The size makes a big difference especially in dynamic range and if you’re looking for relatively small speakers. But I'm impressed with the quality of the sounds! | Restaurant Vent Hood Cleaning

Nothing to worry about.

Very dynamic sound, with decent amp they go well from the bottom. Mid and bass are phenomenal, heights could be sometimes more detailed, but still very solid (from all 3 series these are the best in all segments). At their current price you couldn’t be upset with these. The size makes a big difference especially in dynamic range and if you’re looking for relatively small speakers (they’re actually very big, but still not floor-standing, so) for reasonable price, just go for it.

The look is much better with the S3 model Hard to find in good shape

I've owned the B&W DM602's for well over a decade. They're paired with B&W center channel and 686's as surround speakers with a SVS SB12-NSD sub.
I cringe to admit that I didn't realize they're full potential until several years ago when I started playing with my Yamaha's equalizer. I was stunned after finding the sweet spot and they really came to life.
As with anything there's always something better (Diamond Series) but for the money I paid I don't think I could have done better.

I wanted to upgrade from 20 year old Krix Equinoxe speakers, musical sounding bookshelves, that are rear ported, so can't be placed on a bookshelf! The high treble was lacking in these speakers, but at the time, I liked them more than the B&W 602 S2. The reason was the that the 602 sounded harsh despite representing the entire frequency range well. Now that I've learned through headphone technology that the issue pre-2000 was source accuracy, these days, DACs are orders of magnitude more detailed, even when getting a reasonably cheap implementation of the Sabre 9018, the detail level through any decent amp is phenomenal. I've now discovered that the B&W 602's were not harsh at all, just precise right up to 20KHz, with very little wash over it like the Krix systems. I bought a pair of these second hand, because they are forward and revealing with solid, only very slightly boomy bass (yes, guys... that's how you spell bass). They are now fantastic value and after auditioning many speakers for twice the price, these won. Most speaker places think their bottom of the line Cambridge shelf DAC is all you need to make $15,000 speakers fly, but no, they need to branch out to the headphone world to really hear why the source matters and you can get a Sabre 9018 or a CS4398 for a few hundred that actually soars in detail. The Wolfsen 8740 is actually already outdated, although many don't know it yet. These speakers are great value for a revealing, detailed configuration.

The last reviewer cracks me up...he poo poos people calling themselves audiophiles yet offers no tangible proof that he is in any position to judge...unbelievable....

...anywho...

...these are great speakers for the money and...really they compete with many costing much more! It is amazing what B&W has done with such a small enclosure and at such a relatively low price point. The key work here folks is "revealing". B&W produces some of the most accurate (revealing) loudspeakers out there. So many complain that they sound harsh... but what they are mistaking (in my "opinion") for "warmth" in their own speakers is actually a "muddied" down sound where you're not hearing "all" of the program material as intended by the artist.

Feed these beauties a quality signal using good upstream components and you will be a believer. Are the 602 s2's as good as my 703's...no way! But that's in a direct head to head comparison. Taken on their own the 602's sound great...far better than they should and without breaking the bank!

Point is that listening is completely "subjective" so the very fact that so many people cast dispersions on the speaker choices/preferences of others is narcasitically narrow minded!

So go out, listen, spend your hard earned money on what "sounds" good to "you" and enjoy!!!

Life's too short to spend time worrying or arguing with people about who's speakers or system sound better or whether or not someone deserves the title of audiophile lol...

I want to preface this review with the fact that I hold the term "audiophile" in high regard and feel that many of the people here that refer to themselves as one are pretty silly. Their comments reveal who truly is and isn't an audiophile. Anyone can use the term "soundstage"

That being said, my experiences differed with the different amplifiers I used. They sounded decent with an old Marantz 1200 integrated that tends to be mellow/warm. As I upgraded my components (Accuphase/promitheus) the speakers lost their luster.

I've seen a lot of comparisons to NHT speakers, the B&Ws usually losing the battle. Without trying to jump on the band wagon I have to concur: I picked up a pair of NHT Superzeros off craigslist for $10 (their original retail price of $230 being a bargain, this is a crime). When I brought them home and plugged them in I almost had to pinch myself to believe the sound that was coming from them. To be fair, I admit that I'm using a Velodyne subwoofer, as I would with ANY bookshelf speaker. Without the use of a sub the NHTs simply don't have ANY bass. You can't use them without. The B&Ws will fair well enough on their own, even sound alright in the low bass region. BUT........with the sub handling the lows, the little bottom of the line, 15 year old NHT absolutely TROMP the B&Ws.

There is absolutely no comparison. The NHTs put you right in the room with the artist. Vocals soar, instruments sing! Imaging is incredible.....even from the next room. I can only imagine what their expensive floor standing speakers sound like. In contrast, the 602s sound muffled, you hear a lot of cabinet. The highs sound boosted become harsh and hard to listen to after a while. Maybe they're designed to excel on the crap that most people use for amplification? I think for the price one can do much better.

B&W has a name for itself but I believe the more you shop around and listen to what else is out there you will believe in these less and less. That's not to say some of their other models aren't great, just not these. These are mediocre.

