B&W 683

[ac81017]

For some time now i been going backwards and forwards between 805 and 703, and now something else has arrived! A friend who´s a dealer at the local hifi store said I should listen to the new 683´s because the sound is not far behind the 703´s!! The 805´s sounded nice and clear but without the huge sound stage or in your face kind of sound like the 703´s! I also liked the 704 but the FST in the 703 made all the difference for me :T

Soooooo, has anyone heard the new 683´s???

[Lewing]

Hi there. I am not sure when my dealer will have the new 600 series in store. Initially i was interested in the new 600 series but last week i brought home a pair of CM1 from dealer for demo and really amazed by how it sounds. Yes for its size the CM1 wont have big bass but i have a velodyne DD10 to take care of that.

Right now i am not sure whether i am still after the new 600 series. To my ears the CM1 has a much better tweeter compared to my current 602 S3 but i don't know how it fares compares to the new 600 series. May be i need to listen to them before making decision.

[wgriel]

Soooooo, has anyone heard the new 683´s???

Not yet - though, I might suggest you listen to the CM7s - I have a hard time believing that the 683s will best them. It's possible, I suppose, but B&W will have a heck of a time selling CM7s if the cheaper 683 is better!

In any case, if you prefer the 703 over the CM7, I'd be very surprised if the 683 measures up. If you like the CM7 better, maybe hang on and see what the 683 does for you, but I expect getting the CM7s would be your best course of action at that point.

Bill

[hifiguymi]

The 683, 685, 686, and the HTM62 are going to ship on Friday (June 1st) so dealers will start getting them on Monday (depending where they are in the country). The 684, HTM61, ASW608, and ASW610 will ship in August and the ASW610XP will ship in October. The DS3 is shipping now in black. The first finishes will be black and red cherry with wenge available later in the year.

Eric

[BW-Fan]

Holding off on buying anything B&W until the new 683's have been auditioned here. Wonder how they will compare to my old DM 603 S3's.

The FST I hope will add some sonic sweetness to their already decent midrange.

Eric - any news from B&W on first impressions on this new 600 line?

[hifiguymi]

Eric - any news from B&W on first impressions on this new 600 line?

Only from my rep and obviously he's jaded. He thought the new line up is better than it should be for the money. He really liked what he heard when he was trained on them in the UK. We'll have to wait until they hit the stores to find out for ourselves.

Eric

[BW-Fan]

Only from my rep and obviously he's jaded. He thought the new line up is better than it should be for the money. He really liked what he heard when he was trained on them in the UK. We'll have to wait until they hit the stores to find out for ourselves.

Eric

Well I am glad to see he feels they are worth every penny and more! (not that he's biased or anything :lol: ). The fine folks at BW Group were kind enough to send me a massive package on the 600 S4. I received a hard bound 30 page booklet on the 800 series and associated DVD, and a CD. Heck they even included a hand written note from their marketing contact I corresponded with.

They had some downloading issues with their website I helped (I hope) to resolve.

Great company I think! :W

[ac81017]

Here at last!

Today I got a call from my local b&w dealer, he said that he now has the 683´s waiting for me to demo next to the 703´s!

I have to say, the 683´s sounded very good, much better than everything else below the 703´s, but the didn´t have that biiiiigggggg wwiiiidddeee sound stage like the 703´s but still the detail was spot on. If anyone should wants a very good floor stander, but don´t have enough to buy a pair of 703´s then the 683´s are well worth testing! Notice i didn´t say "worth BUYING"! Number one rule when buying speakers, no matter what anyone says!!! IT´S YOUR OWN EARS THAT DECIDE! YOU CAN´T HEAR WHAT I HEAR, EVERYONE HAS A DIFFERENT SET OF EARS TO A CERTAIN EXTENT!!
:T

[Lewing]

Hi. What do you think about the tweeter from the new series? Is there noticiable improvement over the series 3?
Thanks

[wgriel]

Today I got a call from my local b&w dealer, he said that he now has the 683´s waiting for me to demo next to the 703´s!

