B&W 685 V's MONITOR AUDIO RS1

[bleeding ears]

From my research it would appear that these 2 speakers are both great and they are both in the same price range $999 B&W 685 - $ 950 Monitor Audio RS1 (Aus dollars)

So has anyone compared them ?

What were your impressions ?

Which ones would you buy (and why) ?

Try to forget this is a B&W forum for a while and dont feel you have to say B&W, unless you need to :lol:


Pete

[PewterTA]

In my opinion I've always found the B&W to do better musically. The monitor audio's speakers are very good with HT use, but seemed (to me) to lack the same sound stage and detail I've found with B&Ws.

I have not compared those two identical models, but others from each manufacturer.

[bleeding ears]

Hi Pewter, thanks for the reply, seems so far that there are not too many others on the B&W forum at least, that have compared the brands, let alone the actual model of speakers.

I have heard the 685's and yes they did sound musical and detailed, and I was very impressed ,but they perhaps had a little too much bass, especially for a bookshelf.

Im not saying they were boomy, just very full sounding for such a small speaker. Sounded somewhat like a floorstander in fact, quite amazing.

In a small to medium sized room that I have, I am concerned that this kind of bass could prove a bit hard to keep tight. This is why I have currently gone away from using floorstanders and are seriously considering the B&W or Monitor Audio bookshelves.

I could be wrong and the bass may not be a problem with the 685 , but this is where the Monitor Audio RS1 has got my interest as possibly a better option.

The Monitor audio RS1 is claimed (like the RS6) to be a very good speaker for the money and is supposed to be very fast detailed and clear sounding.

The reviews I have read of the RS1 and the smallish floorstanding RS6 are very positive, in fact Stereophile praised the RS6 to the point that it seemed pointless looking elsewhere for any other speaker, but I have taken that bait before and are now judging with my ears, well mostly anyways.

Not having yet had the oppourtunity to hear the MA brand, I am interested to know more opinions, or experiences compared to the B&W's.


Pete

[Russ L]

I listened to the Monitor Audio Bronze 3-way floorstanders run by a Nad amp when I was comparing CD Players. The demo room was very reflective acoustically with walls of gear on both sides. The Monitors were able to clearly demonstrate the differences between CD players price at $700, $1400, and $1800. I was convinced to buy the expensive player. They were forward in presentation but good separation between instruments and a good dark background. A hard hitting presentation with very solid bass. Of course the Cambridge 840C CD player is hard to beat and the Monitor Audios didn't sound as near as good with the other players to be honest. (Rega Appollo and Cambridge 640C) I prefer B&W's clarity and more laid back sound. I thought the 604S3s were better IMO. Hey, this is coming from someone with a HT system and a 2 channel system both run through B&W speakers.

[PewterTA]

With respect to the 685, if the bass is too much, you can use the provided port plug to tighten the driver response and lessen the amount of bass. Should make it extremely close to the RS1s.

Best thing to do is to listen to both in your own setup (if you can) to see which sounds the over all best to you.

Also what electronics are you going to be using...that could make a difference in and of itself.

[bleeding ears]

Pewter, good point, I was not aware that they came with port plugs.

I am using all Rotel electronics, a 950 cd player, 1068 prepro, and a 985 amp (100w x 5), oh and a hsu Vtf 2 sub, however I am talking about 2 channel sound and front speakers only. I am not overly concerned about the ht sound as getting the best tight bass and musical sounding front speakers (at the $1000 price point)for cd stereo playback is may aim using this setup.

I have found in the past that port plugs do control the bass, but as with everything there is a trade off, and the midrange clarity suffered a little, so I am trying to do my homework now to avoid any problems later, been there done that. LOL


Pete

[bleeding ears]

RussL, thanks for the input.

The monitor audio bronze series is one step below the RS or silver series so I would hope there may be a little more refinement in the silver series.

It is good to know the positives you mentioned of seperation and bass and also the negatives, of having to have a great cd player to get the best from them, however would this apply to all speakers as it did with the MA's?

The fact that you guys have gone for B&W over the other brands is a sign of what you believe to be the best option I guess, and it is a brave person that backs any other brand (in the same price range) over B&W especially on a B&W forum, LOL.


My thinking is that if I find anyone here that backs the RS1 over the B&W 685 which I doubt I will find, then maybe, just maybe it is a better option for me.

I will of course try to have a listen, at home if possible, before buying any speaker, but that may not be possible, that is where this forum and the advice on here is fantastic.

Thanks guys, further comment is welcome from anyone!

Pete

[Russ L]

RussL, thanks for the input.

The monitor audio bronze series is one step below the RS or silver series so I would hope there may be a little more refinement in the silver series.

It is good to know the positives you mentioned of seperation and bass and also the negatives, of having to have a great cd player to get the best from them, however would this apply to all speakers as it did with the MA's?


Pete

B&W has a fairly consistent house sound thru their lineup and other speaker lines as well. So maybe MA does as well.

I'm not sure about the vast difference in CD players with other speakers because I never demoed them on my B&Ws. But the MAs did not sound good with a lesser player...they were very closed off and forceful. My B&Ws sounded much better with other inexpensive CD players I have owned.

I wanted to give whatever experience I had because MAs are not discussed on this forum very much for whatever reason. Few owners frequent these parts. Try the British Audio Forums as they are more popular there.

Regards,

[WI Rotel]

The monitor audio is a fine speaker. As to compared to the 6 series only your ears can tell. Do not buy one or the other without auditioning them side by side and at home. Most stores will let you take them home for a week or 2 to try them out.

[skuzzyb]

I had the monitor audio RS1 and I must say it was a very, very, good speaker for the money. I used is for stereo while our house was being built. I have not heard the 685s but I was very happy with the RS1s. Very detailed in the mid range, very articulate and a fast speaker. Worked well with my electronics. When I bought them and hooked it up I put on one of my favourite compilations by Stephane Pompougnac and heard things I never heard before on my other speakers. The vocals were crystal clear and tonally very good. So good in fact that my wife commented on how great they sounded.

So while I have not heard the 685s so cannot compare, I would recommend listening to them both and make a decision, I do not think you would go wrong either way.

skz

[bleeding ears]

Skuzzyb, thanks for your impressions of the RS1, it is good to have someone that actually has owned and heard the RS1 confirm similar findings to what the editorial reviews say.

so I can gauge the quality of gear used to get the sound you described, could you tell me what your setup is now and what it was before you got the RS1's. amp/receiver/player/speakers etc.

If my setup is of lesser performance I may not get the same result.

Pete

[skuzzyb]

You can see what my set up is now on my profile, but it is:
Fronts - 802D x2
Centre HTM2D
Rear - 805S x2
CD Player - Cambridge Audio 840C
DVD Player - Marantz DV9600
BluRay - Samsung 1400
Processor - SSP600
Amplification - Classe CA3200 , CA 2200

My previous set-up-
Monitor Audio RS1
Harmon Kardon AVR30
CD Player - pioneer, do not remember which model but it was pretty basic. After I upgraded to the RS1s I remember the difference and how better everything sounded. It even made my HK sound like a star, it is interesting what a difference the speakers made, I then bought the Cambridge Audio CD player and added it and heard another level of improvement. I then changed the speake cables to Kimbers and hear even more improvements. Then of course I went whole hog and bought the kit listed above keeping the CD player as I did not hear any difference between the Cambridge Audio and the Classe CDP to justify spending the money for it.

skz

[bruno]

I think the RS1 is way better than the 685! Most people seem to lean towards the 685, so I was very surprised when I compared them. The 685s sounded dull and muffled compared to the sparkling clear RS1. And they look better, just as long as you don't take of the grills.