A few weeks ago I helped a friend of mine pick out gear for his home theater. We went to the closest Best Buy and they were remodeling their Magnolia area (for those in Dallas, the one off Walnut Hill and the 75) .
I was lucky to score a pair of open box B&W 685's for half off the marked down price of $550 - so my out the door price was $225 plus tax.
Best $225 I have ever spent!! I compared them to my 602's, expecting less bass and basically the same sound. What I got was a much more open and relaxed sound. Where the 602's sound a bit tinny in the top, the 685's sing. The 602's have more bass output, but the bass is better in the 685's event though the driver and box are smaller. More defined, better integrated. The midrange is comparable, but on the whole the 685's just sound better.
At work, I replaced the powered Mackie 624's in my office with the 685s (using an Integra ADM-2.1) and I am just amazed how great these speakers sound. One of our imaging directors now comes to my office to confirm his mix - you can just hear everything in the recording through these puppies!
I'm going to take them home this weekend to compare them on 2 channel music to the 805's that I use in my home theater. I know it's a totally different league but I still need to know if the 685's are as satisfying as the 805's. I love my 805's but do not remember being this excited about their sound.
I usually don't write threads like this, since sound is so personal, but what B&W has managed to wring out of these mini's is monsterous!!!
I was lucky to score a pair of open box B&W 685's for half off the marked down price of $550 - so my out the door price was $225 plus tax.
Best $225 I have ever spent!! I compared them to my 602's, expecting less bass and basically the same sound. What I got was a much more open and relaxed sound. Where the 602's sound a bit tinny in the top, the 685's sing. The 602's have more bass output, but the bass is better in the 685's event though the driver and box are smaller. More defined, better integrated. The midrange is comparable, but on the whole the 685's just sound better.
At work, I replaced the powered Mackie 624's in my office with the 685s (using an Integra ADM-2.1) and I am just amazed how great these speakers sound. One of our imaging directors now comes to my office to confirm his mix - you can just hear everything in the recording through these puppies!
I'm going to take them home this weekend to compare them on 2 channel music to the 805's that I use in my home theater. I know it's a totally different league but I still need to know if the 685's are as satisfying as the 805's. I love my 805's but do not remember being this excited about their sound.
I usually don't write threads like this, since sound is so personal, but what B&W has managed to wring out of these mini's is monsterous!!!
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