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4M views 30K replies 3K participants last post by  Tank_PD 
#1 ·
I noticed that I hadn't seen B&W OWNER'S thread , but that there are a lot of owners on this forum and I think that the consistant bashing from about 4 posters makes people hesitant to get involved in any of the many threads that keep getting nasty. So, to that end, I think that if there was a thread where the Lovefest could be conducted without bothering NON-owners and the bashers weren't welcome, maybe some good info could come out of it.


My challenge would be to ask people here to keep it civil and that if you don't like B&W there is no point in you being here. If you want to talk about other comporables, start another thread.


For the record, I am a B&W dealer , and most know this, and as such , if I can find out any important info on the brand or certain models, I will be happy to. Don't , however, post or pm me regarding sales, I don't use threads as advertising for my business, and I won't sell you anything .


So what do you own and how is it set-up?
 
#18,881 ·
No way my friend I just listen CM1's I compared 685S2 and 683S2 and also I tried SC-71 the Denon X-4000 Pioneer VSX-80 the CM1's sounded weak I would never use them for towers surrounds then yes, and finally the receiver you have, get better receiver before you buy new speakers.


The CM1s aren't the most sensitive - agreed, the 6 series is def louder but at the same time the mid range is muddled as many have pointed out.

As far as the VSX 80, I am curious to know why you think its weak.
 
#18,882 ·
No way my friend I just listen CM1's I compared 685S2 and 683S2 and also I tried SC-71 the Denon X-4000 Pioneer VSX-80 the CM1's sounded weak I would never use them for towers surrounds then yes, and finally the receiver you have, get better receiver before you buy new speakers.
I had the 683 S2's and the CM1's in my home, with my system, for over 2 weeks...on loan/demo from my local audio shop. In my home, with my system, the CM1's were clearly better. The highs were less shrill, the mids were less muddy, and there was more than enough bass when used by themselves, and they were even better when using a sub.

Maybe in your home, with your system, the 683's sound better. Just not in mine.

And I don't count any in-store listening, particularly if it's someplace like Best Buy/Magnolia, who have no clue how to set up a listening room. No store is going to match the acoustics of your own space.
 
#18,883 ·
The CM1s aren't the most sensitive - agreed, the 6 series is def louder but at the same time the mid range is muddled as many have pointed out.

As far as the VSX 80, I am curious to know why you think its weak.
I guess it will sound muddled using entry level receiver, if you are going to buy BW's 683S2 CM9 or 10 CMC2, HTM61S2 don't use entry level receiver go high end Like Denon 4520ci Pioneer SC-75 thru 79 or seperates, right now its good time to buy they are getting rid old for the new.
 
#18,884 ·
I guess it will sound muddled using entry level receiver, if you are going to buy BW's 683S2 CM9 or 10 CMC2, HTM61S2 don't use entry level receiver go high end Like Denon 4520ci Pioneer SC-75 thru 79 or seperates, right now its good time to buy they are getting rid old for the new.
I'm using the Pioneer SC-1523-K, which is the same as the SC-75, and they sounded muddled to me compared to the CM1.
 
#18,885 ·
@ jonmiddleton

Great room! I will be trying Bryston as well.

Maybe I missed this, but where's your center?
 
#18,888 ·
I had the 683 S2's and the CM1's in my home, with my system, for over 2 weeks...on loan/demo from my local audio shop. In my home, with my system, the CM1's were clearly better. The highs were less shrill, the mids were less muddy, and there was more than enough bass when used by themselves, and they were even better when using a sub.

Maybe in your home, with your system, the 683's sound better. Just not in mine.

And I don't count any in-store listening, particularly if it's someplace like Best Buy/Magnolia, who have no clue how to set up a listening room. No store is going to match the acoustics of your own space.
Well I have no more too say about it good luck with your gear.
 
#18,890 ·
I had the 683 S2's and the CM1's in my home, with my system, for over 2 weeks...on loan/demo from my local audio shop. In my home, with my system, the CM1's were clearly better. The highs were less shrill, the mids were less muddy, and there was more than enough bass when used by themselves, and they were even better when using a sub.

