Hi all, would like to know the differences between these two speakers.? Which would best suit my Cambridge Audio 640 cd player and 640 amp package? Bearing in mind i will be upgrading my amp next year, dont know what to yet though. Listen to rock music in a room 6m x 5m. Speakers would have to be only 12" maybe 18",away from both side and rear walls. Regards
B & W - CM1 versus 685.
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Thanks for replying. Just out of interest why the 685 out of the two? What is wrong with the CM1? Your right there is a fair bit of stuff, thick pile carpet, heavyish curtains, two leather sofa's, 1 is a 2 seater and the other is a 3 seater, semi-detached though I'm wanting bass but not so that my attached neighbour comes banging on my door everytime i but music on. I'm not opposed to either floor or stand mounts, i just thought - in my room, floorstands would be too boomy, especially as the MRS wont allow me to have them more than 12" away from side and rear walls. Thanks again, if i could find a dealer that would let me take a shop demo pair home for the weekend i'd be happy.
I can only recommend you to listen also to other speakers as the CM 1 or the 685.
Personally I do not know the 685, but the international press was very impressed about them.
The CM 1 which I compared in a hifi store to KEF IQ3 and Revolver RW 16 did not convince me.
Personally I do not know the 685, but the international press was very impressed about them.
The CM 1 which I compared in a hifi store to KEF IQ3 and Revolver RW 16 did not convince me.
Hi,
i heard the b&w'685's the other day in a demo session and they were awesome.They are too big for my room ( its about 5.5m by 3.5m) so i am thinking about getting the 686's. one thing they 685's were not short of is bass.
For the size of your room the 685's will be more than adequate.Before i heard them in the demo room i heard them in the shop floor. One friend commented that it was like listening to a live band. A bit of an exaggeration but those speakers can rock. The clarity, punch and soundstage was also outstanding.
My only concern, and one that i had not thought about until someone posted a comment on it today, is whether they will be easy enough to drive with a sensitivity of only 84db. I have an Azur 640 v1 and it has plenty of juice so i reckon your 640v2 would be ok.
i heard the b&w'685's the other day in a demo session and they were awesome.They are too big for my room ( its about 5.5m by 3.5m) so i am thinking about getting the 686's. one thing they 685's were not short of is bass.
For the size of your room the 685's will be more than adequate.Before i heard them in the demo room i heard them in the shop floor. One friend commented that it was like listening to a live band. A bit of an exaggeration but those speakers can rock. The clarity, punch and soundstage was also outstanding.
My only concern, and one that i had not thought about until someone posted a comment on it today, is whether they will be easy enough to drive with a sensitivity of only 84db. I have an Azur 640 v1 and it has plenty of juice so i reckon your 640v2 would be ok.
[quote user="Fraziel"]Hi,
i heard the b&w'685's the other day in a demo session and they were awesome.They are too big for my room ( its about 5.5m by 3.5m) so i am thinking about getting the 686's. one thing they 685's were not short of is bass.
For the size of your room the 685's will be more than adequate.Before i heard them in the demo room i heard them in the shop floor. One friend commented that it was like listening to a live band. A bit of an exaggeration but those speakers can rock. The clarity, punch and soundstage was also outstanding.
My only concern, and one that i had not thought about until someone posted a comment on it today, is whether they will be easy enough to drive with a sensitivity of only 84db. I have an Azur 640 v1 and it has plenty of juice so i reckon your 640v2 would be ok.[/quote]
?????/
B & W's website have these rated @ 88dB?
Could someone please clarify?
thanks for your reply though, how did they sound with your Cambridge?
i heard the b&w'685's the other day in a demo session and they were awesome.They are too big for my room ( its about 5.5m by 3.5m) so i am thinking about getting the 686's. one thing they 685's were not short of is bass.
For the size of your room the 685's will be more than adequate.Before i heard them in the demo room i heard them in the shop floor. One friend commented that it was like listening to a live band. A bit of an exaggeration but those speakers can rock. The clarity, punch and soundstage was also outstanding.
My only concern, and one that i had not thought about until someone posted a comment on it today, is whether they will be easy enough to drive with a sensitivity of only 84db. I have an Azur 640 v1 and it has plenty of juice so i reckon your 640v2 would be ok.[/quote]
?????/
B & W's website have these rated @ 88dB?
Could someone please clarify?
thanks for your reply though, how did they sound with your Cambridge?
