601s3 vs. 602.s3

[SpongeRob]

Hi,

My first post here . I am still a proud owner of the old DM110i's, and finally I'm looking for an upgrade.
I've been listening in a hifi-shop to the 601 and 602, and to my surprise I couldn't hear a lot of difference, maybe because of the 602 was standing to far away from each other, I don't know. I still listen a lot of stereo, so the 602 had my first choice, because it should give more bass.
So what do you think, should I go for the bigger 602? Is it really that much better in music than the 601? My amp is an Onkyo 501.

Thanks for your answers, greetz from The Netherlands!

(I don't have the money for the 705 :cry: , else I would buy them of course.

[junior77blue]

Do you ever plan on purchasing a subwoofer? If so, I would recommend the 601 as they use the 6.5" drivers, In my opinion better as a midrange/midbass.

[BlazeMaster]

The 602s has a bigger midrange driver (7in), so the midrange is little bit cleaner. Like junior77blue said, w/ a capable sub in the picture, the difference between the 601s and 602s will be even less noticeble.

[SpongeRob]

Thanks, you make it even harder for my choice....I really thought the 602 would be better for music because of it's bigger midrange driver and better bass.

So you think it's better to go for the 601 (which also fits better in my living room) and a sub, for example the asw650???

[Aussie Geoff]

SpongeRob,

So you think it's better to go for the 601 (which also fits better in my living room) and a sub, for example the asw650???

That would be a nice combination...

Of course the sub would be not much use in pure stereo mode - just the 601s - So (assuming you have a HT set-up) I'd get a good digital cable between your CD or DVD and the Processor or Receiver and run the straight digital signal in so that signal only needs to be converted from digital to analogue once in the receiver or processor - that way you can use the sub all the time... You can still keep the analogue cable for any "bass not important" pure stereo listening...

Geoff

[junior77blue]

You ultimately need to listen them to yourself and see which one sounds better to you. If you plan on using a sub, make sure you run them crossed over (HP ~80Hz) to have a fair comparison. But listen to them in pure stereo mode to see what your gaining/losing by going with the 602.

[PewterTA]

I have to agree that I didn't notice a super big difference when demoing the 601s and 602s, the only thing I did notice is a little better bass response. However, if you have them side by side and can quickly A/B them you will notice that the 602s do, do a better job of imaging along with the better bass reponse. Not a night and day difference mind you...but it's there.

I think for Home Theater viewing as well I liked the 602s...

In my opinion, I would pick up the 602s if you have the money and space, then get yourself a better subwoofer (than the asw650) for your money. You might want to look into a sub from HSU or SVS just to start naming a few. That will easily out perform the ASW650 for a lot less cost to you.

[BlazeMaster]

I noticed a difference when I had 601s as mains and then switched to 602s as mains. The difference is very minimal when watching movies. But when using them for 2 channel, there's very clear difference in midrange clarity. Be sure to A/B them in the stores, and you should be able to notice a difference also.

[rick c]

well it has to come down to either the 600's or 601's for surrounds.The 602's are just too big for mounting.Is there a big difference between the two strictly for surrounds and maybe later multichannel.P>S> just realized wrong post but can you answer anyways?

[BlazeMaster]

That's why I exchanged the 602s for 603s, I didn't want 602s as surrounds, especially I might need 4 of them soon, when I move to 7.1. The 602s as surrounds are just too obstrusive for me in my room, the 601s are easier on the eyes, IMO. Like I said before, the 602s midrange is little bit too clear for me, if there's such a thing, it's gives me headache when I turn it up too high and imagine that around and much closer behind my ears...OUCH!
After having both the 602s and 603s in my room, I think the 603s are a little bit smoother, but dude, you should just do yourself the favor and go and listen and compare them both more. So you won't always say "I wonder what that scene or song would of sounded like with that 602/4"
Since you have 603s and soon to have LCR600, you might as well get the 601s to match up the driver sizes. I had 600s as surrounds for 2 weeks and I think they work as surrounds the best if you have 601s as mains. Since you're running 603s, you should just get the 601s.

[SpongeRob]

Thanks all for you're input...I'm not sure yet, probably I'll go for the 602's (I listen 80% music/20% movies), but I'll have to listen to them once again. I wasn't planning to buy a new sub, but maybe that's a good investment (asw650 or 675) also for the music.

