B&W 601 S3 bright?

[starshaped]

My only experience of speakers so far has been from Castle. Of which i have the latest durham 3.

However its very refined and great with something like Norah jones, but lacks punch and excitement for Rock music.

With this in mind i have bought a pair of 601's (S3) off ebay. Which i am waiting to be delivered.

if i am not happy with them i can of course re-list them on ebay, so i havent got anything to lose. I have a rotel 1062 amp is this a good match?

I just want a good balance all round so that i can play everything from very refined stuff through to nitty gritty rock music.

I have heard they can be bright at first, how long should i give them before i can give an honest apprasial of their performance?

And comments would be appreciated

[Aussie Geoff]

Starshaped,

If they are second hand then they will be broken in already. If not then 20-30 hours playing will smooth out the treble - but many people think they keep getting better for the first 200 hours or so!

I think you'll like them more than the Castles - they are less coloured and more dymamic. Let me quote from a review in What Hi Fi:

Ultimately it's the 601 S3s' lack of any weakness that makes them so special. Their talent is so widespread that most of the competition is left reeling. Detail resolution, dynamics, insight.....everything is present and correct, and these speakers rate highly in every area.

What more can we say? These new B&W's are a terrific buy. The price rise over their predecessors pits them against tougher rivals, but on this showing B&W has little to worry about. Unlike the competition.

If you like the sound but want a little more bass punch (which I suspect you will for pure stereo) try their bigger brothers the 603s, they go down closer to 40Hz rather than the 60 hz of the 601, and they're more efficient. Even better the 604s, which really rock given a chance.... As covered in another post, I went listening with a friend and he ended up with the 603s but the 601s are very nice if you don't have room for floorstanding speakers...

However really speakers a very personal and I'd recommend listenning in store with familiar (bring your own) CDs etc if you can before buying anything ...

Geoff

[Rags]

Aussie Geoff - whilst I dont doubt the wisdom of you words the last magazine I would rely on for a review is What HiFi.

[Aussie Geoff]

Some more reviews if they help

Rags,

Not a problem - As I put in my thread - I always recommend people listen before they buy - speakers are so personal.

I also recognise that magazines reviews are personal so -there is always Hi Fi Choice where in the January 2002 Issue they said:

'This is an extremely capable design for the money and should certainly be added to the shortlist of anyone who's after a great starter system'

or Gramaphone in Janaury 2002:

The word ‘forthright’ has been mentioned before and is a pretty good way to describe the balance of the speakers: they’re explicit, and make very clear the qualities – or indeed failings – of the sources and amp with which they’re used.

Get the system-matching right – and in real terms that means using a CD player and amplifier each costing at least as much as the speakers – and the DM601S3s’ ability to deliver a vibrant, close-up view of solo performers, allied to a soundstage that’s often surprising in its depth and precision, will prove highly infectious.

Voices are handled well by these speakers, whether we’re considering soloists with piano accompaniment or massed forces on opera or choral discs.

.... these speakers aren’t by any means a relaxing listen – well, not unless they’re partnered with soft-sounding sources and amplification – but they do have a visceral appeal that’s hard to ignore.

Personally I prefer the bigger sound of the 602 S3 and larger models but they are more $

But ultimately only personal taste and system matching will tell for Starshaped...

Geoff

[BlazeMaster]

I just got a pair of the 601s couple weeks ago driven by a Denon 2805 and with a LCR600 center. I live in an apartment with neighbors sharing commons walls. I find the 601s with sufficient bass until I move into a townhouse or condo without sharing common walls with neighbors. I was going for the 602s at first, but ended up with a pair of 601s. When I got more money in my way I'll pick up a pair of 602s and move the 601s as surrounds in a 5.1 setup. So far, I'm very pleased with the 601s, although I've so far only used for movies, haven't tried music yet. Let me know if you want more info on them. Good luck.