I have to say, the 683´s sounded very good, much better than everything else below the 703´s, but the didn´t have that biiiiigggggg wwiiiidddeee sound stage like the 703´s but still the detail was spot on. If anyone should wants a very good floor stander, but don´t have enough to buy a pair of 703´s then the 683´s are well worth testing! Notice i didn´t say "worth BUYING"! Number one rule when buying speakers, no matter what anyone says!!! IT´S YOUR OWN EARS THAT DECIDE! YOU CAN´T HEAR WHAT I HEAR, EVERYONE HAS A DIFFERENT SET OF EARS TO A CERTAIN EXTENT!!
:T

Thanks for the review! It seems the 683 is an amazing deal - I wonder how it compares with the CM7?

Bill

[ac81017]

Hi. What do you think about the tweeter from the new series? Is there noticiable improvement over the series 3?
Thanks

I´ve always thought that the 602s3 tweeter can be a little to what´s the right to use? Harsh? Bright? to clean? anyway, I find the tweeter on the 683´s not as bright or harsh, but still full of live and sparkle. :T

[BW-Fan]

I´ve always thought that the 602s3 tweeter can be a little to what´s the right to use? Harsh? Bright? to clean? anyway, I find the tweeter on the 683´s not as bright or harsh, but still full of live and sparkle. :T

How about the FSt mid being used? Better than the 603 S3's?

[ac81017]

How about the FSt mid being used? Better than the 603 S3's?

The FST really surprised me, because I had tested the cm7 i think it´s called?? I did think from the start that the FST in the CM7 would be the same in the 683´s, and yet the soundstage is bigger in the 683´s, still not as good as the 703, but somewhere in between. I´ve just bought a house, my wife has just has our first kid so there´s not much money left, but I think there´s enough for a pair of 683´s! :T

[BW-Fan]

The FST really surprised me, because I had tested the cm7 i think it´s called?? I did think from the start that the FST in the CM7 would be the same in the 683´s, and yet the soundstage is bigger in the 683´s, still not as good as the 703, but somewhere in between. I´ve just bought a house, my wife has just has our first kid so there´s not much money left, but I think there´s enough for a pair of 683´s! :T

I contacted my local dealer here to see when the 683 would be available. Not till August here in Canada First thing he said was it's made in China not in the UK, but they have some great deals on the 600 S3 series.

I laughed at him and said I'll wait. I told him yes it's built in China but a British Design...I'll bet he has never heard the new 600 series.

So I contacted another B&W dealer about an hour away - his response was more like ac81017's. So I guess we know who has more leftover 600 S3 stock perhaps :B

Was the bass pretty solid ac81017?

[Lewing]

Originally Posted by ac81017
I´ve always thought that the 602s3 tweeter can be a little to what´s the right to use? Harsh? Bright? to clean? anyway, I find the tweeter on the 683´s not as bright or harsh, but still full of live and sparkle.

Thanks you ac81017. I cant wait to listen to 683 soon. If its tweeter performance is close to those CMs... that going to be fantastic!

[BW-Fan]

Today I got a call from my local b&w dealer, he said that he now has the 683´s waiting for me to demo next to the 703´s!

I have to say, the 683´s sounded very good, much better than everything else below the 703´s, but the didn´t have that biiiiigggggg wwiiiidddeee sound stage like the 703´s but still the detail was spot on. If anyone should wants a very good floor stander, but don´t have enough to buy a pair of 703´s then the 683´s are well worth testing! Notice i didn´t say "worth BUYING"! Number one rule when buying speakers, no matter what anyone says!!! IT´S YOUR OWN EARS THAT DECIDE! YOU CAN´T HEAR WHAT I HEAR, EVERYONE HAS A DIFFERENT SET OF EARS TO A CERTAIN EXTENT!!
:T

Can you advise on the test equipment used and souce material ac81017?? Sorry for all the questions but these will likely be my next purchase if they live up to my expectations on being better than the Series 3 models :T

[ac81017]

Can you advise on the test equipment used and souce material ac81017?? Sorry for all the questions but these will likely be my next purchase if they live up to my expectations on being better than the Series 3 models :T

I´m glad I can be of help :W

I was using a Denon amp and cd player, here´s the amp model, DENON PMA-2000AE Nice amp, full of live. At home I´m using the Sony 9000es pre & power amp. I have been listening to Eric Clapton unplugged, Dire straits brother in arms album, and my favorite who´s voice is of an angel, a swedish woman called Pernilla Andersson, She sings all her songs in English. I´m not sure what speaker cable I use in the shop, but it was a real thick and heavey cable. :T

[ac81017]

I contacted my local dealer here to see when the 683 would be available. Not till August here in Canada First thing he said was it's made in China not in the UK, but they have some great deals on the 600 S3 series.

