Did I make a mistake?

[Springfeel]

Hi all,

I recently picked up a used pair of B&W 707 S2's from a Best Buy for $910. I believed at the time that it was good value, but recently noticed on Amazon it is listed for about $950 new, and am now feeling like I should have done more research before buying my first set of speakers. Thankfully I still have two weeks to return them in case I change my mind. I am going to a proper audiophile store to demo some speakers to understand the differences between gear and learn about how to treat my room. But there are so many different types of speakers out there that I would really appreciate if somebody could give me some suggestions for a different set of speakers that might be better value. I would say my budget is in the 1000-2000 USD range. I am undecided on what amp I will need. I will mostly stream music/movies and play games. I want to use these as my daily drivers. The speakers will be within 6"-1' from the wall and have their own stands but will be just over 1m away from listening position. Although I don't have any size restrictions, I do appreciate the small size and ease of handling of the 707s, as well as the quality of finish and the "big" sound it produces. However I sometimes got the impression that the treble is boosted, I sometimes had to lower the volume. I also felt the bass sometimes didn't feel as focused as I wanted and kind of muddied out the other sounds. I don't know if that's just due to its small size or the lack of a subwoofer, or both. After some discussions with others my attention was caught by "studio monitors", where some were highly recommended. I understand these are more focused towards sound design and accurate reproduction of sound, but I personally have not auditioned any so am not sure if I would enjoy them more than regular speakers. All I know is I should have taken a lot more time to listen to different audio setups before making the decision to buy. Regardless, any suggestions on bookshelves within the 1000-2000 USD range would be appreciated.

 

[YSC]

Bowers & Wilkins 702 S2 loudspeaker Measurements

Sidebar 3: Measurements

www.stereophile.com

If you look at the measurements the 702 indeed have quite a boosted treble and bass (V-shaped curve), and their directivity isn't good to speak of, they are more selling on the brand alone rather than actual performance, I would personally suggest you to return it and try some of the recommended speakers in this site, maybe the KEF R3 to start with and compare

 

[BDWoody]

Thankfully I still have two weeks to return them in case I change my mind.

Since the worst that would happen is you would be paying an extra $40 for new speakers if you end up deciding you wanted them after all, I think I'd bring them back and settle into some research.

For @$2k, you can put together a pretty nice setup. I would second the 'monitor' type speaker suggestion. Some of the JBLs or Genelecs would fit into that budget, and then the amp decision is already made for you as well.

However it goes, welcome! Enjoy the process.

 

[YSC]

Hi all,

I recently picked up a used pair of B&W 707 S2's from a Best Buy for $910. I believed at the time that it was good value, but recently noticed on Amazon it is listed for about $950 new, and am now feeling like I should have done more research before buying my first set of speakers. Thankfully I still have two weeks to return them in case I change my mind. I am going to a proper audiophile store to demo some speakers to understand the differences between gear and learn about how to treat my room. But there are so many different types of speakers out there that I would really appreciate if somebody could give me some suggestions for a different set of speakers that might be better value. I would say my budget is in the 1000-2000 USD range. I am undecided on what amp I will need. I will mostly stream music/movies and play games. I want to use these as my daily drivers. The speakers will be within 6"-1' from the wall and have their own stands but will be just over 1m away from listening position. Although I don't have any size restrictions, I do appreciate the small size and ease of handling of the 707s, as well as the quality of finish and the "big" sound it produces. However I sometimes got the impression that the treble is boosted, I sometimes had to lower the volume. I also felt the bass sometimes didn't feel as focused as I wanted and kind of muddied out the other sounds. I don't know if that's just due to its small size or the lack of a subwoofer, or both. After some discussions with others my attention was caught by "studio monitors", where some were highly recommended. I understand these are more focused towards sound design and accurate reproduction of sound, but I personally have not auditioned any so am not sure if I would enjoy them more than regular speakers. All I know is I should have taken a lot more time to listen to different audio setups before making the decision to buy. Regardless, any suggestions on bookshelves within the 1000-2000 USD range would be appreciated.

Just want to add in more, if you are going really nearfield, for streaming, gaming I would also suggest you go for studio monitors, they are usually designed for nearfield use, and the better quality ones usually are flatter on axis and most importantly in my experience, have boundary reflection control settings which makes the sound less boomy, for the listening distence I would say your choice ranges from more entry level but good quality ones like Adam T5V, KRK RP5 G4, JBL 306P, to the more mid range ones recommended here like Genelec 8040, Neumann KH120II etc. for such use case you would be better off with actives to be used with soundcard/a simple USB dac or so than going the full set of passives

 

[Midwest Blade]

“Been there, done that”…I think a lot of us here at ASR have been through your scenario. If a return is convenient, it may be best and give you a cooling off period to sort out your needs and find an equipment solution that suits your listening space and sources. I would be leaning to an active speaker like Genelec taking out the need for mating up an amp and be able to fit into your space.

Whatever way you go, take your time and avoid impulse decisions.

 

[Astoneroad]

Whatever way you go, take your time and avoid impulse decisions.

That's a life long quest... at which I've failed miserably... still working on it though... one day at a time... lol.

 

[YSC]

That's a life long quest... at which I've failed miserably... still working on it though... one day at a time... lol.

at least that means you have ton load of spare money, which is a good sign

 

[bodhi]

The 707 or it's big brother don't sound bad at all. I wouldn't buy them with my own money or recommend them to anyone, but I think I could survive with them if that's all I had.