Maybe a strange question: as I listen mostly music, I'm doubting to wait till I have the money for the 705 (without a new sub, I'm not Donald Trump hahaha). Is the 705 without a sub that much better compared to the 602 with a good sub?

[weijst]

Hi there SpongeRob,

IMO the DM602 S3 are absolutely worth the extra cash over the 601s (especially in stereo use). I used to be the proud owner of a pair of 602s and I still miss them every now and then. I found the DM602 to be 'smoother' and more at ease compared to the 601s. As a long(er) term investment I believe the 602s are the way to go, even more when considering the relative small difference in price between the two.
One point in favour of the 601s (besides the size), for HT you will be wanting a subwoofer anyway, also with the 602s.

Now, about the 705s. I traded in my 602s for a pair of 705s. This was because my taste in music had changed and I wanted better imaging and a wider soundstage. Stepping from the 602s to the 705s did mean giving up on some bass extension. However I find the 705s to deliver tighter bass.

Veel succes!

ps: you have a PM (private message)

[rooser]

Hey SpongeRob,

This little conundrum all depends on the size of the room your planning on keeping them in.
I always find that in a large room, and I mean large, that the bass response out of 602's can be jaw droppingly phenomenal, yet in a small room they just can't breathe. I run a set of 602's, 601's and a cc6, and to be honest, unless you're running some real high end ampage and cables then the differences are very small when it comes to the 602's or 1's. Also, when it comes to subs, and sorry guys, but I've always found that REL subs partner B&W's better than their own.

[PewterTA]

REL subs would be very well to use if you are going with the musical aspect Spongebob. They will also do decent with HT use.

You need to decide how much you like bass as to whether to just buy the 602s or hold off for the 705s. To me, the 700 series really isn't worth the jump over the 600s. Much better to go for the 805s as they will just flat out amaze you in the difference between the 600 and 700 series. 700s are a stepping stone that's much closer to the 600 side than the 800 side. If that makes sense.

I think you'll definitely be happy with the 602s if you get them. I was amazed by them (and they are my surrounds in my 7.1 (I use 4 of them))... To me, if this is going to be a long term investment, get the little bit better while you're going for them...but if you plan on upgrading, then get now what will just get you buy and save the money for the upgrades to what you really want!

[corysmith01]

I'm going to jump into this discussion and pose a question as well. I too was in this exact same position...that it, debating over the 601's or the 602's. I ended up with the 601's. In my mind, they both sounded great, but the difference in their sound wasn't $150 difference to me. I know that sounds like peanuts to some people, but that's a lot of dough when you're on my budget. I've got them paired with an SVS PB10-ISD which is a real thumper, so lack of bass response hasn't been an issue.

As for the following posts about the 6-- vs. the 7-- series, that was actually my next jump, but I read the above post saying the jump isn't that significant and perhaps money is better spent saving and going to the 800. I choose to do bookshelves, so, is that referring to the 805S or does that also include the N805? The N805's are more attainable at $500 less per pr over the 805S. Also, considering I was just trying to work my way up, the jump to either 8-- (whether they're $2000 or $2500) is a big jump, monetarily, from the 601's ($420/pr). Are the 705's really a "pass" and hold out for the step up? Just curious cause I was all set to move to the 705, then up to the N805, but not if it's going to be a waste. Just curious...I'm new to B&W and am trying to gather as much knowledge as possible.

[PewterTA]

If you know you are going to the 800 series, there's NO reason to go to the 700 series unless you have money to blow.

I was referring to the regular N805s as being a much bigger leap over the 700 series. If say, on a scale, the 601/2s are like a 30 out of a 100, the 705s are like 50 out of a hundred, where the 805s are more like 95 out of a 100. Hope that makes some sense.

If I was to say which speaker the 700 series more closely resembles it's the 600 series. The 700 series is a great stopping point if you know you don't want to spend the money for the 800, but if you have any itch to hear the 800 series, you won't want to touch the 700s.

They are good speakers (700), but not a worth while stepping stone to the 800s.

I should know, I was happy with my 604s till I heard the 703s...and liked the difference, but just right next to them was a pair of 802s... Well, I just couldn't resist the demo and my jaw dropped and I knew instantly those are what I want. Now they've gone to the N802Ds and I have to say I do like the sound they produce...just hurt the pocket book as they say. But at least now I have a goal of what I want as I'll probably get version 2 or 3 of those speakers.

