NAD C355BEE + B&W 683

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Hello,

I have the amplifier NAD C355BEE bought in February 2009 and 2 weeks ago bought the B&W 684 speakers. The interconnects are the Straith Wire Musicable II and QED Sylver Anniversary (biwired) speaker cables. Before I had the Marantz PM 6010 OSE with the Mission 702e speakers.

Well I sold the Marantz and kept the Mission with the NAD untill 2 weeks ago when I went with the NAD amp to the store I bough it and tryied it out with the B&W 684 and Rega Apollo cd player. What a sound!

So I came home thinking of the B&W 684 and decided to buy them, but instead of buying the Rega player I bought the NAD C545BEE (should be arriving this week of the next).

So connected the B&W 684 to the NAD C355BEE and until the NAD cd player doesn't arrives, I'm using my Samsung DVD player.

Of course the sound in not the same I heard at the store because there I was using the Rega cd player. The sound was ok, good voices but there was a lack on the bass. So I decided to change the 684 by the 683.

Now I'm not satisfied with the combination of the NAD C355BEE + B&W 683 + Samsung DVD player, even knowing it's a dvd player the sound was more alive, now it has no dynamics. I was told it was because of the NAD C355BEE having no muscle to deal with the 683, that an amp with more current would do the trick, actually the NAD is 80 watts and the B&W are 200 watts.

With the 684 the cd's sounded more alive and I was enjoying discovering new sounds on them, now I see no new sounds at all

Please anyone with the NAD C355BEE + B&W 683 to tell me advise. Why it has no dynamics?? and no new sounds on the cd's I play, before with the same source I was discovering new sounds, now no nothing...

Thanks - Val

valkilm@hotmail.com
 
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Anonymous

Guest
Did you allow enough time for the speakers to run in? How long had you had them after deciding there was a lack of bass?
 
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Anonymous

Guest
Hi ,

That's because the 683 are plump. If I were you I'd stick with the 684 and wait for your CD player, theÿC355BEE is just about powerful enough to drive the 684.

Edit: + what jazzy639 said.
 
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Anonymous

Guest
jazzy639:Did you allow enough time for the speakers to run in? How long had you had them after deciding there was a lack of bass?

Hello,

Do you mean the 684? if you do the lack of bass was due to the back port and as the speakers were against the wall at a close distance and the bass was boomy and there was not deep bass (even though I heard it at the stores). When changing to the 683 the deep bass is there. I have no other choice to have the speakers at a longer distance from the back wall, maybe 30 cms max...

I had the 684 for 2 weeks and the bass didn't improved, only the mids and trebles...the boom was still there and no deep bass (just a little), my old Mission's 702e had more deep bass!

Now I have the 683 for one week and yet I see no sound diference in them, althow they have nice deep bass...

I'm using now a Samsung DVD player as a source but that was also for the Mission's and 684's

Regards,
 
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Anonymous

Guest
valkilm:
I had the 684 for 2 weeks and the bass didn't improved, only the mids and trebles...the boom was still there and no deep bass (just a little), my old Mission's 702e had more deep bass!

The 683 are plenty more bassy than the 684, though IMO they somewhat swamp the beautiful mids and treble the 684 achieve. Like Jazzy said all B&W speakers need a lengthy break in period so don't go making any judgements off the cuff.
 
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Anonymous

Guest
Octopo:

Hi ,

That's because the 683 are plump. If I were you I'd stick with the 684 and wait for your CD player, the C355BEE is just about powerful enough to drive the 684.

Edit: + what jazzy639 said.

Hello,

Can you tell me what you mean with "plump" (my born language is Portuguese)?

I had for one afternoon the 684 and 683 at my home and I saw no sound level pressure diferences between them, I mean I didn't need to turn up more the volume knob the achieve the same sound pressure with the 683, it was the same for the 684, what I saw diferent was that the 683 had more bass and more body on the sound and the boomy bass disappeared because they had no back port.

At that time i didn't noticed a diference in the 683 sound dynamics to the 684, the bass was much better and maybe that made me "blind" to the dynamics...

I don't think that the guy at the shop will again exchange the speakers, even because I paid more 380 euros for the 683!

I thought that the NAD having only 80 watts would sound better althow with less sound pressure with the 683, that I would have more dynamics because of the FST Midrange (684 and 683 share the same tweeter).

