B&W Owner's Thread - Page 199

Tell me about it. I picked up a set of 804s's and now I can't get a matching cherry HTM3s. Anyone have a lead?

What's his price on the 685s and HTM62? It's a better match for those speakers and cheaper.

Buy two pairs of 685's and use 3 685's across the front. This should cost no more than the deal you were offered by the dealer and will definitely sound better. BTW, I have heard the CMC2 with 685's and it is superior to either HTM6 speaker.

I have a very new light cherry HTM3S and am thrilled to own it. I believe going full Diamond really spanks a lot of us lovers of great sound and cabinetry at something just a touch less than nosebleed finance level. Also, see my previous post. Any ideas on heights and rears? I though everyone here was pretty B&W savvy. Appreciate any ideas.

First I would say call all the B&W dealers in your area or state and see if any have a HTM3S in stock (new or floor model), since they won't be able to order any more.
Up next I'd say look on eBay and Audiogon for a used one.

I use the CWMDS8 in-wall dipole in my setup. I posted pics a dozen or so posts back. THE DS8S will also match your fronts as well as the SCMS.

Good luck!

I'm looking for some advice...

I currently own 2 x805S speakers as fronts.

I plan on purchasing the following:

A 1080 P projector to create 150 to 170" image. Optima HD 20 or better.
SVS-PB12 sub

Based on a 16 x 20 room size would you suggest a htm4S centre or should I be looking for a HTM3S to help fill the room a little better (mismatch?)?

Also any suggestions on surrounds. I do not wish to spend big bucks and was thinking of just getting DS3's? My strategy his far was to spend a greater percentage of my money on the front sound stage as I am 30% music (2.1 channel) vs. equal money on the surrounds, projector etc.

Let me know your thoughts on centre and surrounds. Need an effective solution that does my current building blocks justice without breaking the bank (2 more 805S's can't be done) .

More B&W Porn



http://www.blu-ray.com/community/gal...&folderid=3141

The center is critcal in HT. If I were you, I would spend the bulk of my speaker allowance on the center. If you go 5.1, the rears/sides (depending on setup) will not have nearly the audio impact as the fronts. With that said, if you have the money get the HTMS3, it a fantastic center speaker and matches really well with the 805s. Can't say much about DS3s because I have heard them.

On a unrelated note, how far away will you be sitting from your 170 inch screen? My room dimension are 14 x 19 and I sit about 13.5 feet away from screen, on first row and have a 120 inch screen and feel it is plenty big. Unless you are going be sitting way back, about 18-20 feet, I would suggest you try out the feel of such a large screen with your seating positons.

My room is 16 by 17. I have for many years used 805's as the Left and Right and an original small HTM2 for the center. I imagine that the 4 and the original HTM2 are very similar. My long term usage gives me the opinion the little guy is fine for a 16 by 20 room but you would need quite a lot of power to get reference level sound for highly dynamic action movies. I powered my center by a B&K 307 for many years and for a short time an Emotiva XPA-1. The XPA-1 took the sound level up quite a bit from the B&K.

I replaced the HTM2 with a larger HTM3S. What you get is a higher real sound level capability, primarily due to the fact the HTM3S is 2db plus more efficient but you also get a much more substantial low Mid and High Bass output than the HTM2. Think very low male voices and vocals (on music) as well as lower string instruments. I utilized an ASW2500 for LFE and L/R low Bass with a crossover of 80Hz but the low mids just provide a fuller sound. Now is it worth the extra bucks? That would be for you to decide. The HTM2 was very musical and I was always happy with it. So, it's a tough call. You get the FST driver with the big guy but really the mid/bass driver of the smaller center is very, very, good and I have never felt that the improvement to full FST's is a vast difference between the mid/bass unit. It's better no doubt, but not earth shattering.

I do think that for a great deal of movies, you would be well served by going for the bigger center. I also don't think you would have a mismatch with your 805S's. I'm a huge fan of having a world class center. Have fun!!!

New member around here. I have been trolling for a while now, and I think I am ready to jump from the HTiB game to a much more substantial home theater setup.

What are some thoughts on the 600 series as entry level home theater speakers? Specifically the 684s, HTM61, and 686s.

Thanks!

I believe the proper term around here is called lurking Trolling is a bad thing lol.


Anyway, have you had a chance to listen to the 600 series system? Best bet is to hear for yourself to see if it fits your needs and listening tastes.

That would be a nice setup, though you might find that you can save some money and get 685s in place of the 684s if you've got a subwoofer.

But really, you'll have to listen for yourself to determine if this is to your liking.

And make sure you try to listen to them with the same receiver you are/will be using. Listening to them in a store using a high end Denon may sound completely different when you listen to them with, say, a Sony HTiB receiver.

Another important consideration is whether your current receiver can handle the new speakers. You say you are coming from an HTiB. Is it using a "real" receiver or do the current speakers plug in with a proprietary connection.