Maybe in your home, with your system, the 683's sound better. Just not in mine.

And I don't count any in-store listening, particularly if it's someplace like Best Buy/Magnolia, who have no clue how to set up a listening room. No store is going to match the acoustics of your own space.
Yeah, the room it's auditioned in makes a huge difference apparently. I listened to some 683 series 1 and CM9s and I hated the CM9s but loved the 683. I couldn't pull the trigger because I just don't like horizontal centers, especially asymmetric ones. But the new series 2 has a symmetric center so even though I'd prefer my front 3 speakers to be identical for a proper front sound stage as per theater specs, I'm more than happy if I get back into the B&W line with a new speaker series that's affordable and sounds better for classical music at reasonable listening volumes than my old horn speakers. I really had to burst out the volume into the stratosphere with my Klipsch 650s on classical to get intelligible nuance from music and voice (explosions and Miles Davis tracks notwithstanding). I had a much better / cleaner listening experience at lower volume levels with my old DM602 s1s that I used for about ten years but now I can't even get repaired because there are no parts left to repair them with.
 
#18,891 ·
@ jonmiddleton

Great room! I will be trying Bryston as well.

Maybe I missed this, but where's your center?
You didn't miss anything, I run a phantom center. The speakers are 9' apart, and I don't feel like I need a center. As I said, the room serves multiple purposes, including high end listening room. Also, a center channel would take 80% of movie soundtracks away from two perfectly good 800D2's. That doesn't make sense to me. We watched Les Miserables a bit ago, it was very nice.

The Bryston is awesome. A much better value than offerings from Classe, Ayre, etc. It's no nonsense gear, 20 year warranty, nice, solid build quality and aesthetics. Really hard to beat, IMO. Oppo 103> Bryston 4B SST2> 800D2's, does it get better than that?
 
#18,892 ·
You didn't miss anything, I run a phantom center. The speakers are 9' apart, and I don't feel like I need a center. As I said, the room serves multiple purposes, including high end listening room. Also, a center channel would take 80% of movie soundtracks away from two perfectly good 800D2's. That doesn't make sense to me. We watched Les Miserables a bit ago, it was very nice.

The Bryston is awesome. A much better value than offerings from Classe, Ayre, etc. It's no nonsense gear, 20 year warranty, nice, solid build quality and aesthetics. Really hard to beat, IMO. Oppo 103> Bryston 4B SST2> 800D2's, does it get better than that?
You are half correct, but there are certain movie soundtrack whereby if you switch to phantom channel, there's a cancellation of some frequency and phase issue and you might not hear certain bass. This is with respect to discreet 5.1 /7.1.
 
#18,893 ·
You didn't miss anything, I run a phantom center. The speakers are 9' apart, and I don't feel like I need a center. As I said, the room serves multiple purposes, including high end listening room. Also, a center channel would take 80% of movie soundtracks away from two perfectly good 800D2's. That doesn't make sense to me. We watched Les Miserables a bit ago, it was very nice.

The Bryston is awesome. A much better value than offerings from Classe, Ayre, etc. It's no nonsense gear, 20 year warranty, nice, solid build quality and aesthetics. Really hard to beat, IMO. Oppo 103> Bryston 4B SST2> 800D2's, does it get better than that?
Are you using the 103 as a pre?
 
#18,894 ·
Are you using the 103 as a pre?
Opps! No, the Oppo is just the front end because I have the TT. The satellite is connected to the HDMI In-Back. Both the Oppo and TT go into my old Rotel RSP 1066, which predates HDMI. Analog out of the Oppo to the multi inputs on the Rotel, the TT goes into a Project phono preamp then to the Rotel. Essentially, the Rotel is just a switching device with gain. The Oppo does all A/V processing. HDMI Out on the Oppo goes directly to the PJ. I think this is a pretty clean approach, and utilizes the processing excellence of the Oppo.
 