[quote user="JoelSim"]88db means that they are not too easy, nor too hard to drive.[/quote]
It's just that Fraziel says they are 84dB sens, making them much harder to drive than B&W's quote of 88dB.
It's just that Fraziel says they are 84dB sens, making them much harder to drive than B&W's quote of 88dB.
the B&W web site has the 685's at 88db and the 686's at 84db. 84 seems pretty low to me. They are rated at 8ohms though. 84db would suggest difficulty in driving. Anyone know a bit more about the sensitivity ratings and how hard 84db speakers would be to drive?
Hello,
I had Arcam A75+, with Arcam CD72 and an elderly pair of B&W DM4 speakers. I decided with help from this forum to upgrade the speakers to B&W CM1s,and what a difference, I now hear instruments and music, that I never heard before and this ranges through my whole CD collection my tastes range from Elgar to Pink Floyd. So from personal experience I can recommend the B&W CM1s.
I had Arcam A75+, with Arcam CD72 and an elderly pair of B&W DM4 speakers. I decided with help from this forum to upgrade the speakers to B&W CM1s,and what a difference, I now hear instruments and music, that I never heard before and this ranges through my whole CD collection my tastes range from Elgar to Pink Floyd. So from personal experience I can recommend the B&W CM1s.
Do you find that the a75+ can drive the cm1's ok? They are 84bd which should make them tricky to drive. I ask as i had an a75+ and found it to be really soft and anonymous in the bass with no drive or punch.
Do you find that the a75+ can
drive the cm1's ok? They are 84bd which should make them tricky to
drive. I ask as i had an a75+ and found it to be really soft and
anonymous in the bass with no drive or punch.
I have found that the A75+ drives the CM1s extremely well, and the bass is very evident, although I do have the CM1s sited close to the wall the bass is punchy and with real grunt. I rarely have the volume ( depending on the CD being played ) above the 10 o clock position in a room 5m x 3m, which surprised me as I purchased them second hand and did not audition them before hand, but the A75+ has no problems at all and has the ability to be truly astonishing at times.
drive the cm1's ok? They are 84bd which should make them tricky to
drive. I ask as i had an a75+ and found it to be really soft and
anonymous in the bass with no drive or punch.
I have found that the A75+ drives the CM1s extremely well, and the bass is very evident, although I do have the CM1s sited close to the wall the bass is punchy and with real grunt. I rarely have the volume ( depending on the CD being played ) above the 10 o clock position in a room 5m x 3m, which surprised me as I purchased them second hand and did not audition them before hand, but the A75+ has no problems at all and has the ability to be truly astonishing at times.
[quote user="bluetorric"]
Do you find that the a75+ can drive the cm1's ok? They are 84bd which should make them tricky to drive. I ask as i had an a75+ and found it to be really soft and anonymous in the bass with no drive or punch.
I have found that the A75+ drives the CM1s extremely well, and the bass is very evident, although I do have the CM1s sited close to the wall the bass is punchy and with real grunt. I rarely have the volume ( depending on the CD being played ) above the 10 o clock position in a room 5m x 3m, which surprised me as I purchased them second hand and did not audition them before hand, but the A75+ has no problems at all and has the ability to be truly astonishing at times.
[/quote]
Anyone knows how the Arcam 75, compares to my Cambridge Audio 640 v2?
Do you find that the a75+ can drive the cm1's ok? They are 84bd which should make them tricky to drive. I ask as i had an a75+ and found it to be really soft and anonymous in the bass with no drive or punch.
I have found that the A75+ drives the CM1s extremely well, and the bass is very evident, although I do have the CM1s sited close to the wall the bass is punchy and with real grunt. I rarely have the volume ( depending on the CD being played ) above the 10 o clock position in a room 5m x 3m, which surprised me as I purchased them second hand and did not audition them before hand, but the A75+ has no problems at all and has the ability to be truly astonishing at times.
[/quote]
Anyone knows how the Arcam 75, compares to my Cambridge Audio 640 v2?
[quote user="nokz"]my room is 6.5x4.2m and the four 685s sound great[/quote]
My home is a semi-detached though, i don't want to upset my neighbours, with booming bass, that could resonate through the walls.
My home is a semi-detached though, i don't want to upset my neighbours, with booming bass, that could resonate through the walls.
Hello...
I am planning to buy the B&W 685s and the Cambridge Audio 640.