Have you thought about only upgrading some speakers now and the rest later? For example, maybe get the 683 fronts, then save for the HTM61 center, then get the 686 surrounds last. Remember that you still have the current speakers that you (possibly) can use until you upgrade. I would try to get the most bang out of your buck.

These are important things to consider when upgrading.

BTW, What is your budget?

Well, budgets are funny things... I really don't have a "set budget", but I am in the process of starting a basement home theater project.

I currently have a Yamaha RX-V565 for my receiver. I sold my previous HTiB to my brother for his apartment. I plan on upgrading to separates by the completion of this project.

Are the 683s that much better than the 684s? I need to get to my local dealer soon so I can hear for myself on a similar receiver. Would a subwoofer be necessary with the 683s?

Definately go listen before making the purchase.

Are the 683's better than the 684's? Again, that is subjective. I personally think so because of the FST mid. The 683 is a three way, while the 684 is a 2.5 way with no FST driver.

If memory serves me, the 565 does not have pre-outs so you will either need to upgrade to the 665 or find a different pre/pro for an amplifier.

The subwoofer probably would not be required initially. The 683's should do pretty good without the sub, but you will want to get one eventually. I think the 683's would do better than the 684's would.

I was reading this about the new 800 Diamond series

http://blog.stereophile.com/ces2010/...o-way_monitor/

and the last post (bottom) is from a person who has a pair of 805S and changed the tweeters out diamond ones for 408 euro/pair.

Has anyone ever thought about changing out the tweeter on an S speaker to a Diamond?

I would love to if it was possible, especially for that price! Plus, I prefer the styling of my 805S to the 805 Diamond, as it matches perfectly with my 802Ds.

I will definitely be listening to both the 683s and 684s before making any purchases. I will also be listening to other brands, as well.

I won't be using the RX-V565 in my basement home theather. I will be looknng at a pre/pro to go with an Emotiva UPA-7.

I just got off the phone with my dealer seeing what kind of deal I can get on a pair of 803D and matching HTM2D center.

He said the new Rosenut is slightly different than the existing one. It has a little more plum color in it.

I would be all over that if it were true.

But how does one remove the tweeter from the Nautilus shell on the 801/802? Something tells me I could have to disassemble the FST midrange as well as the locking nut would likely be inside.

This is what I get to do this weekend. Play with both sets of speakers and try and decide which one I am going to keep. Please excuse the poor image quality, just my camera phone.



The B&W's need no introduction, 804s and HTM3s. The black ones are Emotiva 8.3 mains and a 6.3 center. I know the Emo's aren't even in the same league as the B&W's. The question is, are the B&W's good enough to justify the cost difference (which is more than double, and I got pretty good deals on them).

One thing I was surprised with was the wife isn't that impressed with the looks of the 800's that much. She thinks the Emo's are better. I was not expecting that.

One big thing we are concerned with is the stability of the speaker (notice the baby stuff in the pic) our twins will be crawling soon, and the last thing I want to happen is them to try and pull themselves up on the speaker and it tip over. Not that we plan to leave them unattended in the front room, but stuff happens.The Emo, is rock solid, there is no way they could tip it over. It weighs almost 80 pounds, and is on feet that spread out to over a foot wide. I have to put some force into to tip it pushing from the top, there's no way a baby will be able to tip it. The 804's on the other hand really aren't that stable. I'm pretty sure the girls could tip them if the climbed up on it. If I keep them I plan on getting some Sound Anchor stands.

My question is, will that make them stable enough? How much tip resistance do they really add? Any response from owners of 804S with Sound Anchors would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

I have a dedicated theater in the basement. One thing I can say about the top tweeter and those speakers is that if they tip over, something will almost certainly get scratched/broken or dented. I don't let me kids (twins 2.5 years old, boy .5 years old) in my HT. They love to touch everything. If they can push over a dinning room chair, which they have done several times, they could easily tip over my speakers.

One other thing to consider is your kids pushing in the tweeters. There are many posts of people saying just this. Depending on the damage it can be expesive.

Just something to think about.

I'm wondering what everyone's thoughts are on B&W in ceiling speakers.

I am planning on fleshing out the rest of my 6-series setup with something more permanent. Right now I have some bookshelf speakers sitting on the floor beside the couch acting as surrounds. They're decent speakers, AR M5s, but they are getting trashed by the kids and dog (the floorstanders are safer luckily though not perfectly safe I've recently found out).

Anyway, I'm debating between hanging some 686s on wall mounts or possibly going the in-ceiling route. In wall doesn't seem like a wise move as the room is panelled.

Saw the 86's at the dealer recently and they look pretty large to hang on the wall and the in-ceilings are quoted at $550, so not cheap.

Ok, the meat of the post. Would going with B&W surrounds be worth it over something like Speaker Company, or comparable, in-ceilings.

I am having a hard time discerning poor surround placement with speaker matching at the moment and would appreciate the feedback.