[perato]

corysmith01, the only way to decide price/performance is to listen for yourself. If YOU think 805S is worth US$2500 MSRP, then that is YOUR decision. If YOU think 705 is worth US$1500 MSRP then that is YOUR decision. I personally think that the 705 sounds closer to 805S than the 602. YOU must decide for yourself by LISTENING.

[Jmac]

PewterTA said:

You need to decide how much you like bass as to whether to just buy the 602s or hold off for the 705s. To me, the 700 series really isn't worth the jump over the 600s. Much better to go for the 805s as they will just flat out amaze you in the difference between the 600 and 700 series. 700s are a stepping stone that's much closer to the 600 side than the 800 side. If that makes sense.

Hi, just wanted to jump in and ask a quick opinion on the 600 series v's 700's for HT movie use.

Sounds like the 700's are good, but closer to the 600s than 800s.

I have been able to audition the 600 series, and also the 700 series at a different dealership, but have not as yet been able to find a dealer stocking both ranges together, so I can do a proper A-B.

For two channel listening/music, the one that 'got' me was the 703. Between the 703 & 704 in a HT/movie setup, I thought the differences in sound less noticeable between the 703/4, than with music.

On the other hand I was impressed with the 603's & 604's in a surround HT/movie setup.

I'd almost certainly prefer 800 series for music (if I could afford them!) and almost equally certainly the 703 over the 600 series for 2 channel pure music listening as well.

However, I'm wanting a matched set of speakers for surround movie use primarily, as I have a separate 2 channel pure music setup already.

There is a big jump in price here from 604's to 703's (especially if buying multiple pairs for a 5.1 or 7.1 setup) - for movie usuage would the improvement in sound (703 over 603/4) be really noticeable enough to justify the difference in price? - and if so what would the differences in sound on movies be likely to be?

At the back of my mind is the naughty thought that perhaps one day I may be able to afford the 800 series, but that day may be a long time coming, so this choice of speakers is something that I may need to live with for a long time.

But if the jump between 600 & 700 series is small, especially for movies, then I figure I'd be better off going with the 600's if they would satisfy for now, and see what the future may hold re the 800 series.

What do those with experience of these two B&W speaker ranges think?

Best Regards

John.... 8)

[perato]

Try very much to find a dealer that has all of the speakers you want to listen to. If you cannot, then go to one store, write down your impressions of one speaker then go to the other store and listen to the next speaker. As you said, there are some on this forum who think poorly of 700 series. You are paying for the speakers, you will have to listen to them. Buy what you can afford and what you prefer. I compared 602 vs. 705 back in 2003. Personally, I prefered 705 because it has more of a three dimensional soundstage. My application for the speakers is music, video games, movies. I personnaly think a subwoofer is necessary for movies (depending on what you watch, of course). Since a subwoofer is necessary, I do not see the point of floorstanders (unless you like FST midrange). Plus floorstanders are too big for my home. But it's your money, buy what you like.

[RebelMan]

For what it's worth...

SpongeRob, I too was the proud owner of a pair of DM110i's for many years. They were my first and only B&W speakers I owned, and I remember them well. I also have listened to the newest 600, 700 and the 800 series models as well. I believe that between the 601 and the 602, the 602 sounds better and should be the one you get, budget allowing, etc.

However, like PewterTA says, and I agree completely, the 800 series is quite a big leap over the 700 series. In fact, I was not completely happy with what I heard until I got to the 804S. B&W makes good loud speakers in all their classes, but the 800's are truely impressive.

I also made the same mistake PewterTA did and I demoed the 802D's. I would LOVE to have these but they are way out of my price range. So, I ultimately settled on the 803Ss, because I wanted something I could afford (now) and enjoy for many years to come. I waited 15 years to get them and I am not interested in waiting any longer for something like the 802D's.

Since your are already planning an upgrade path, don't nickel and dime it. Do what I did and save for the 800's. You will be glad you did!

[JCL]

If you know you will upgrade, don't wast time and mony. Save up more monny and get what you really want. It will cost you monny if you don't and it will bring a bigger smile on your face I promise. I have the same problem my selfe. I can afoort 601 mutch faster than 603, why not buy 601 in 1 month? Because I will have yo wait 4 till I can buy the 603 or I can wait 2 months and buy the 603 as first speaker, keep playing music (main thing for me) and buy 2 601's as rear later on.

As always the disission is yourse to make, but I would have made up my mind