#18,895 ·
Opps! No, the Oppo is just the front end because I have the TT. The satellite is connected to the HDMI In-Back. Both the Oppo and TT go into my old Rotel RSP 1066, which predates HDMI. Analog out of the Oppo to the multi inputs on the Rotel, the TT goes into a Project phono preamp then to the Rotel. Essentially, the Rotel is just a switching device with gain. The Oppo does all A/V processing. HDMI Out on the Oppo goes directly to the PJ. I think this is a pretty clean approach, and utilizes the processing excellence of the Oppo.
Oppo's pre-outs seem like such a good bargain considering it's basically a high end home theater DAC minus an amp section. Any AVR with analog ins can then do what it's supposed to do and nothing else, plus you can mix and match with amps that way. I'm in a dilemma myself, I had to decide whether to pay $200 to get my old Marantz SR5004 repaired (busted HDMI board), but then be stuck with HDMI 1.3, or just let it stay dead and use my HTPC analog outs until such time as OPPO comes out with an HDMI 2.0 player with 4K passthrough (or even Darby). I'd much rather save that $200 and upgrade my electronics, with the minor hassle of using my emotiva directly from the analog outs of my HTPC for the time being. If I can score an OPPO with HDMI 2 then I can start looking at cheap options to power my rear speakers.

I wanted to get a new Atmos receiver but any of those with pre-outs are going to be ludicrously expensive for at least a year or so. It seems like most options out there only have at most 2.1 or 2.2 channels of pre-outs (fronts and 1/2 subs), and to get the full 7.1 you need to pay at least 1K if not 2 to get it. Totally absurd, considering I paid 300 for my Marantz refurb that has full pre outs and had all the codecs I could possibly need. I just find analog outs from my motherboard decent enough, am I crazy? Or has onboard sound gotten quite good.
 
#18,896 ·
You didn't miss anything, I run a phantom center. The speakers are 9' apart, and I don't feel like I need a center. As I said, the room serves multiple purposes, including high end listening room. Also, a center channel would take 80% of movie soundtracks away from two perfectly good 800D2's. That doesn't make sense to me. We watched Les Miserables a bit ago, it was very nice.

The Bryston is awesome. A much better value than offerings from Classe, Ayre, etc. It's no nonsense gear, 20 year warranty, nice, solid build quality and aesthetics. Really hard to beat, IMO. Oppo 103> Bryston 4B SST2> 800D2's, does it get better than that?
the dog has a great spot..........:D

nice pictures of Bryce and Arches
 
#18,898 ·
Hello everyone, I'm new to this thread and also a new B&W owner. Just bought my first pair about 3 weeks ago. I've gotta say its nice to own a pair after demoing them for years.

I'm running the following in my setup:

Receiver- Pioneer SC-63 Elite

Fronts- B&W 685 S2

Center- B&W HTM62 S2

Rears- Klipsch S-20's

Sub- Energy Power 12

Using all Audioquest wiring with Sanus steel series speaker stands. Definitely need to upgrade my rears and sub at some point but being on a budget limits me a little right now.
 
#18,899 ·
Hello everyone, I'm new to this thread and also a new B&W owner. Just bought my first pair about 3 weeks ago. I've gotta say its nice to own a pair after demoing them for years.

I'm running the following in my setup:

Receiver- Pioneer SC-63 Elite

Fronts- B&W 685 S2

Center- B&W HTM62 S2

Rears- Klipsch S-20's

Sub- Energy Power 12

Using all Audioquest wiring with Sanus steel series speaker stands. Definitely need to upgrade my rears and sub at some point but being on a budget limits me a little right now.
Well you got to start somewhere, and which you have its better than nothing,
 
#18,900 ·
Hello everyone, I'm new to this thread and also a new B&W owner. Just bought my first pair about 3 weeks ago. I've gotta say its nice to own a pair after demoing them for years.

I'm running the following in my setup:

Receiver- Pioneer SC-63 Elite

Fronts- B&W 685 S2

Center- B&W HTM62 S2

Rears- Klipsch S-20's

Sub- Energy Power 12

Using all Audioquest wiring with Sanus steel series speaker stands. Definitely need to upgrade my rears and sub at some point but being on a budget limits me a little right now.
Congrats! The series 2 are quite good based on feedback from those who's input I value.
 
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