Price Paid:  $279.00 from Superfi, Derby

Summary:
I have been playing with HiFi for many years now and the advent of eBay has allowed me to try out many different products (albeit second hand). Some of this gear has been fairly high end and has included full systems from Arcam, Naim, and Meridian. I recently downsized to free up some cash and, after settling on a mid-priced amplifier and CD player, set about finding some suitable speakers.
The B&W 686s nearly didn't happen and if it weren't for the unbearably harsh treble on some Focal JM Lab Cobalt 806s and a very favourable review in "HiFi World" magazine I wouldn't have tried them. I've tried B&W speaker in the past and was never really bowled over by them. At a price of £279 the 686s were worth a try and if not satisfactory could always go on eBay. Getting speakers to fit in with a particular room size and furnishings is not easy. My room is roughly 12 x 13 feet with hardwood floors and I believe that, after trying many different speakers, I have found the optimum size of speaker for this room size. These speakers fill the room with music, without any harshness in the treble, and boom in the bass. I like bass and these provide enough tight punchy bass to put a smile on your face but at the same time not at the expense of a clear midrange. Metal dome tweeters can often sound harsh especially when pushed hard and I've never really been fond of them but these are leagues ahead of what I've heard in the past. The size of the sound that comes from these diminutive boxes is really quite stunning, truly an engineering miracle. My music tastes are varied and I can honestly say that these speakers are good at everything. These will be staying for a while now!

Strengths:
Tremendous bass and large soundstage for such small boxes. Very dynamic. With my amplifier (Exposure 2010) I get a fantastic punchy bass which is also fast and tight. The treble is smooth, but not overly so, and the midrange is superb. The performance of these speakers is well above their price.

Weaknesses:
These speakers whilst not a difficult load are fairly insensitive (84db/1w/m) and demand some quality amplification if they are to be heard at their best. Most people will probably pair these with a price comparable amplifier that isn't really up to the job and come away with the wrong impression. You need an amp with muscle that can really get hold of those cones and stay firmly in control. I totally agree with "HiFi World" magazine when they say that you need to think of these as £500 speakers when looking for a partnering amplifier.