The room where I plan to put this is a little big... I dont lnow...
But, how does that sounds?
I want this system to listen music, play PS3 and see movies only with 2.1 not 5.1 or 7.1!
Does these speakers have a good bass? I use to listen musics like U2, Depeche Mode, Michael Bubl‚, Dire Straits and Pink Floyd! Do you think this is the right for me to?
Thanks in advance.
I am planning to buy the B&W 685s and the Cambridge Audio 640.
The room where I plan to put this is a little big... I dont lnow...
But, how does that sounds?
I want this system to listen music, play PS3 and see movies only with 2.1 not 5.1 or 7.1!
Does these speakers have a good bass? I use to listen musics like U2, Depeche Mode, Michael Bubl‚, Dire Straits and Pink Floyd! Do you think this is the right for me to?
Thanks in advance.
Don't know how the A75plus compares with the Cambridge Audio 640v2 but I upgraded from a NAD C350 to the Arcam A75plus and find a very satisfying and revealing amp.
Mine is only driving a pair of MA BR2's but find the bass plentyful and enjoyable. Revealing details the NAD never picked out. It is a slightly laid back amp but is very musical and enjoyable amp to listen to for a long time! My flatmates get very annoyed as i always take over the living room listening to it!
I was interested in upgrading the BR2's to a pair of 685's. Anyone have any ideas on what i'd be gaining in performance by upgrading to the 685's?
Thank,
Adam
Bearing in mind the price of the 685, give the MA RS1s (£262 at the mo from a famous store) and RS5s a try. I think they might suit your system more...
Sorry to come in a hijack this thread but I'm currently in the market for new speakers...current setup is Rotel RA-1062, Rotel RCD-1072, MA BR2s in a room 3.7x3.8m...
Obviously the obvious partners for Rotel equipment is B&W and despite not having auditioned any speakers yet I'm expecting to find the B&Ws impressive with my current amp and cd player.
At the moment I'm loving the sound of my current setup, the sound (to me anyway) is very musical, very smooth and cohesive sound considering the BR2s are by some considered bright sounding and very cheap, and resolution is also great. I would like to think that upgrading to the 6 series will give me a bit more bass and a bit more attack. My question is should which should I go for? I suppose an audition of both would answer that but would you say that 684/683 are too big for my size room??
thanks
Obviously the obvious partners for Rotel equipment is B&W and despite not having auditioned any speakers yet I'm expecting to find the B&Ws impressive with my current amp and cd player.
At the moment I'm loving the sound of my current setup, the sound (to me anyway) is very musical, very smooth and cohesive sound considering the BR2s are by some considered bright sounding and very cheap, and resolution is also great. I would like to think that upgrading to the 6 series will give me a bit more bass and a bit more attack. My question is should which should I go for? I suppose an audition of both would answer that but would you say that 684/683 are too big for my size room??
thanks
yep too big..The BW685 will sound good and you will be surprised at just how much bass and warmth come out of them..Though im not a big fan of cambridge audio i did audition them with the 640 series amp and cd and they sounded good but personally i prefer the NAD sound so Rotel should match the BW685 quite well.The 683 does give out alot of bass and may become overbearing in a room that size..I listened to the 686/685/684/683 on the same day with the same equipment but deleted both the 686 and 684..In your room the 685 will work well and are half the price of 684 and almost a third the price of 683.....The disc i used to listen to all speakers was by Katie Melua especially track three 'piece by piece'.....................................
[quote user="Rock Man"][quote user="bluetorric"]
Do you find that the a75+ can drive the cm1's ok? They are 84bd which should make them tricky to drive. I ask as i had an a75+ and found it to be really soft and anonymous in the bass with no drive or punch.
I have found that the A75+ drives the CM1s extremely well, and the bass is very evident, although I do have the CM1s sited close to the wall the bass is punchy and with real grunt. I rarely have the volume ( depending on the CD being played ) above the 10 o clock position in a room 5m x 3m, which surprised me as I purchased them second hand and did not audition them before hand, but the A75+ has no problems at all and has the ability to be truly astonishing at times.