I laughed at him and said I'll wait. I told him yes it's built in China but a British Design...I'll bet he has never heard the new 600 series.

So I contacted another B&W dealer about an hour away - his response was more like ac81017's. So I guess we know who has more leftover 600 S3 stock perhaps :B

Was the bass pretty solid ac81017?

Hi there, Solid is a word i would use the discribe my asw750 sub but not a floor speaker, however, I wasn´t counting on much bass, but i was really surprised at how much bass came out! I have perfect pitch hearing, and I like to hear and feel the low tones on a bass guitar, I also play bass guitar! And I must say that there is more bas than the 603s3, and almost as much as the 604s3 but alot more tight on the 683´s. My conclusion is using MY EARS!, is that the 683´s sound in general are in between the CM7 and 703´s, but not quite as smooth as the 704´s! Don´t forget we all hear in different ways so this is only MY PERSONAL opinion. My number one rule is, It´s your own ears that decide what sound is good! I like a good firm but not to much bass, a clean/clear, neutral and open sounding midrange, and a tweeter that can reproduce all the natural sounds without being to harsh! I´m not somene who has a lot of money, and if I did have loads of money I wouldn´t buy the snails because the have to be the best, i like the 703´s and the 803D´s, and I want to please myself by getting what I want and not buy for example the snails, a rolex and a ferrari and open a thread and say, HEY, LOOK AT ME! :rofl:


Have a nice day my friend :T

[BW-Fan]

Thanks for the info - I'm looking forward to auditioning these new 683's.

[BW-Fan]

Anyone else?

Has anyone else heard the new 600 series 4 yet?

[danhubbard]

Hi there! For the last couple months I have been auditioning many different speakers to find something I really like. ANYTHING I get will be a quantum leap above what I picked up in college. When I heard the CM7's I was in love. I didn't like how bright most of the american brands were, and the CM7's were very pleasing, I could listen to them all day. For the sake of comparison, I asked my dealer to bring in some 703's so I could compare. I didn't like the 704's as much as the CM7's, I thought that might be due to the lack of the FST midrange. After an extensive A/B I actually liked the CM7's better. The 703's just seem too forward for me, even though their soundstage was better. Anyway, I took my wife back today to hear the 703 vs CM7, and she liked the CM7's better too. Then while waiting for the salesman, tucked away in the corner nexd to a TV showing a golf game were the 683's. I had not really considerded the 600's because I love the sound of the FST mid in the CM7, and the 600s3 didn't have it. The salesman said "We got those 3 days ago" SOOO, hooked them up next to the CM7's, and all I have to say is WOW! Soundwise to me, they sound like a happy medium between the CM7 and 703. Bigger wider sound stage and just a little brighter then the CM7, but not as forward and in your face as the 703. And they are a fantastic value! 2x683, the larger center and 2x686 with a little discount came to $2200 plus tax. I am sleeping on it, but next week I more than likely will be a happy new B&W owner. Power was provided by a 105x7 Yamaha reciever ( not sure which one, but I will use seperates) in direct and a Pioneer elite DVD player as the source. I listened to everything from classical, to soundtrack, to heavy metal, to country. All I can say is if you are considering the CM's or anything in this price range, do yourself a favor at at least listen to the new 600s4, especially the 683's

[Lewing]

Thanks so much danhubbard for the review. If the 683 really as good as the CM7 then i am pretty sure that it will sells like hot cake soon. Hope to be able to demo it soon. And, welcome to the B&W forum!

