B&W 685 S2

[manicm]

To the WHF team, do the S2s retain the beautifully tall soundstage of the S1s?

 

[ErwinC]

And how do they compare with the B&W CM5?

 

[unknown]

And how do they compare with the B&W CM5?

exactly ! its what i asked on the review page !

(if technology moves on, they should be better/more accurate but that may not be a good thing in some systems !)

 

[nima]

If technology moved on, they should also be better than original Nautilus 805.

 

[MUSICRAFT]

If technology moved on, they should also be better than original Nautilus 805.

Hi nima

I don't think so.

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[ErwinC]

If technology moved on, they should also be better than original Nautilus 805.

Hi nima

I don't think so.

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

You think or you know?

 

[Freddy58]

I think an interesting point has been raised here. Do modern speakers actually sound better? I'm guessing they are more accurate, but sounding better?

 

[nima]

Me neither, I thought that was obvious.

I find it very interesting though, mathematicaly Kind of Achilles and the Tortoise paradox.

 

[manicm]

Great, excitement about this new speaker has turned into a yawnfest.

 

[MUSICRAFT]

If technology moved on, they should also be better than original Nautilus 805.

Hi nima

I don't think so.

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

You think or you know?

Hi Erwinc

I know.

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[Freddy58]

I think an interesting point has been raised here. Do modern speakers actually sound better? I'm guessing they are more accurate, but sounding better?

Hello? HELLO?? :tapsonscreen:

 

[Ketan Bharadia]

The S2s retain the original's sound staging qualities

 

[Ketan Bharadia]

I think they're more enjoyable to listen to than the CM5s. You don't get the same quality of cabinet finish though.

 

[ErwinC]

I think they're more enjoyable to listen to than the CM5s. You don't get the same quality of cabinet finish though.

Thanks for the feedback.

 

[manicm]

The S2s retain the original's sound staging qualities

Thanks, cos that's what I loved about the S1, and was worried grilling the tweeter might dilute that.

 

[manicm]

I think an interesting point has been raised here. Do modern speakers actually sound better? I'm guessing they are more accurate, but sounding better?

Hello? HELLO?? :tapsonscreen:

Start another thread, this one's exclusively about the 685 S2.

 

[unknown]

If technology moved on, they should also be better than original Nautilus 805.

Hi nima

I don't think so.

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

You think or you know?

Hi Erwinc

I know.

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

what speaker stands did you use to test the speakers ?

 

[unknown]

The S2s retain the original's sound staging qualities

what speaker stand was used in the test ?

if you only used one type, how did you select this stand ?

(how did you know you were using the correct stand ?)

 

[unknown]

I think they're more enjoyable to listen to than the CM5s. You don't get the same quality of cabinet finish though.

how are they more enjoyable to listen to ?

fuller sounding ? more 3d sound stage ? less fussy with what amp is used?

 

[manicm]

The S2s retain the original's sound staging qualities

what speaker stand was used in the test ?

if you only used one type, how did you select this stand ?

(how did you know you were using the correct stand ?)

There are many good stands to choose from, why is this such a big issue? If it will help you, I used the 685 S1 with B&W's own stands to great effect.

 

[manicm]

I think they're more enjoyable to listen to than the CM5s. You don't get the same quality of cabinet finish though.

how are they more enjoyable to listen to ?

fuller sounding ? more 3d sound stage ? less fussy with what amp is used?

While I used the 685 S1 with my 25w Solo Mini which sounded great, both the S1 and S2 will appreciate 40w+ of good amplification e.g. Rotel's RA10. The 685 S1 or S2 do not represent a very easy load for an amplifier if B&W's own specs are to go by - the S1 dips to 3.8ohms, the S2 to a slightly improved 4ohms.

 

[Ketan Bharadia]

We have quite a large number of stands on site. We got the best results with Custom Design's FS104 Signature and the Q Acoustics Concept 20 stands.

 

[Ketan Bharadia]

The 685s sound more agile and rhythmic to me. We didn't notice any great issue with amplifier matching.

 

[Cypher]

When I had the original 685 speakers my Marantz PM6003 amp had no trouble driving them.

I'm curious about these new speakers but there's no need for me to try them because I'm still more than satisfied with my q acoustics 2020i speakers

 

[manicm]

Interesting, so since we're picking your brain Ketan , it seems the S2 may be a bit more picky when it comes to stands? Would that be down to the new tweeter?