Actually I have plenty of high volume turning the volume up, but no dynamics or no new sounds with my cd's, with the 683 I discovered new sounds with my cd's, now nothing, sound is mufled, dead, I have good bass.

Please let me have your comments and please level with me. It is not in my ideas changing amp now, if I'd do that I would go for the NAD C375BEE at 150 watts? you think that would bring dynamics to the 683? even at low volumes and if so why's that??

Greetings
 
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Anonymous

Guest
Ditch the Sammie dvd player ASAP. I'm thinking it's the main culprit here. Also, judging by your story I think the 684's might be sufficient for you,and I think the C355 can deal with them more easily than the 683's.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
valkilm:
Hello,

Can you tell me what you mean with "plump" (my born language is Portuguese)?

Plump: Having a full rounded shape.ÿ

valkilm:

I don't think that the guy at the shop will again exchange the speakers, even because I paid more 380 euros for the 683!

ÿSerious? Bargain!

valkilm:ÿ

I thought that the NAD having only 80 watts would sound better althow with less sound pressure with the 683, that I would have more dynamics because of the FST Midrange (684 and 683 share the same tweeter).

The 683 and 684 need more than that to drive them to their best though all the six series are fairly easy to drive.

I'm forgetting, what was is it you aren't happy with amp or speakers?
 
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Anonymous

Guest
I'm forgetting, what was is it you aren't happy with amp or speakers?

-------------------------------------------------------

I was happy with the NAD amp and with the 684 it sounded good, althow the back vented port created the boomy sound that's why I changed to the 683 and now the sound is without dynamics at all, the 684 sounded better, except in the bass.

So I'm not glad with the 683 speakers and from what I see here the 684's are more indicated to my NAD C355BEE

But though that the 683 as better speakers would always sound better anyway and with the aclaimed FST midrange...

So you all agree that I should change again to the 684's? and that even for them my 80's watt NAD will never be enough althow will drive them better than the 683??
 
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Anonymous

Guest
I'm not sure if the 684s come with the foam bass port plug the 685s I had come with, I've only heard the 684s in the showroom a few times - if not you can make do with a sock. Also how far did you have the 684 from the wall? Was / is there any chance you could move them out further into the room?
 
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Anonymous

Guest
From what I can make out the problem you're having is down to two things;

Firstly, the Samsung DVD player obviously isn't going to give you anything like the sound that you heard from the Rega Apollo at the store (afterall, no offence but if you put rubbish in then you'll get rubbish coming out).

And secondly, if you're asking the same 80 WPC amp to drive bigger speakers that have even more driver units sapping the amplifiers power output then this could be why you aren't getting the extra dynamics you were expecting. The amp is working close to it's limits. If anything it would be the 685's being happiest with that amp! The 683's would just be much more at home on the end of an amp from, at the very least, the next level up (both price and power wise).

If you get the CD player thing sorted out and added an extra NAD power amp your worries of bass and dynamics would definatley be solved! I know that means more expense but you can't expect miracles from partnering big expensive speakers to lower end kit.
 
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Anonymous

Guest
Hello,

The 684 came with the 2 foams (one for the front and other for the back) but putting it in the back (this sentence sounds bad...) it helped very little and the bass disappeared a bit more. That's why I returned them and changed for the 683. Max distance i could further away from the wall would be 30, 35 cms, not more, will that make the boomy bass of the 684 disappear??

I know that partnering diferent kit's of diferent classes is always tricky...Funny is that with the 684 my NAD had the dynamics and with the 683 it doesn't have any. I believe that the 685 and 684 are similar, except in size and bass...therefore they should sound like the 684...with the 684's there was sparkling now with the 683 has no sparking in the sound, it doesn't shines, this is hard to understand

So I have 2 choices:

1- Change again for the 684 that had the dynamics for my NAD and wait for the cd C545 and return the 683

2- Keep the 683 and at a later stage upgrade the amp, but I bought the NAD last month and will have serious trouble selling it to buy another one, then maybe at that time I would also have to upgrade de cd player and it's never ending story and money has an end...