[BW-Fan]

Hi there! For the last couple months I have been auditioning many different speakers to find something I really like. ANYTHING I get will be a quantum leap above what I picked up in college. When I heard the CM7's I was in love. I didn't like how bright most of the american brands were, and the CM7's were very pleasing, I could listen to them all day. For the sake of comparison, I asked my dealer to bring in some 703's so I could compare. I didn't like the 704's as much as the CM7's, I thought that might be due to the lack of the FST midrange. After an extensive A/B I actually liked the CM7's better. The 703's just seem too forward for me, even though their soundstage was better. Anyway, I took my wife back today to hear the 703 vs CM7, and she liked the CM7's better too. Then while waiting for the salesman, tucked away in the corner nexd to a TV showing a golf game were the 683's. I had not really considerded the 600's because I love the sound of the FST mid in the CM7, and the 600s3 didn't have it. The salesman said "We got those 3 days ago" SOOO, hooked them up next to the CM7's, and all I have to say is WOW! Soundwise to me, they sound like a happy medium between the CM7 and 703. Bigger wider sound stage and just a little brighter then the CM7, but not as forward and in your face as the 703. And they are a fantastic value! 2x683, the larger center and 2x686 with a little discount came to $2200 plus tax. I am sleeping on it, but next week I more than likely will be a happy new B&W owner. Power was provided by a 105x7 Yamaha reciever ( not sure which one, but I will use seperates) in direct and a Pioneer elite DVD player as the source. I listened to everything from classical, to soundtrack, to heavy metal, to country. All I can say is if you are considering the CM's or anything in this price range, do yourself a favor at at least listen to the new 600s4, especially the 683's

Thanks DanHubbard - I am slowly working away at my wife for these new speakers! I guess being designed in the UK and built in China has not affected the overall "B&W" Sound.

How was the fit and finish??

If anyone else has heard or has the ability to audition please let me know. We're not due for any here in Canada till August

[BW-Fan]

B&W 683 Wireframe Diagram

For all those who are curious!

[danhubbard]

Fit and finish is not too bad. It's vinyl, and you can tell when next to the CM7's or 700s. But in my opinion the driver compliment makes up for this. They are heavy and solid, the joints are tight. The grill is a bit of a dissapointment, way too much plastic that in my opinion colors the sound a bit, unlike the cm7's grill which is shear and does not interfear. Of course I like the look w/o the grill anyway. The website says you can get them in wenge, but that color did not show up as available to my dealer. Maybe they are not out yet. I may have to compromise on color to get them sooner. My salesman is off for a couple days, so I am still thinking, but I am pretty sure I am going to get thm. I always have a hard time parting with that much money.

[ac81017]

Test testing..

I went down to my local dealer agian to check out the 683´s, the reason why I went again was because the forst time I went there, they had just came out of the box! Now loads of people have tested them, the guy at the store said that they hae now played around 450 hours. I found the midrange more relaxed, the bass was very good, I even thought for a second that there might be a sub somewhere hidden, but no! The tweeter however, still a bit harsh, which is typical for the 600 series, but the tweeter is better than my 602s3´s! I also tested the cm7´s and they sounded a little flat in the bass, and the midrange wasn´t as strong as the 683s, the tweeter was much nicer than the 683s. so if you could swap the tweeters around then you would have a fantastic speaker for money. I personally still think that the 683 is fantastic value for money! But I´m going to have to give in to my all time favorites, the 703!

Has anyone else tested the 683´s???

[danhubbard]

Well, I am the happy new owner of a pair of 683, pair of ds6, a htm61 center, and a velodyne spl1000r!! I just have to wait till monday for delivery from the warehouse, Ugh! The center is also back orderded, not surprising considering it is 3way with an fst, so I will have to use phantom until it arrives. Now I have to finish the rest of the system. I am 95% sure I am ordering a Outlaw audio 990/7125 Pre/pro and amp combo, and a new TV, well that is up in the air. I can't wait to get it all home!!!

