B&W 603 S3s or700 series as front speakers

[hughr]

I am about to buy the rsp1066 pre and rmb1075 amp and am undecided as to whether to go for
the DM603 S3s or the new 700 Series:704 or 705s (essentially an updated version the CDM NT series) as fronts. Can people tell me if there will be an major audible difference between the 2 and if so, is it worth the 800 - 1400 EURO price difference? My primary concern is for stereo reproduction.

Regards,

Hugh

[will1066]

Before Andrew re-routes this post, if you scroll down, you'll see a thread called "1066 power cord replacement." At the end of that thread, you can read some of my comments on the matter.

[garethk]

I used to own a pair of 603 S2 and a friend reciently bought a new pair of 603 S3. Well the difference between the 2 is slight to moderate. the bass is tighter and the s3 is a faster speaker.

I also own a 1066 and 976 combo and was not sure what to upgrade to. I heard that the CDM range will be discontinued soon and that the new 7 series would be slightly more money.

I listened to a pair of CM4's. The difference between my old 603's and my friends new 603's are staggering. I heard detail in the recordings that i never heard before. I directly compared the CM$'s and the 7NT's at my house, thanks to a kind dealer... the CM4's are better.

The bass is more controlled, not as boomy and the mids are faster on the CM4's.
Overall I am thrilled with my purchase.

My advise is to listen to both, the difference will depend on what kind of music you listen to and how much bass you like, the 603's are a bass heavy speaker.

Just my thoughts though... let your ears be the deciding factor.

Gareth




GarethK

[sikoniko]

Since it is brought up, I have series 1 604's as my fronts, and 603's (s1 also) as my rear.

would there be enough of a difference to try and upgrade? If i'm going to do it, should I go s3, or to the CM (since you obviously like CM's more than 700 series.)

My dealer also gave me an upgrade path if I wanted to go to 805s. Would this be worthwhile? Ive not had a bookshelf as a front in some time. I do have a sub, but would this be a step down even though the mid is significantly better?

[Johnyho]

Purchased the B&W 700 Series about a month ago.
Use a RSP 1098 / RMB 1095 combination to drive them.
Clarity and presence are outstanding for both Home Theater and Music.

Would highly recommend you step up to the 700's. The internal workings are much better quality than the 600's.

[nisoli]

I had listened to 603 s2 vs. CDM7 NT and ended up buying the CDM7 (the difference in sound quality was pretty large and I thought it justified the price difference). I haven't heard the 700 series, but there might not be a large difference compared to the CDM NT. The CDM NT series is being discontinued. You might be able to get them at a very good price. You should check with your dealer.

[luszer]

I was trying to decide on 604 or 603's since I am familiar with the line, I have a pair of 601s. Then the CDM NT line was being discontinued so I gave the 1nt's a try. Immediately pulled the trigger. The difference is unreal, the clarity and detail that the 1nt have over the 603/604 is quite remarkable. Jazz vocals and instrumentals sound much smoother and airy. Acoustical guitar tracks are so enjoyable.
I orginally had the 1nts paired up with a NAD 370 intergated amp, and an Arcam CD72. This was good for the first 100 -150 hours burn in.
This weekend I pulled a ROTEL RB991 out of another system and now use the 991 with the 370 as a pre. Created another layer of detail and instruments sound more like-like and real
Of course all paired with CAT interconnects!

Hope this helps, if you can find anything left in the CDM line please give it a try and save the exta cost that was tacked on the new 700 series

[Scarp]

Hi All,

The 700 series (or the older CDM NT series) are more close to the Nautilus series. The old 9NT (now named 703) comes close to the N804 even.
The biggest differences are in detail and bass. Where the 600 series have a lot of bass (especially the 604) and a very boomy bass, the 700 series has a much tighter and clean bass. It maybe be even a bit less bass on the 700 series than on the 600's, however its much more even and nothing really kicks out in the wrong direction. I had 604's before, so can easily compare my experiences.

However, you have to ask yourself the question whether the higher price is worth the upgrade.

If you have 600 series speakers now, I definitly would not upgrade to the 700 series unless you can get a great deal on your current speakers.

If you love detail and a balanced overall sound the 700 are definitly worth auditioning.

[Lando]

I love my 603s!!! My life changed when I hooked them up I find they have a deep reach and are ideal for long rectangular rooms. My living room is connected to a kitchen which is in turn connected to a dining room. The 603s reach and sound full and clear all the way through, even more so than the next model up with the extra driver. It's punchy and tight, but still makes music and vocals sound so symphonic. I love the highs. You'll see reviews talking about how transparent these speakers are and that they will reveal limitations in CDs. Well, that may be, but I have only experienced vast improvement in everything I hear.