[/quote] Anyone knows how the Arcam 75, compares to my Cambridge Audio 640 v2?[/quote]
yes. I had one and now i have an azur640. The Arcam was not very good. I really regretted buying it. It had great clarity in the midrange and a clear extended detailed treble but the bass performance was possibly the worst i have heard in any amp i have listened to.Soft and mushy with a complete absence of punch and drive.The amp had no guts and made rock, pop, classical and dance all sound dull and uninteresting.I didnt want to listen to my hi fi when i had the arcam as i could not relax and enjoy the music as all i could think about was how bad everything sounded. When i got the azur i noticed it was not as transparent or detailed but it had a far better bass performance and made music exciting and lively to listen to.When i added the power amp it had all the clarity of the A75 but with far better bass. In short, do not buy an A75.I know it has been discontinued but if you like the 640 you will hate the arcam.just my tuppence worth though
Do you find that the a75+ can drive the cm1's ok? They are 84bd which should make them tricky to drive. I ask as i had an a75+ and found it to be really soft and anonymous in the bass with no drive or punch.
I have found that the A75+ drives the CM1s extremely well, and the bass is very evident, although I do have the CM1s sited close to the wall the bass is punchy and with real grunt. I rarely have the volume ( depending on the CD being played ) above the 10 o clock position in a room 5m x 3m, which surprised me as I purchased them second hand and did not audition them before hand, but the A75+ has no problems at all and has the ability to be truly astonishing at times.
[/quote] Anyone knows how the Arcam 75, compares to my Cambridge Audio 640 v2?[/quote]
yes. I had one and now i have an azur640. The Arcam was not very good. I really regretted buying it. It had great clarity in the midrange and a clear extended detailed treble but the bass performance was possibly the worst i have heard in any amp i have listened to.Soft and mushy with a complete absence of punch and drive.The amp had no guts and made rock, pop, classical and dance all sound dull and uninteresting.I didnt want to listen to my hi fi when i had the arcam as i could not relax and enjoy the music as all i could think about was how bad everything sounded. When i got the azur i noticed it was not as transparent or detailed but it had a far better bass performance and made music exciting and lively to listen to.When i added the power amp it had all the clarity of the A75 but with far better bass. In short, do not buy an A75.I know it has been discontinued but if you like the 640 you will hate the arcam.just my tuppence worth though
[quote user="joeparnell"]
Sorry to come in a hijack this thread but I'm currently in the market for new speakers...current setup is Rotel RA-1062, Rotel RCD-1072, MA BR2s in a room 3.7x3.8m...
Obviously the obvious partners for Rotel equipment is B&W and despite not having auditioned any speakers yet I'm expecting to find the B&Ws impressive with my current amp and cd player.
At the moment I'm loving the sound of my current setup, the sound (to me anyway) is very musical, very smooth and cohesive sound considering the BR2s are by some considered bright sounding and very cheap, and resolution is also great. I would like to think that upgrading to the 6 series will give me a bit more bass and a bit more attack. My question is should which should I go for? I suppose an audition of both would answer that but would you say that 684/683 are too big for my size room??
thanks
[/quote]
Well, the BR2s are definitely not bright sounding. They are more warm sounding (with my Rotel/Marantz) and have great resolution. I bought the RS1 and they are still bright sounding (after 40 hours), they show more detail than the BR2 but at the moment I still like the BR2 better. I want to enjoy my music and at the moment the BR2 has my preference.
Sorry to come in a hijack this thread but I'm currently in the market for new speakers...current setup is Rotel RA-1062, Rotel RCD-1072, MA BR2s in a room 3.7x3.8m...
Obviously the obvious partners for Rotel equipment is B&W and despite not having auditioned any speakers yet I'm expecting to find the B&Ws impressive with my current amp and cd player.
At the moment I'm loving the sound of my current setup, the sound (to me anyway) is very musical, very smooth and cohesive sound considering the BR2s are by some considered bright sounding and very cheap, and resolution is also great. I would like to think that upgrading to the 6 series will give me a bit more bass and a bit more attack. My question is should which should I go for? I suppose an audition of both would answer that but would you say that 684/683 are too big for my size room??
thanks
[/quote]
Well, the BR2s are definitely not bright sounding. They are more warm sounding (with my Rotel/Marantz) and have great resolution. I bought the RS1 and they are still bright sounding (after 40 hours), they show more detail than the BR2 but at the moment I still like the BR2 better. I want to enjoy my music and at the moment the BR2 has my preference.
John Duncan
Well-known member
- Jan 8, 2008
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Don't know about compatibility, ease of drive, but if you're considering the CM1's, you should consider the AVI Neutron IVs. Comparable price, sweeter sound IMO.
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