Clear

Weak Bass

When I moved to USA from Singapore, I sold my system consisting of Tannoy Mercury M2. I like my Tannoy speakers but I cannot take it with me because it's too bulky & heavy. It's so difficult to find the same Tannoy in the US, so I start searching for alternative brands available in the US market. I heard about the B&W 6 series & waited for the right time to buy it. I was so excited at first because I thought it would sound better than the M2, but it didn't meet my expectations. It's clear though but lacks some punch. I miss my Tannoy, but this DM602 will do the job but with the help of a sub. Can't complain for the price I paid, good thing I didn't buy a new one....

Similar Products Used:

Tannoy Mercury M2

I was looking for a pair of DM602 S2 or S3's, and then found this pair of series 1's for $90. I went to the guys house and was shocked at how BAD they sounded. No highs, no lows, just a huge muddy middle. (I did not see what type of amp that he had).

Because of what they sell for on Ebay (currently dm602s1's are going for around $400) I thought I'd get them. Worse I'd just resell them.

Got them home, and did a side by side comparison against the best speakers I own (Klipsch RB-5 II's). (I have a Denon 687 receiver with 12 gage speaker wire). When I compared them (using the A/B speaker buttons) , there was obviously a huge difference in efficiently. But, when they were adjusted to the same sound level, I played track after track--and I could not tell a huge difference. The Klipsch RB-5's sounded richer and the dm602-s1's had a stronger (maybe even boomy) base. So, for $90, I'm very pleased.

The dm602s1's sound much better then my: Cerwin-Verga LS-8's, Klipsch Synergy B2's, and Bose 201's.

I'm building a movie theater in my basement with a 7.1 sound system and will be using these as my fronts. I don't think that I'll need a sub with there strong base. Also, I will not get a center speaker until I'm sure that I'll keep them.

Similar Products Used:

KLIPSCH RB-5 II's; Cerwin-Verga LS-8's, Klipsch Synergy B2, Bose 201's

I have had my B&W speakers for 6 years. I have to say my opinions of them have changed dramatically as my components improved over time. My first set up was the Rotel 971 Preamp and amp and with a dvd player as my cd player the speakers sounded good but limited in treble and overall clarity. I actually the 601s for their clarity and crispness. Its been 5 years and now I am using a Rotel A/V RSX 972 as my receiver and the new Marantz DV8300(its awesome) plus new red dragon speaker cables (bi-wired). I have also bought two Audio Mirror power cords and the sound is just amazing now. Its rich and clear and the treble is now the best part. Sometimes you have to have not just expensive but well matched equipment. Because I found the Marantz slightly bright in sound I thought it would be perfect with the 602's that lacks that clarity on the top. The middle is now very rich and clear although not like 804s or 803s. That is my next stop. In movies, these speakers are more than enough. Highly recommended if you can find some used ones that have been carefully taken care of.

Best speakers for the price, very musical, great imaging and detail, hardly any distortion, open soundstage (for the price), great great look with the kevlar

Bass is a little weak and sometimes boomy (but still very good for a bookshelf)

I'm actually reviewing the 602 s3. I love listening to all kinds of music, including classical, asian, latin, jazz, blues, and rap. At the time, I was looking for the best pair of speakers I could get for a relatively cheap price. I'd heard B&Ws before, so I thought I'd give them a test. I demo'ed B&W, Paradigm, Klipsch, Boston Acoustic,JBL,PSB,Renaissance,KLH, Infinity, and some others I can't remember. Of all of the bookshelf and floorstanding speakers in the mid-500s price range for the pair, the B&Ws sounded the most musical to me. They perform well at the highs, are extremely great at mids, and weaker on the lows. Imaging is very nice, the best I heard in that price range. Considering they're only bookshelves the bass is good! Sound is also very dependent on placement in the room, angle, and sound absorption (to really hear these guys, you must make sure the room doesn't bounce the sound around too much, and get rid of things that make too much noise! like little cube fridges and noisy components - they REALLY kill the subtle details). When I really cranked these things up, I truly fell in love. The sound stayed very tight and true and bass picked up. I strongly recommend that you do NOT increase the BASS level, you're just asking for distortion and bottoming out. These are the best speakers I've tried in the price range. Of course, I can definitely hear lots of weaknesses. They are, after all, relatively cheap speakers. To truly feel satisfied with the bass, I complemented them with the ASW1000 (this sub rocks). Once I had the sub, I felt very satisfied with rap and other pop music that has a lot of bass at even the lowest listening volumes. They sound a bit boxy and constrained, but that's only because I've got CDM9s as my fronts now :) So, I've recently moved the 602s to rears, have a lcr60 as my center, asw1000 as the sub, and just added CDM9s as the fronts. I know, I know, please don't tell me about the center and fronts, I just don't want to upgrade the center right now. They work great as rears, though a shame to not work them so much. Overall, I think they are the best deal out there in terms of speaker quality for price paid. Components: Rotel RSX1055 Receiver Toshiba SD3800 DVD player Samsung SIRTS160 HDTV tuner Toshiba 50H82 HDTV Everything run through Panamax Max5100 Speakers: B&W CMD9NT front B&W LCR60 center B&W 602 S3 rear B&W ASW1000 sub

Similar Products Used:

Paradigm, Klipsch, Boston Acoustic,JBL,PSB,Renaissance,KLH,Infinity