B&W htm3s

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  • Emmany915
    Junior Member
    • Oct 2009
    • 3

    B&W htm3s

    Hi I am new to this forum and I would like some input from other members here.
    My home theater consist of two B&w 604 s3 a Lcr 600 s3 for center and two b&w 601 s3 for surrounds I am very happy with my setup, just that I have a chance to get a B&w htm3s for a really good price. How well would this center blend with my system, I am very happy with the rest of my speakers and dont wish to upgrade. The speakers will be powered by a denon 3808ci and a emotiva xpa-5. Any input would be appreciated.[/FONT]
  • MikeFL52
    Senior Member
    • Oct 2007
    • 118

    #2
    The HTM3S is a very nice speaker, however it is quite a different speaker to the 600 series. It is also quite large and therefore make sure that you have enough room where your current center is to place it. My concern for you is that once you have it, despite saying that you don't want to upgrade, you will .

    I am sure there will be tonal differences between the 600 and HTMS3 which may present a problem for you and so if you are not dissatisfied with your current set up or thinking of upgraading to 805S, 804S or 803S in the near future, I would give it a lot of thought. Maybe you can audition it with your current set-up?

    Comment

    • omar7631
      Member
      • Sep 2009
      • 39

      #3
      I am afraid of that too, I also have a chance of getting a an htm3s very cheap but cant try it out because the friend that will sell it to me lives out of town.
      Last edited by omar7631; 07 October 2009, 17:23 Wednesday.
      B&W 804s
      B&W htm3s
      B&W dm601 s3
      Outlaw lfm-1 EX x 2
      Denon 2808ci
      Emotiva XPA-5
      Emotiva XPA-2
      Sony PS3

      Comment

      • emig5m
        Senior Member
        • Aug 2008
        • 646

        #4
        I don't think the "current" 600 series is all that different tonally than the current 800 series as I have owned both. The main performance differences that I have experienced lay in other aspects other than tonally. I also quoted the word "current" as I have no hands on experience with the older B&W speakers so I can't comment on how they compare. The main differences between the current 600s and 800s that I've personally noticed is not the tonal sound, but...
        • A more 3D soundstage (most noticeable going from 683 to 804S)
        • Cleaner bass (all speakers)
        • Extremely detailed, airy, and clear (most noticeable from HTM61 to HTM3S - what a HD plasma is to HD video is what the 800 series is to HD sound - they're just a ultra high definition sounding speaker system that doesn't hold anything back, but also won't play a miracle with bad recordings or source for that matter just like VHS will look extremely bad on a HD screen compared to a 1080P Blu-Ray)
        • More transparency (all speakers - the cleaner bass, more 3D soundstage, superb detail and clarity and natural sound all add up to a speaker that disappears more and you hear more of the recording than the speakers coloration or lack of detail)


        But the overall tonal sound is nearly the same as I've had both in my home for comparison:



        Personally I wouldn't see no problem with using the HTM3S with a pair of 683s. Yes you'll notice the 800 series has aspects of higher performance, but tonally they will be pretty close. Heck I used the HTM61 with my 804S's and it wasn't too bad albeit I could easily notice the performance boost with the HTM3S. I could of lived with the HTM61 for movies as I'm not all that critical of a listener to movies as I am for 2-channel music. How the new 600s sound compared to the old ones? I have no clue. Maybe they're totally different, maybe not. If you can get a HTM3S for a good price I'd get it as it's a very good high definition center speaker and you could always build around it as time goes on as other deals spring up.

