Bowers & Wilkins 607 S2 Anniversary Edition Review

[ta240]

"The sound of the cymbals through both speakers was like fine sand sifting through my fingers—but with the Revels, the figurative grains were even finer."

This is why we need ASR. Or most any other reviewer on the planet.

nuts! Now I'm going to be wondering if the grains of sand are fine enough whenever I listen to my system.

 

[Bear123]

When is B&W going to send Amir more speakers to test?

 

[Beave]

"The sound of the cymbals through both speakers was like fine sand sifting through my fingers—but with the Revels, the figurative grains were even finer."

This is why we need ASR. Or most any other reviewer on the planet.

In his defense, it did get published on April 1.

Side note: I corresponded with him last year after reading one of his reviews. He had mistakenly described a recording he listened to in his speaker review (attributing piano playing to the singer, not the pianist, and referring to the imaging of the singer next to the piano when in fact the vocals and piano were recorded in different studios in different STATES). He didn't seem to care.

 

[zajogungster]

[QUOTE = "Fafnar, príspevok: 716432, člen: 10846"] Revel M105 je v zásade rovnaký cenový bod (750 $ proti 700 $) a podáva oveľa lepšie výsledky.

NHT c3 je o niečo lacnejší (391 dolárov) a má lepšiu výkonnosť oproti cieľovej krivke.

Mám podozrenie, že prehnaná vysoká frekvenčná odozva je zámerne príťažlivá pre WhatHiFi a Steva Guttenberga z celého sveta. [/ QUOTE]

system Bum-Cink ! je to sexi a ľudia v masách tomu radi veria, že to tak má byť. Prečo by to inak taká spoločnosť robila ? chcú nadchnúť... Lenže drvivá väčšina má doma podpriemerné ,,zosilnovače" kde to je žiaľ výhodou.. aspon niečo z tých ,,výšok" mať

 

[respice finem]

When is B&W going to send Amir more speakers to test?

On Feb. 30th

 

[TrevC]

It would be interesting to test the 601 mark 1 to see how that sounds and measures.

 

[Feesh]

So what would one recommend over the BW 607s2 Anniversary Edition?

Something similar price-wise and also roughly the same form factor.

 

[Koeitje]

So what would one recommend over the BW 607s2 Anniversary Edition?

Something similar price-wise and also roughly the same form factor.

Anything Revel, Kef R3, ELAC Debut Reference DBR-62 to name a few.

 

[warpdrive]

Anything Revel, Kef R3, ELAC Debut Reference DBR-62 to name a few.

I wouldn't say Revel or KEF R3 are similarly priced though. Elac is cheaper and would be the defacto recommendation in the price range of these B&W

 

[mikolaj]

I used to use B&W 606 S2 and I had no comparison to how other speakers sound so I thought it was great.
After reading this review and reading a review of Focal Aria 906 I decided to make A/B test with Focal. After that I bought Focal.

Today I plugged in B&W 606 S2 again after listening to Focal for more than month and made A/B test again (instant switch).

B&W sounded just terrible to me. I couldn't even hear instruments at mid frequencies that were clearly present when switching to Focal.
All I could hear was dull mids and a lot of upper trebles. What a relief to put the speakers back in the box...

 

[BWard]

I and everybody that I've talked to who has heard the B&W, felt the same as you. It also proves that Steve Guttenberg needs to get his hearing checked! He clearly has very limited hearing in the high frequencies and it's probably why he also likes the Klipsch Cornwall's blaring away at him at high volume; it's the only way he can hear ANY treble frequencies. He simply can't hear the screaming treble range.
It's understandable that he has limited hearing, not only due to age but due to the fact that he has been listening to music at high volumes for many years. That is also why he shouldn't be considered any kind of authority concerning "the sound" of audio equipment.
He appears to be a very nice guy but his hearing is very limited. Anybody who can't hear that this B&W is very bright, shouldn't be commenting on the sound of audio equipment.

