B&W HTM-61

[at_sunset_blvd]

Guys I was wondering if we could use the B&W HTM-61 center channel as Left & Right for the fronts in my 7.1 set-up? I'm not very familiar w/ frequency responses of speakers. Any suggestions?

[omar7631]

For the price you will pay to get those speakers you should get the 685, they will sound better and save you money.

[hifiguymi]

If you can stand the HTM-61 up they do sound pretty good. It's when you lay them down that they suffer. Omar is right that the 685 is a pretty good sounding speaker but if you put them in a cabinet or close to a wall they sound really thick and heavy in the lower midrange/upper bass.

Tell us what is the placement/room is like and it will be easier to recommend a speaker to fit the application.

Eric

[at_sunset_blvd]

If you can stand the HTM-61 up they do sound pretty good. It's when you lay them down that they suffer. Omar is right that the 685 is a pretty good sounding speaker but if you put them in a cabinet or close to a wall they sound really thick and heavy in the lower midrange/upper bass.

Tell us what is the placement/room is like and it will be easier to recommend a speaker to fit the application.

Eric

I have an existing 601s3 & want to change it to a bigger bookshelf type speaker (floorstanders are out coz of space constraints in my room). I'm direly lusting for some 602s w/c is out of production already so for me I think the HTM-61 is the best size I'm targeting. I already have this as my center w/c for me is satisfying already so I was just doubting if this is ok to be use as fronts maybe centre channels have different crossovers than typical bookshelf speakers or they are just the same?

[hifiguymi]

The crossovers are no different for a center channel than a bookshelf or floorstanding speaker. They are just designed for the drivers in that particular speaker.

I think the HTM61 would work great in that application although you should also consider a pair of CM5s as well if you listen to two channel music. If you already have an HTM61 as your center channel then the best match will be two more of them.

I've sold a number of systems that have three center channels for L,C,Rs because the ideal system would have the same speaker for all three locations. The sound will vary if one of them is laying on its side but you won't get a better match with any other model.

Eric

[at_sunset_blvd]

The crossovers are no different for a center channel than a bookshelf or floorstanding speaker. They are just designed for the drivers in that particular speaker.

I think the HTM61 would work great in that application although you should also consider a pair of CM5s as well if you listen to two channel music. If you already have an HTM61 as your center channel then the best match will be two more of them.

I've sold a number of systems that have three center channels for L,C,Rs because the ideal system would have the same speaker for all three locations. The sound will vary if one of them is laying on its side but you won't get a better match with any other model.

Eric

Thanks there Eric now thats a relief coz everybody is just putting down the HTM-61 so thats why I'm hesitating already to purchase these speakers. I'll wait for two or more suggestions in this thread & we'll see what they think about this configuration.

[stuofsci02]

I would go with the 685 in a heart beat over two more HTM61. I would even go with the 685 as the center if space allows it.. Still as I mentioned in the other thread, compared to every other B&W speaker I have ever owned, for me the HTM61 fails at what it is supposed to do at the given pricepoint.