&W's ingenious 150mm Continuum Cone midrange is a common link across the 600, 700 and flagship 800 series loudspeakers, their respective treble units show marked differences. All employ diaphragms that are both light and stiff, pushing the dome's primary breakup to as high...

www.hifinews.com

At my age, I’d be happy to hear 15kHz so this will probably be irrelevant to me. And CD sources contain no signal above 20kHz. However, lots of hires streamed files have significant ultrasonic content that might ‘inflame’ the tweeters and younger ears.

If the Formation Duo's I recently owned are anything to go by then the treble 'issue' (shelfing) that characterises the B&W house sound is between around 3 and 8 kHz. This covers upper mids and goes well into the treble. - Easily audible and deliberately engineered by B&W.

This 'shelve' or elevated high mid/treble output may differ both in location and extent from model to model but is undoubtedly responsible for the 'characterful' B&W sound of many of their speakers (as is the elevated bass).

Some really like this but neutral it ain't!

It of course imposes itself on any music and gets more noticeable the louder one listens.

Not for me but ...

 

[Gray]

Hi Gasoline.

WHFI spent around a million pound developing their demo rooms.

They chose a builder with a 5 star review.

 

[CheshirePete]

Some websites seem to have a bias towards certain brands, of course .... I wouldn't dare suggest they are incentivised though

 

[nopiano]

They chose a builder with a 5 star review.

We need a laughing emoji for that!

More seriously, the huge bill for the listening rooms is surely because they had to be created within an empty shell, such as the earlier Teddington studio space, and more recently in what I assume is a shared office block.

 

[plastic penguin]

They chose a builder with a 5 star review.

Even though others have said he's rubbish.

 

[gongli]

I too found B&Ws hard to match gears - me thinks they can sound good with the right synergy, especially on classical music...

They got violins right to my ears, but with the wrong system matching, they can sound annoying.

 

[gasolin]

and you don't wanna try 10 amps or amps thats costs 1000 dollars, euros, pund for entry level speakers to get a sound most quality speaker can have with a good cheap amp from emotiva,nad, rega,cambridge audio, you name it

 

[manicm]

B&Ws have had a reputation of being bright for the better part of 20 years. Their earlier speakers were definitely misunderstood.

I’ve only had the 685 and that was a marvellous speaker.

I’ve yet to hear the latest ones,,maybe I’ll do so this weekend.

Maybe they’ve been deliberately voiced to match Marantz /Denon gear but I doubt that since the current 600 range (pre s2) was launched before the Sound United takeover, and the s2s are supposed to be fuller sounding.

 

[gasolin]

it is possible to hear a difference

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3wj0zpaU6A

 

[hilroy48]

I had enough left over gear for a 3rd system out in my garage. So i bought a set of Dynaudio Emit 20 new series speakers, for $1000.00 CDN. I am very pleased with them, they are paired with my Arcam A-49 amp that i couldnt sell. I have a $10,000.00 audio system in my garage, lol. I wasn't going to give it away to grinders. I am also running an IFI Neo Dac and NAD Cd player. Very nice full sound, large presentation. I am a Dynaudio fan.

 

[12th Monkey]

Not sure what that has to do with the merits or demerits of B&W.

 

[newlash09]

The 607/606's got good reviews and wanted to know what the fuss is all about, so i found a cheap pair (cheaper in uk but not do brexit and living in denmark), i quickly sold them and the anniversary edition wasn't that much better, i returned them do top the highs i still thought was as bad or worse than dali zensor 1 (it was more than 6 month ago)

I had both version before the review (first video) made by Andrew Robinson

I've heard a few B&W's sir...and they didn't come across as bright at all. It is either the room, or the chain or amplification at fault here in my books

P.S : one of my friends just got the B&W 802 D3, coupled with the " in fashion at the moment amplification ", a kinki studio. I found the sound rather sleepy

So, B&W speakers sounding bright is all news for me

So please check up your chain again

 

[gasolin]

I don't have have the speakers anymore, i used them with a rotel A11 tribute, not a perfect match

 

[bigboss]

it is possible to hear a difference

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3wj0zpaU6A

I can see Ellisdj is now fully involved in his YouTube channel. I wonder if he's planning to return to the forum at some point to share his expertise?