 

[respice finem]

Disclaimer: I don't have this model, but: If B&Ws sound dull (and aren't new), it might be worthwhile to check the tweeters. Many models have had the ferrofluid drying out issue. Generally speaking: Judging loudspeakers by hearing only makes sense in the intended listening room, because at least in most home settings, the room "plays" as much as the speaker does, or more (direct vs. indirect sound).

Ceterum censeo: YT hearing based "reviews" = piffle.

 

[mikolaj]

Disclaimer: I don't have this model, but: If B&Ws sound dull (and aren't new), it might be worthwhile to check the tweeters. Many models have had the ferrofluid drying out issue. Generally speaking: Judging loudspeakers by hearing only makes sense in the intended listening room, because at least in most home settings, the room "plays" as much as the speaker does, or more (direct vs. indirect sound).

Ceterum censeo: YT hearing based "reviews" = piffle.

B&W are almost new, put in the box and stayed there for ~4 weeks while using Focals.
Now I just perceive them as dull after getting used to other speakers with flat response

 

[preload]

I used to use B&W 606 S2 and I had no comparison to how other speakers sound so I thought it was great.
After reading this review and reading a review of Focal Aria 906 I decided to make A/B test with Focal. After that I bought Focal.

Today I plugged in B&W 606 S2 again after listening to Focal for more than month and made A/B test again (instant switch).

B&W sounded just terrible to me. I couldn't even hear instruments at mid frequencies that were clearly present when switching to Focal.
All I could hear was dull mids and a lot of upper trebles. What a relief to put the speakers back in the box...

Glad to hear you like your new Focals. It's not really surprising, since the model you upgrades to costs over twice as much as the B&W's. Not to mention, the 600 series is more of the budget product line.

 

[Helicopter]

... and Focal is a superior company, from an engineering, production, and design excellence standpoint.

 

[preload]

... and Focal is a superior company, from an engineering, production, and design excellence standpoint.

Focal is ok. I have a set of Utopia component speakers in my car. I bought a pair of Focal ceiling speakers from their supposed upper echelon Electra series and they sounded worse than the Bose speakers I replaced. Part of the issue was that nice Titaniam tweeter was quite directional and didn't have a swivel, so you couldn't adjust it. It sounded horribly rolled off. I eventually swapped in some B&W in wall speakers and they sounded so much better, plus you can aim the tweeter. So much for superior blah blah blah.

Every company has good products and bad products. It's hard to pass judgment on B&W as a company based on measurements of their low end 600 series (and a low end model in that low end range, mind you). Though there are folks here who really do have rigid thinking, so I guess I should try not to act surprised.

Oh, and if you want to hear some screechingly bright transducers, forget B&w, go straight for the Focal Utopia headphones.

 

[VintageFlanker]

It's not really surprising, since the model you upgrades to costs over twice as much as the B&W's.

Not everybody lives in the USA.
In France, B&W 606 S2 are more expensive than Aria 906...

B&W as a company based on measurements of their low end 600 series

Just about any range (600 to 800) measures badly, or at least very coloured.

 

[preload]

Not everybody lives in the USA.
In France, B&W 606 S2 are more expensive than Aria 906...

This is true. Just as Napa Valley bordeaux style wines probably cost more in Bordeaux, France.

Just about any range (600 to 800) measures badly, or at least very coloured.

Great we have another spinorama whisperer here.

 

[VintageFlanker]

This is true. Just as Napa Valley bordeaux style wines probably cost more in Bordeaux, France.

Except both B&W and Focal are European manufacturers...

Great we have another spinorama whisperer

. You know that speaker measurements existed before ASR, do you? Then you could check by yourself measurements available out there for almost any B&W you want.

 

[preload]

. You know that speaker measurements existed before ASR, do you? Then you could check by yourself measurements available out there for almost any B&W you want.

Speaker measurements aren't as predictive of sound quality as you think they are. People need to get that out of their head. Transducers are not sota solid state devices like DACs and amps where measurements do tell the whole audible story.