Hello everyone,
I am new to B&Ws and new to this forum, so pardon me if my questions sound too newbie. I have noticed other people have had a similar problem (like this guy here: http://www.htguide.com/forum/showthr...highlight=684), but I'd like to hear your thoughts on my situation.
I have just installed my new pair of 684s for which I paid a LOT of money. I live in Brazil, where import taxes are ridiculous (at least 100%) and freight expenses help skyrocket the price of a good pair of speakers. Turns out I am very disappointed after I plugged in my new 684s to my Yamaha receiver (a RX-V863). They don't sound one bit like the 685s (yes, the smaller model, no typos here) I sampled at a local store. They lack midrange tones, depth and only start to show their value at higher volumes. My old pair of speakers was a 15-year old Boston Acoustics CR9, and they sucked compared to the 685s I tried at the store. As they are now, my new 684s are not better than the CR9s or only a bit better.
Before anyone asks, I have to say I decided to purchase the 684s without listening to them because I really wanted floorstanding speakers and the other B&W floorstanding option I could sample was a CM series that was way too expensive here. I figured it could only be better than the 685s or equal, which would be fine, and I went for it, fearless.
Fact is that my speakers don't sound as brilliant and lively and exciting as the 685s I tried. I had researched extensively for months before purchasing (looked into Paradigms, Polks, Boses, etc.) and settled happily for the B&Ws.
I called the store owner, who told me that it takes 120 hours for the speakers to soften, so that the moving parts settle into their best behavior. Is that right? Does it take that long? The manual says that there will be "subtle" difference after 15 hours of use. Or could it be that my Yamaha receiver (105 watts per channel) is not good enough? At the store they were playing a Nad receiver and a Nad CD player. I have a Yamaha DVD player serving as a CD player (my 5disc Yamaha changer is broken) and a Stanton Turntable. I know that some audiophiles may sneer at Yamahas but this is no entry-level receiver, and I got it for a very good price in New York (no Brazilian taxes added).
Other info that may be useful: my living room is about 20 square meters big, there are no fabric curtains and speakers are about three meters apart, as recommended. There is the usual sofa and pillows in front of the stereo system and a big turkish rug on the floor. It is hot at this time of the year here, and I don't know if this can affect the warmup process the speakers are supposedly undergoing.
Any help is greatly appreciated.
I am new to B&Ws and new to this forum, so pardon me if my questions sound too newbie. I have noticed other people have had a similar problem (like this guy here: http://www.htguide.com/forum/showthr...highlight=684), but I'd like to hear your thoughts on my situation.
I have just installed my new pair of 684s for which I paid a LOT of money. I live in Brazil, where import taxes are ridiculous (at least 100%) and freight expenses help skyrocket the price of a good pair of speakers. Turns out I am very disappointed after I plugged in my new 684s to my Yamaha receiver (a RX-V863). They don't sound one bit like the 685s (yes, the smaller model, no typos here) I sampled at a local store. They lack midrange tones, depth and only start to show their value at higher volumes. My old pair of speakers was a 15-year old Boston Acoustics CR9, and they sucked compared to the 685s I tried at the store. As they are now, my new 684s are not better than the CR9s or only a bit better.
Before anyone asks, I have to say I decided to purchase the 684s without listening to them because I really wanted floorstanding speakers and the other B&W floorstanding option I could sample was a CM series that was way too expensive here. I figured it could only be better than the 685s or equal, which would be fine, and I went for it, fearless.
Fact is that my speakers don't sound as brilliant and lively and exciting as the 685s I tried. I had researched extensively for months before purchasing (looked into Paradigms, Polks, Boses, etc.) and settled happily for the B&Ws.
I called the store owner, who told me that it takes 120 hours for the speakers to soften, so that the moving parts settle into their best behavior. Is that right? Does it take that long? The manual says that there will be "subtle" difference after 15 hours of use. Or could it be that my Yamaha receiver (105 watts per channel) is not good enough? At the store they were playing a Nad receiver and a Nad CD player. I have a Yamaha DVD player serving as a CD player (my 5disc Yamaha changer is broken) and a Stanton Turntable. I know that some audiophiles may sneer at Yamahas but this is no entry-level receiver, and I got it for a very good price in New York (no Brazilian taxes added).
Other info that may be useful: my living room is about 20 square meters big, there are no fabric curtains and speakers are about three meters apart, as recommended. There is the usual sofa and pillows in front of the stereo system and a big turkish rug on the floor. It is hot at this time of the year here, and I don't know if this can affect the warmup process the speakers are supposedly undergoing.
Any help is greatly appreciated.
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