[danhubbard]

Well, you know, life is what happens while you are planning it. Monday evening on the way home from picking up my new speakers, my pick-up with 243K miles decided it wanted some money spent on it too. The clutch I had been nursing gave out, so instead of setting up my new speakers, I got to go hunt down parts. Then I spent all day Tuesday replacing the clutch, with just enough time Tuesday evening to hook up the towers. They sound amazing! I played all kinds of stuff and was completely emersed in the detail and parts of the recordings I had never heard. What sounded muddy before was crystal clear. Some of my favorite material features mens' choir (Lord of the Rings, Hunt for Red October), which seem very difficult for many speakers to handle. The 683 resolved this material to such detail I could hear the individual voices. They sound just as good at home as in the showroom, and for my ears they are the perfect ballance between what I liked about the CM7 and 703. Now I can hardly wait to hook up the rest of the system and play some movies. For anyone considering the CM7 or anything in this price range, these speakers really deserve a listen. You may have to look for them, my dealer had them on the showroom floor next to a big TV, not in one of the sound rooms. BTW, BE SURE to take the grills OFF to listen. They are one piece and long so there is a fair amount of plastic reinforcing them, which I think closes in the sound stage to some degree.

[BW-Fan]

They sound amazing! I played all kinds of stuff and was completely emersed in the detail and parts of the recordings I had never heard. What sounded muddy before was crystal clear. Some of my favorite material features mens' choir (Lord of the Rings, Hunt for Red October), which seem very difficult for many speakers to handle. The 683 resolved this material to such detail I could hear the individual voices. They sound just as good at home as in the showroom, and for my ears they are the perfect ballance between what I liked about the CM7 and 703. Now I can hardly wait to hook up the rest of the system and play some movies. For anyone considering the CM7 or anything in this price range, these speakers really deserve a listen. You may have to look for them, my dealer had them on the showroom floor next to a big TV, not in one of the sound rooms. BTW, BE SURE to take the grills OFF to listen. They are one piece and long so there is a fair amount of plastic reinforcing them, which I think closes in the sound stage to some degree.

**Drooool**

[peterS]

Only from my rep and obviously he's jaded. He thought the new line up is better than it should be for the money. He really liked what he heard when he was trained on them in the UK. We'll have to wait until they hit the stores to find out for ourselves.

Eric

mine too
he said they sounded better then some of the 7xx and 8xxs
that might be an overstatement but great for me even if its halfway true

[style]

Hi,
In the past I have had the 703 good ones speaker, hour I have changed the 703 with the 805:another league! fabulous small in dimension but VERY big
in performances .

the 683 will be a good speaker bud I don't have not never still listened

I utilise now the 803s front, 805s rear front and rear powered with 2 Rotel RB1092.


Greetings from Switzerland.
Omar

[jim777]

The 703's need really great electronics to shine and sound good. They will sound harsh if the electronics are not up to it, so I would not be surprised if some prefered the new 683 over the 703's with some electronics.

[Lewing]

I wish i have the chance to demo the 683 and CM7 for side by side comparison. My dealer doesn't stock the CM7 for now, so... Right now i am using Rotel RSX1056 to power my 602 S3. I demoed the CM1 2 months ago and really impressed with CM1's tweeter performance and thought the CM7 would probably sound better and easier to handle due to its higher sensitivity. Then along came the 683, which is highly appraised by everyone so far.

For those who listened to both CM7 and 683, in terms of tweeter performance which is the better one? and by how much? To me, i don't really mind about the bass performance, better tweeter is what i am after.

Thanks in advance!

[nicky]

My dealer finally have these on the showroom for audition along with the old 600 series (which apparently are still the same price without any price reduction). I have to say that they look much better in person compared to the pictures online.

After some time listening to them with my cds, I have to say that they sound pretty good considering the price. Very impressive and attractive if you can't afford or don't want to pay for the 703s. And IMO a definite improvement over the old 600s in sound anyway.

Closeup though the Vinyl finish is basically the same as the old 600s and doesn't compare to the beautiful real wood Veneers of the 703.

IMO, I still prefer the 703s in sound much better and would have bought the 703s again if I had a chance despite the extra cost. But whether or not the much more expensive price of the 703 is worth it or not compared to the 683 I guess is for each person to decide.