        Later on you could find an amazing deal on a pair of 803S/804S's and kick yourself in the ass for not getting the HTM3S. I could kill myself for not picking up the 803D for $4800..... ARRRGGGHHH! I'll never forgive myself for that! I was there in the same room with cash in hand and what do I do? I walk away from an amazing deal!!! ARRRGGHHH! Somebody shoot me! :M

        Comment

        • MikeFL52
          Senior Member
          • Oct 2007
          • 118

          #5
          Originally posted by emig5m
          I don't think the "current" 600 series is all that different tonally than the current 800 series as I have owned both. The main performance differences that I have experienced lay in other aspects other than tonally. I also quoted the word "current" as I have no hands on experience with the older B&W speakers so I can't comment on how they compare. The main differences between the current 600s and 800s that I've personally noticed is not the tonal sound, but...
          • A more 3D soundstage (most noticeable going from 683 to 804S)
          • Cleaner bass (all speakers)
          • Extremely detailed, airy, and clear (most noticeable from HTM61 to HTM3S - what a HD plasma is to HD video is what the 800 series is to HD sound - they're just a ultra high definition sounding speaker system that doesn't hold anything back, but also won't play a miracle with bad recordings or source for that matter just like VHS will look extremely bad on a HD screen compared to a 1080P Blu-Ray)
          • More transparency (all speakers - the cleaner bass, more 3D soundstage, superb detail and clarity and natural sound all add up to a speaker that disappears more and you hear more of the recording than the speakers coloration or lack of detail)


          But the overall tonal sound is nearly the same as I've had both in my home for comparison:



          Personally I wouldn't see no problem with using the HTM3S with a pair of 683s. Yes you'll notice the 800 series has aspects of higher performance, but tonally they will be pretty close. Heck I used the HTM61 with my 804S's and it wasn't too bad albeit I could easily notice the performance boost with the HTM3S. I could of lived with the HTM61 for movies as I'm not all that critical of a listener to movies as I am for 2-channel music. How the new 600s sound compared to the old ones? I have no clue. Maybe they're totally different, maybe not. If you can get a HTM3S for a good price I'd get it as it's a very good high definition center speaker and you could always build around it as time goes on as other deals spring up.

          Later on you could find an amazing deal on a pair of 803S/804S's and kick yourself in the ass for not getting the HTM3S. I could kill myself for not picking up the 803D for $4800..... ARRRGGGHHH! I'll never forgive myself for that! I was there in the same room with cash in hand and what do I do? I walk away from an amazing deal!!! ARRRGGHHH! Somebody shoot me! :M
          I don't really want to argue, but.....
          If you were to take one of the test DVDs and carry out the audio panning test, there would be an audible difference in tone or timbre (the distinctive property of a complex sound) as you sweep through LCR.
          It may or may not be enough to be distracting but it would be there.

          Comment

          • ZX10 Guy
            Senior Member
            • Mar 2005
            • 198

            #6
            Originally posted by MikeFL52
            I don't really want to argue, but.....
            If you were to take one of the test DVDs and carry out the audio panning test, there would be an audible difference in tone or timbre (the distinctive property of a complex sound) as you sweep through LCR.
            It may or may not be enough to be distracting but it would be there.
            Heck, I can hear some slight tonal differences between my N HTM 1 and my N804 mains.

            Comment

            • emig5m
              Senior Member
              • Aug 2008
              • 646

              #7
              Originally posted by MikeFL52
              I don't really want to argue, but.....
              If you were to take one of the test DVDs and carry out the audio panning test, there would be an audible difference in tone or timbre (the distinctive property of a complex sound) as you sweep through LCR.
              It may or may not be enough to be distracting but it would be there.
              Actually I do have test discs and the tone isn't too far off. I have a DTS multichannel test file and as the voice pans around from channel to channel the tonal sound is more similar than different. Any main sound differences are from the actual speaker locations. As a matter of fact, when I set the Yamaha YPAO to match the rest of the speakers to the response of the front it only ever changes a few bands by only 1.5dB at the most except for the one time I had one of my 685's directly in a corner up by the ceiling where it had to turn down a bass frequency -16dB....Yikes. :E

              Originally posted by ZX10 Guy
              Heck, I can hear some slight tonal differences between my N HTM 1 and my N804 mains.
              Yes, there's small differences. I notice the HTM3S has more emphasis on vocal and top end where the 804S is more bassy... So although it's true there are some slight differences, the fact is they all match fairly well tonally by far then sound mismatched. Some sound differences between channels will also have to do with room placement. I can notice very slight differences from my left and right channels and rears and they're the same exact speaker. Just moving your head inches one way will make changes to the sound if you truly want to get nit-picky. But it's not like we're talking about mixing a Klipsch with a B&W, heh, now that would be a true mismatch. We're talking about using a B&W from one series with another series. I know, I know... we're talking the audiophile world. It can be a rough crowd. A barely noticeable difference to one person might be a HUGE difference to a very nit-picky audiophile. Look at the griping over the HTM61. Some people absolutely hate it, some don't hear any problem with it.