So I tend more to the 1st option as the NAD sounded nice and dynamic with the 684, excepting the boomy bass, maybe with the run in the bass will become deeper?

i know the dvd is rubish in but why sounded good with the 684 and sucks with the 683??
 

d_a_n1979

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Reading through all this i agree with what some folks are saying above; the NAD C355BEE amp is powerful; more so as it kicks well above its power and price tag suggests BUT the B&W 683 speakers are big, powerful speakers and require a hefty amount of amplification to drive them at their best (i.e. add the NAD C272 power amd and you'd be laughing).

The NAD C355BEE integreated will power the B&W 684's superbly and also the B&W 685's.

The Rega Apollo CDP is a world away from the DVD player youre using and as someone esle stated; its not going to give you the same sound as youve heard with the Rega and NAD CDP!

Also, IMO, you need to give the B&W 684's at least 150-200 hours of running in time till youll hear them at their best. I have demo'd the speakers as new and also with 100+ hours ruinning in and the sound was very much chalk and cheese!

I also feel that you could do to change the speaker cable; the QED cable is good but from my experience, its a little lean with NAD and B&W, the Chord Carnival Silverscreen would be more suited as would the Chord interconnects

The NAD C355BEE, NAD C545 CDP and B&W 684 speakers, as a system, IMO, is superb and will offer great bass weight, a smooth soundstage, great midrange and crisp, clear treble.

It just needs to be run in properly; have patience, youll see the clearer picture eventually.
 

jaxwired

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Feb 7, 2009
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First of all, you should never have switched speakers until you got the new CD player. I strongly suspect the 684 would sound better (I like it better regardless of equipment). I'd try and get the 684 back. Secondly, I would experiment with the cables. They can make a surprisingly important difference. I'd try the 684 with the chord chameleon interconnect which has been reported to be a solid bass performer. I'd also switch to single wired speakers. You should probably upgrade the speaker cable also. I'd go with something with a lower gauge (12 gauge) like chord odyssey.

When the CD player arrives, you will get bags more details from whatever speakers you have.

Given your constraints to place the speakers close to a wall, I think the 683 is a poor choice. It's too big.
 
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Anonymous

Guest
Hello,

First I would like to thank you all for your kindness and trouble, your opinions have opened my mind.

Also the seller how sold me the speakers is out of this world, see: Fist I bought the NAD C355BEE and then the B&W 684. After some days I went there and he lends me the 683 for the weekend to compare to the 684! On next Monday I'm delivering back the 684...Now today I went there and he lends me the 684 to compare again to the 683 and also the Rega Apollo cd player given that the NAD C545BEE hasn't arrived yet!! This is the example of a true gentlemen and seller! In Portugal everyone says he is a rare species...

Well I connected the Rega Apollo to the NAD and 683 and the sound diference is noticeable and for the much better, but I still that the sound is still without the dynamics I want, so tomorrow will compare to the 684 and I think you are right, the 684 probably is the best match for my NAD, maybe a better match than the 685 given to the great bass response of the 684?

Also it is said to try with single wired speaker cables, isn't the biwired better? if it's single I should use the shunts? Also what is a lower gauge? I'm sorry but some words are not familiar since I'm Portuguese.

Also I will take some pictures but not sure if it cn be posted here...

Greetings,
 
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Anonymous

Guest
Friends,

Finally today I had at home the 683 and 683 side by side at home connected to the NAD with a Rega Apollo cd player.

So after listening I', keeping the 684, it sounded so much better and more dynamic, my joy of listening music as returned again, so you all were right!!

Thanks for the nice advises,

DSCF3721.jpg
 

nads

Well-known member
the right choice, the 683 would have been too much.

just for comparison

I am running the 703ïs with NAD amps and the 452 CDP but for the amps i am using the 372 and the 272 and that rocks.
 
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Anonymous

Guest
nads:

the right choice, the 683 would have been too much.

just for comparison

I am running the 703ïs with NAD amps and the 452 CDP but for the amps i am using the 372 and the 272 and that rocks.

Hello,

Thanks for the words, now my NAD C355BEE rocks again, and that Rega Apollo is a very nice cd player, but i think it's a more fluid and natural player, maybe the NAD C545BEE will transmit more dynamics into my system, more 2 weeks and it should be here, so Monday I'm returning to the shop the 683 and the Rega, that guy from the shop is out of this world...every one should be like him...

So you use the 372 as a pre with the 272??
 

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