Bowers & Wilkins 607 S3 Standmount Speaker - Why B&W's New Baby Packs a Serious Punch
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- čas přidán 29. 10. 2023
- Meet the cheapest way into B&W ownership - the new 607 S3. The smallest in Bowers' eighth generation entry-level range, it's an impressive little standmounter. Indeed, Mike and David think that it's the best cheap bookshelf speaker on sale right now, and more fun than you'd expect from a budget box.
Each episode of Hi-Fi Riff features the guys' unedited, unexpurgated views about all manner of weird and wonderful hi-fi designs. Business executive Mike has a wealth of knowledge from previous hi-fi retail experience, and David has written about hi-fi for thirty years. Now Editor-in-Chief of StereoNET, he's picked up a few things along the way.
So relax and enjoy some one-take hi-fi riffing - and please leave your comments below. And don’t forget to hit the Subscribe button, this one goes up to eleven!
The eighties-tastic title tune is called ‘UFO/Mike’s Jumper’, and used with the express permission of our old pal and rights holder Simon Lythe.
Read StereoNET's excellent review of the B&W 607 S3 here:
www.stereonet.com/uk/reviews/...
Follow Hi-Fi Riff on Instagram here: hifiriff - Hudba
![If you can't hear this then you're not an audiophile [See description for link to followup video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/48PxwspDvrE/mqdefault.jpg)
Really enjoy listening to you guys talking about any piece of gear. Keep it coming 👍
Dear Chaps,
Good to see you back from the hi-fi show. That was a good idea to show your left field stuff and chat to the natives. I couldn't get there because I live on a different continent. I watched both episodes but struggled with low volume level.
With some straining of my ears, I did hear Mike O'Barik, the Irish Linn Lover, complaining at the show, about being referred to in your Comments section as the Socket Botherer. It was you, David who coined that term and, to prove a point, Mike was straight into socket bothering at 1:13 in this video. People such as myself have merely repeated the term in order to join in the banter. You are the Banter Boys of hi-fi reviewing. It's OK, Mike. You can sit back and enjoy such good natured banter being bandied around.
Just wanted to say that the Staverton gig was a good one.....Never thought I would see Iggy Pop and Buster Bloodvessel on the same sofa.
That's a damn sight harsher than Beavis and Butthead! I only saw the show via CZcams, but looked a good gig.
Great riff again Chaps
Would love a riff of the 805D4’s, good riff again.
I can oblige, I did them for StereoNET. Liked them a lot. D4 is clearly better than D3 series.
Great review
Fantastic review lads I've found on all my bi-wired speakers removing the metal speaker connectors and replacing them with proper audio jumper cables achieves a much better sound
100% agree.
I took delivery, of a brand new pair of Bowers & Wilkins 603 S2 Anniversary, floor standing loudspeakers. These are bi - amplified / wired with a pair of Linn amplifiers. An LK 140 takes care of bass inputs and an LK 100 takes care of the treble. (I do have an additional LK 100 which I am currently re - capping). When I first ran these speakers, I have to say, I was very disappointed. Everything sounded flat, lacked bass and detail, and I have to say, I was nearly up for putting my old faithful Mission M35’s back in commission. However, with many things in life, patience wins in the end. After nearly three weeks of almost daily playing, with average listening sessions of a couple of hours, these speakers are turning out some real `sonic magic’. The aluminium tweeters are producing some sweet / un sibilant treble, very good coherent mid range, and bass to die for. Sound stage is as good as anything I have heard else where through the years. I noted (as I guess many reviewers do), you ran these speakers straight from the box. Maybe, after running in few a few hours, your opinion(s) might change? I’m not sure if it’s the case that, speakers, or in fact any audio equipment is reviewed `straight from the box’ a true picture of its capabilities are highlighted. Please guys, this is not a criticism of how you review, as I also enjoyed your light hearted presentation, it made a refreshing change from other reviewers, and I’ll be sure to see a few more of your reviews, keep up the good work. Geoff.
great relaxing review - better than those cold review that looks like AI made ones
What is the one up from these please and is there massive difference?
I have a standard size lounge uk 4.2 metres by 4.2 and 2.5 metres high.
My amp is a Musical Fidelity Electra E100 amp which is 70 watts, my CD player is an old Marantz CD 63 SE, would these speakers be ok with my stuff?
I previously had a pair of mission 753s.
Funny the best amp for my Falcon LS3/5As is my fully serviced 1978 vintage Kenwood KR 9600 at 160 watts. A 53lb beast of a receiver.
Was the late seventies the pinnacle of amp/speaker design?
I think it's hard to argue that technological progress has made amplifiers better, since then. There are more cheap and/or more reliable amps around now - but the sound hasn't necessarily improved in outright terms. MOSFET and now Class D chips have made life easier for amplifier designers, but do they sound any better? I don't think so. Same goes for speakers, to a lesser extent. I think it's harder to buy a bad speaker than it was in 1978, but the other side of this is that there is less diversity in the mainstream market.
Excellent Riff, thoroughly enjoyable. What about room placement for these little beauties, they are rear ported so how good in a small room when walls are in close proximity?
I wondered that too. My 606s2 came with port plugs with removal of a center hole partial plug. I use them in my bedroom system with full port plugs and sound great in that set up.
They needed 20-30cm from the rear wall, and a slight toe-in. They sounded great on Mike's Linn Kan stands, even if we did have to rotate them by 90 degrees - the stands that is, not the speakers!@@jamesschneider3828
Mike,don't let David get away with teasing you too lightly 😊
He's all sweetness and light on video, but he's a foul mouthed bully offscreen!
@@MrVinylista ☺️
What would you say about the audiolab 6000a as a match ? Enough power ? How is the low volume listening ?
Yes, definitely enough power - and the 6000a is a good sounding budget amp. Personally I'd go for a Rega Brio at this price level though, as it has a warmer and creamier sound which I think would be a better tonal match.
Will the Marantz Cinema 50 (110W) in stereo mode make the best out of these spreakers? And if yes is there any point upgrading to a better amp? Thanks.
I've lived with a pair of the 606s2 for three years and reviewers knocked them to to harsh sounding in the tweeter area. They are if you tow them in toward you but if you fire them straight forward they warm a little and give a great 160° wide soundstage, not real deep but front row wide.
Enjoying your riffs😊 Keep them coming! Sounds as if B&Ws new tweeter is sweeter😊 The only slightly more expensive and still smallish, new and hopefully similarly improved, 606 s3 may perhaps turn out a better offer, when on a limited budget. For speakers and amp combined. Considering its much higher sensitivity of 88 db vs 84 db?
What brand of Sherry?
Any! 😂 Mike
@@mikeyevs QC Cream? Or do we now have to call it KC? Or possibly Emva Cream, from Limassol, a south-eastern suburb of Jerez de la Frontera...
@@robertleitch2016 Harvey's Bristol Cream for me, from Tesco's, a south-western supermarket in a suburb of Swindon...
Unfortunately the so called Continuum is merely a silver coated yellow Kevlar cone. B&W did this to stop the white van scammers trying to hammer into the sales of the lower end B&W 600 series.
at their prices they are far too expensive for what they provide as a sensation, at the same price you have at ACOUSTIC ENERGY, the AE 300 which is clearly superior!!! and better finished….
The AE300 is great fun - as you'd expect from that brand - but it's not quite as detailed. I do agree with you that the 607 S3 is getting expensive though. It's a lot more than the S2 was, when launched. I wonder if B&W is working on a 507 S1, to plug the gap?