              I have owned both, and have used both together (I'm still using the 685s as rears with the 800s up front), and I stand my ground that they will sound more matched than mis-matched when together and main performance differences is outside the overall tonal/timbre sound.

              Comment

              • ZX10 Guy
                Senior Member
                • Mar 2005
                • 198

                #8
                Originally posted by emig5m
                Actually I do have test discs and the tone isn't too far off. I have a DTS multichannel test file and as the voice pans around from channel to channel the tonal sound is more similar than different. Any main sound differences are from the actual speaker locations. As a matter of fact, when I set the Yamaha YPAO to match the rest of the speakers to the response of the front it only ever changes a few bands by only 1.5dB at the most except for the one time I had one of my 685's directly in a corner up by the ceiling where it had to turn down a bass frequency -16dB....Yikes. :E



                Yes, there's small differences. I notice the HTM3S has more emphasis on vocal and top end where the 804S is more bassy... So although it's true there are some slight differences, the fact is they all match fairly well tonally by far then sound mismatched. Some sound differences between channels will also have to do with room placement. I can notice very slight differences from my left and right channels and rears and they're the same exact speaker. Just moving your head inches one way will make changes to the sound if you truly want to get nit-picky. But it's not like we're talking about mixing a Klipsch with a B&W, heh, now that would be a true mismatch. We're talking about using a B&W from one series with another series. I know, I know... we're talking the audiophile world. It can be a rough crowd. A barely noticeable difference to one person might be a HUGE difference to a very nit-picky audiophile. Look at the griping over the HTM61. Some people absolutely hate it, some don't hear any problem with it.

                I have owned both, and have used both together (I'm still using the 685s as rears with the 800s up front), and I stand my ground that they will sound more matched than mis-matched when together and main performance differences is outside the overall tonal/timbre sound.
                My listening impressions are based on a listening environment which is pretty darn good. If there are changes between the left and right channels by moving my head slightly....there is definitely something wrong.


                Comment

                • emig5m
                  Senior Member
                  • Aug 2008
                  • 646

                  #9
                  I'm well aware of your listening room, I think I've made comments on it in the pictures thread. I'm also well aware of my own acoustics since I've had my measly little 600 series system easily beat out the sound of $18,000 in just a pair of speakers (803D) and a high end Classe amp which put enough doubt in my head to walk away from an amazing deal on the speakers which I highly regret doing - the 804S also sounds nearly identical in my room as they did at a dealers that was professionally treated. I just have enough natural absorption that helps me out (thick curtains, fully carpeted with double layer underpadding, lots of diffraction - bookshelfs, cd racks, etc..)

                  Steering back towards the original topic about the lower end B&Ws blending with the higher end ones, all I can say is this - take a pair of 683s and 804S's and sit them in the same room in the same spot on the same gear and be shocked at how close they really are tonally. I like using the 683 vs the 804S for a 600 vs 800 series comparison since they're both basically the same size and driver layout (I don't think it would be fair to compare the 684 to the 802D for a series comparison for example).

                  I thoroughly auditioned them both at a dealer swapping them back and forth in the same position in the same room before deciding to buy them. At first I thought that there was no difference, tonally barely any difference at all (the tonal difference was more steered in the bass which the 804 is just cleaner/tighter). The difference was the cleaner and clearer sound and mainly the better 3D imaging (probably due to the out of the box tweeter).

                  Heck, take a close look at the actual tweeter diaphragms - they're exactly the same right down to the surround! However, everything I'm saying is moot because I have no clue about the last 600 series. They might not match as closely like the new ones do.

                  Comment

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