...and I would recommend the R3 for specified budget

 

[anotherhobby]

A bit over 2 years ago I also went to Best Buy and bought some B&W's without enough research, and then landed here at ASR once I got home and didn't like how they sounded near field. Nearfield listening has a smaller sweet spot, and the B&W's that I got didn't have smooth off axis sound, which meant as I moved my head around the sound would change a lot. The boosted highs also grated on me very quickly with listening fatigue.

After researching here, I ended up returning them and getting some Revel M105's, which are excellent for near field, and I love them. I feel like I got lucky, finding a nice used pair at right moment in excellent condition for a massive discount. Since then I've stuck around here at ASR, learned a lot more, and massively upgraded the rest of my desktop system around the Revels.

This is where I'll plug some excellent deals on Revel M105/106s by members here that are close to your price range:

• https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/fs-revel-m105-bookshelf-speakers.43724/
• https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...irs-gloss-walnut-final-price-mark-down.42675/

 

[Springfeel]

Thank you guys!! I found an audio center near me where I might be able to try out some Revels & hopefully some studio monitors. I was told to test how 'consistent' the sound stays as I raise the volume, I am guessing that relates to overall quality of the speaker.

 

[YSC]

Thank you guys!! I found an audio center near me where I might be able to try out some Revels & hopefully some studio monitors. I was told to test how 'consistent' the sound stays as I raise the volume, I am guessing that relates to overall quality of the speaker.

IMO mostly dispersion, I think even for studio monitors it would be useful to search for reviews here to find some of the better measuring ones (say, Genelec, Neumann, Kali, JBL LSR, Adam T series, newer AXV series, KRK RP_ G4, etc.) and be cautious some monitors such as lower end Mackies and presonus entry ones don't really inline with a neutral speaker, and compare them to see if you at least enjoy the technically more accurate speakers

 

[eddantes]

Best value (price/performace ... and... dare I say, appearance) in a floorstander has got to be the F35/F36 (~$600/800 ea).

Good luck in your journey! I hope because of ASR it will be a much shorter (read less expensive) one than mine. Make sure you have fun along the way - this is not serious stuff - it's a silly obsession with minutiae.

 

[RandomEar]

Thank you guys!! I found an audio center near me where I might be able to try out some Revels & hopefully some studio monitors. I was told to test how 'consistent' the sound stays as I raise the volume, I am guessing that relates to overall quality of the speaker.

While I won't advise against trying out stuff in general, it won't help you much when selecting speakers. This sounds counter-intuitive, but the problem here is that you will be listening to speakers in a room, which isn't your room. But the room determines a lot of what you hear below ~300 Hz and the balance between bass and treble is very important to judge, whether you like a particular pair of speakers or not.

If you're very lucky and find a dealer with a listening room that is similar in size and setup (tables, window positions and sizes, amount of carpet and so on), it might still be useful to go there to compare. In most other cases, it may be better to look at the measurements of the 707 S2, see what you would like to change about them and then look for measurements of other speakers to see if they fit your target.

 

[TimW]

One of the best measuring speakers within your budget is the Ascend Acoustics Sierra-LX. Unfortunately they are an internet direct company so no chance to listen before purchase unless you're willing to visit them in Califiornia. They do offer a 30 day return period but the customer pays for shipping.

 

[Joe Smith]

Other used/cheaper options for nearfield use would be any of the Q-series speakers from KEF - speakers with bass and tweet on same axis, very good sound, particularly if you can have on stands at either side of the desk. My Q drivers have good, non-boomy bass down to about 60 hz.

 

[Springfeel]

One of the best measuring speakers within your budget is the Ascend Acoustics Sierra-LX. Unfortunately they are an internet direct company so no chance to listen before purchase unless you're willing to visit them in Califiornia. They do offer a 30 day return period but the customer pays for shipping.

This is a possibility, I am San Diego based so I could go visit them

 

[MAB]

You certainly didn't make a mistake!!!
I think you have accurately described the B&W signature sound. If you don't like them, save yourself the anguish and return them!!! If you can't find anytthing better, you can go back and re-buy!!!
B&W is an icon, but I do think there are much better speakers in this day. The thing is, there is no perfect speaker, but there are a ton of great ones. I recommend Genelec based on my experience, but there are so many awesome alternatives. Active speakers are fantastic these days, and should be considered.

 

[TimW]

This is a possibility, I am San Diego based so I could go visit them

They are located in San Clemente, and offer auditioning by appointment. If you check out the Spinorama measurement site and view the high quality measurement data, it's impressive to see where the LX score compared to the other excellent speakers at the top of the list. That's what you get when a talented speaker designer has unlimited access to a Klippel.

 

[Springfeel]

They are located in San Clemente, and offer auditioning by appointment. If you check out the Spinorama measurement site and view the high quality measurement data, it's impressive to see where the LX score compared to the other excellent speakers at the top of the list. That's what you get when a talented speaker designer has unlimited access to a Klippel.
View attachment 280707

Nice, thing is, I could get a used pair of Revels M105 for 1 grand, whereas it will be hard to find a used pair of Ascends.Which do you think would be better bang for the buck?

 

[JAJDACT]

Nice, thing is, I could get a used pair of Revels M105 for 1 grand, whereas it will be hard to find a used pair of Ascends.Which do you think would be better bang for the buck?

I might have a pair of Sierra LX's for sale soon