B&W 685 at a good price - How long will I be happy for?

$430 is a great price for a pair of 685s. The 685 are pretty great overall and pretty much universally well-regarded. The 685 were my first "good" pair of speakers and I don't really have much bad to say about them...perhaps they lack some refinement and detail, but excellent in the price range. I guess it would depend on what kind of sound you're looking for, and only you can determine if they'll make you happy. Eventually the upgrade bug bites all of us in this hobby, but for now I would focus on getting a good sub rather than shelling out for different speakers.

You got a very good pair of quality speakers at a very good price. Further you said you think they sound awesome - nothing wrong with that! Why are you second guessing yourself?

You also got a very good receiver, the SC-61, capable of driving more speakers when the time comes. So when you add a center and a sub, as you indicated you would, you are ready. And when you add these other two, I'll bet you'll be thinking a pair of surrounds also to complete a 5.1 system. Guess what, when this happens you already got them - the 685's. You can use them for surround duty and think about 683's in the front at that time.

In the meantime, keep enjoying what you already have. You are on your way to a great system

^^^^ +1

I started out with these and now use them as my surround speakers. I have really enjoyed them and I think you will too if they get the chance to stay in your home.

How does the 685 compare to KEF LS50? I know the price doubles but is the LS50 so much better? I read that it has gotten rave reviews but there is no KEF dealership in my state to audition it.

I own 685s and have not heard the LS50s but I would guess the LS50s are notably better.

You could go with the HTM-61 or 62. I had the 62 and it was a good center, but there are better out there. It all depends on your price point. I love my HTM7. Many people are swearing by the Aperion Grand Verus center. There are many that also suggest using a full tower if possible. It just depends on your needs and what you can afford.

A friend of mine has 685s up front (and 686s for surrounds). He started off with an HTM62 but ended up being unsatisfied with the sound. He replaced it with another 685 and is very happy with the result.

If you live in California, check the classifieds here. I'm selling my HTM61 it's the larger center in the 600 series and IMO a much better speaker. Shameless self- plug

Great price for a pair of 685s. I would agree with eljay that another 685 would make the best center.

Agreed

I got to hear the LS50's demoed and found them to be dynamic, ultra detailed, great at imaging, a bit forward, and hot bordering on bright. The audio shop had them paired with an 8000 series Marantz integrated which I've read is a bad pairing on other forums. I'm thinking that I'll need to try them on my Exposure 2010S2 to know for sure if their top end is always fatiguing. Reviews don't say that it is so I'm pretty sure it was the Marantz combo that contributed to the undesirable top end. Hope this helps!

Point of diminishing returns. You could spend more and more and more and even when you reach the 800D2, you will still wonder.

Remember that "different" doesn't necessarily mean "better". It's really about "preference", and everyone will have a different preference.

Even when you quadruple the price, you may only improve your preference by 10-20%. Point of diminishing returns.

If the 685 sound awesome to you, just focus on adding great subs like the Rythmik FV15HP H550 for about $1300 delivered and matching B&W center or another 685 for center & surrounds (685 x 5).
Edited by AcuDefTechGuy - 3/19/13 at 11:00am

I actually started using the 685's as surrounds with the 683's. One day I decided to try the 685's as front mains and was blown away at how well they performed! Even my father was in awe! But since I already had the 683's A/B'ing them back and forth even when using a sub the 683's midrange would be impossible to give up at that point. Sometimes I wish I would of just started with the 685's and stuck with them for all channels and pocketed the rest of the money, lol. But at that time I never envisioned a bookshelf speaker sounding so big and good.

I would first add a sub then decided if you want a more open and detailed midrange, bigger soundstage, and more volume/efficiency. If so, I would then get the 683 and move the 685 to the rear channels. If not, 685's all the way around (even center speaker) would still be amazing sound quality! Sometimes I think having a less open and in your face midrange is actually better if you listen to a lot of lesser recorded pop music..... I would say since you haven't yet done any critical 2-channel listening with good recordings with the FST midrange in the 683 in your own home, I would just focus on 685's all the way around with a nice sub.