What would be better for surround now - 805D or 804S? Both are similarly priced. 805D should match older D speakers better, no? And there's not much bass in the surrounds in movies, so 804S always felt like overkill.

I have cc80s and they are very solid. Right next to them is a more average Niles in ceiling speaker that is dedicated to our whole home audio system. The cc80 is miles superior, far lower midrange down to a decent higher bass. They are utilized as my Surrounds and the B&W Model can direct the tweeter and they are pointed to my prime seating. I would not skimp on lesser brand in-ceiling speakers.

But with all that said, I really wish that I could have figured out away to utilize in or on wall surrounds instead of ceilings. Sometimes, we can get that sense that all our movie surround sound signal is firing down at us as we watch a flick. For this reason I would recommend on wall. If you can do this, it just is better for your sound field.

So, I'd recommend on walls if doable. I do think the 6 series might look weird though, and if you must do ceilings, by all means buy the B&W's. Simply better than a lot of the junk out there today.

I am seriously looking at the ccm 817 or ccm 816 for DSX/PLIIz Heights. These thing look that they will match my 800 S stuff near perfectly. Just spendy...

stepmback, Unfortunately a dedicated room isn't an option. So the speakers will have to share the room with the kids. e will obviously train them not to touch, but things get touched there's no way around that. They won't be able to tip over the Emo's for years, adn they are both girls, so hopefully by the time they are big enough, they won't be rambunctious like that (I'm hoping). What I really want to know is if the Sound Anchors stabalize the speaker to the point of the Emo's, or beyond. In other words will a 20-30 pound child pushing against the side of it be able to tip it over?

Yeah, my nephews pushed in the tweeter on my 601's. Good thing is, they were fairly cheap to replace. The 804's have the hard mesh screen thing over the tweeter, and they are pretty high, so that won't be something I will need to worry about soon. I will leave the grill on the speakers to cover the cones. I know this won't protect it from them pushing into it or whatnot, but it will be some level of protection. It will also cover up the actual drivers so it won't be as interesting looking making them want to touch it. To bad though, I love the look of them with the grills off.

Mine are that ceilings are the wrong place to put any speakers.

Well, I kind of disagree if you have angled ceilings for you Heights (If you want Heights). The mentioned B&W speakers are almost perfectly designed for this (ccm 816, 817, 818). The angle is a touch off of Audyssey and Dolbys optimal 45 degree setting but since my room seating is a bit back, the 30 degree angle will most likely work better. In the case of Heights in wall or on wall speakers pointing straight would be a worse solution as you would not get the tweeter centered to your listening area and actually fire the highs along your ceiling line. You might also place them so low you muddle the signal that is supposed to produce the height sound in the first place. You can also move the ceiling heights back and forth a bit and even angle them in a touch to your primary seating. This could assure you get near perfect placement for your high frequencies and you simply could not get that with an in-wall in front of the room. So, in this case ceiling speakers are more likely to be optimal in almost every situation. You just are stuck with in-walls with less choice and flexibilty.

Some on-walls you can get brackets and adjust correctly. If you don't believe me, just go take a look at the horizontal charts on the B&W speaker site for disbursement, you get some significant dips at 30 degrees plus. I also think that sometimes we have to compromise in a room for a spouse or simply because no other solution will work. Ceilings sometimes are necessary. Agreed rarely (except for mentioned Heights) optimal but some times necessarily acceptable.

I had to go with in-ceiling surrounds first because I had no wall to center the right side of the room and second because the old WAF issues. The sound is very good and in most cases enveloping enough to not concern me but sometimes I get too much directionality from the ceiling speakers. So, I do agree that walls are almost always preffered. I may be able to rectify this short-coming at some later date but not for some time to come. It is though still a pretty nice sounding area.

I hate "Never Say Never" statements they show inflexibility.

You've come to the right place. Looking through others' experiences will educate you as well as help you find what's important to you when selecting equipment.

Try looking at some other brands as well. I love B&W. I own only B&W now, but I had to make that decision for myself. They just sound right to my ears. I know you've probably read 1,000 people before me say the same thing, but it really does help to ease sad-walled syndrome later on to know that you tried all of your options and went with the ones that were your ears' favorites.

I own the pre-China series 600s3s and don't have any complaints about them (for the price).Well, a few. They're a bit shrill, and they aren't the hardest hitters in their price range. My room acoustics may be partially to blame for the excessive highs but many people report this quality and still some more say different brands of preamplifier/processors will help smooth it out.

B&W speakers are usually a little bit pricey, but most good consumer electronics are (you ARE paying for the name, just a bit). I like the used market, but that's just me. Potentially lots of driving (or shipping fees) but there are some killer deals out there to be had.

If you end up having to choose between the 683s and 684s:
-listen to them both
-decide if you like the larger drivers/cabs in the 684s better than the 683s' smaller drivers/cabs
-would the 684s be overkill for your room?