Prune_Phace

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
I'm blown away by these little babies.Picked them up secondhand expecting them to be average sounding,but I was wrong.
A very clean and articulate speaker.The midrange detail is outstanding,together with a sweet treble and punchy bass.I use them with a 1k Cd player and amplifier-they are that good.Outclassed many more expensive speakers that i have heard

Price Paid:  $450.00 from Sounds of Music Calg

Summary:
Have two sets of these in my home theatre setup and they work well for both music and video. They are very light speakers, but they don't need to be filled with damping material because of the conical tweeter design.

These speakers have great midrange and top end. They do a great job with vocals and detailling without being harsh. I have these setup with the ASW600 sub and the combination works very well. If I was to be picky, I would probably look for a larger model because there is a bit of a drop off between the ASW600 and the DM600s.

Imaging is not as "locked in" as with my PSB Stratus Bronzes, despite playing around with the setup. It's good, but not as holographic as those old Bronzes (which were also over twice the price as the DM600s when new).

Overall, I find these to be a great bang for the buck. It also helps that they look good. When you remove the grilles, those Kevlar drivers look pretty cool.

Strengths:
Great midrange and treble, modern looking drivers, excellent price.

Weaknesses:
Bass response and extension, but remember that these are small 5.25" woofers, you'll need a sub. Imaging could be better.

Similar Products Used:
Paradigm Mini Monitor, PSB Stratus Bronze, PSB Alpha A/V

Did back to back listening tests with Paradigm Mini Monitors (v.4?). Although the Mini Monitors had more bass, the midrange was much less defined and the top end was a bit harsh when compared with the DM600s. The midrange and balanced top end are why I chose the DM600s over the Paradigms.

stvnscott

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 2.00 votes

Price Paid:  $300.00 from eBay

Summary:
I bought these to use in my HT in conjuction with a B&W setup using a pair of CM4s in the front with a CMC center channel and a Yamaha sub driven by a Sony ES9000. I spent a lot of money on the front array and wanted something for the rear surrounds that would blend seamlessly with the fronts while being cheap enough to justify buying (the matching CM2s run over $1000/pair). I looked at KEF, Paradigm and Polk and even thought about using in-wall units. In the end, I listened to a pair of these at a home theater store and was blown away. I'm guessing the drivers in these are the same as the CM series and the cabinet costruction and crossover make them cheaper. Anyway, I could not be happier with this purchase. I doubt these would do it for my by themselves for muic listening (even with a sub), but they make killer surrounds and should be considered by anyone using B&W speakers in their HT but concerned about price on the rear channels.

Strengths:
Solid construction, great sound, seamless with other B&W speakers, wall mount brackets included, enough said.

Weaknesses:
Weak bass, but that is to be expected since they are intended to be surrounds supported by a sub. No negatives that I can see.

Similar Products Used:
Paradigm, Polk, Alesis, Infinity, Bose, KEF, other B&W

dhoomdhoom

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Price Paid:  $365.00 from Classifieds

Summary:
Have had these for about 2 weeks and absolutely love them. I have them hooked up with a B&W ASW600 sub and if you close your eyes and listen, you would swear that these speakers sound much larger. Would highly reccommend. I own a pair of 602S2, and these are a fine addition to those.

Strengths:
Clarity.

Weaknesses:
You need a Sub.

Similar Products Used:
Klipsch, Yamaha, Paradigms.

sunfirejames

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Visitors rate this review
3.71 of 5, 7.00 votes

Price Paid:  $350.00 from BW dealer in San Raf

Summary:
I've tried a lot of bookshelves that would be suitable for a low/mid price system and I first heard the S1 and then the S2. Both sets were broken in and the S2 had better detail than the S1s, hooked up to a Sony ES rec in 2ch mode. S2's were a little brighter but not harsh like the Dynaudios I heard at the same time (forgot the model, about 1K a pair). The 303 sounded worse in every respect and I agree with the other reviewer prefering these for only 50 more. I also agree that the 600s were preferable to the 601s. It seems the bass was cleaner and it could go louder in the mid/highs before distorting, and when distorting the 600s did it better (more subtle).

That said, I started building my dedicated 2ch bedroom system recently and I started with an Onix SP3, 10+ year old Denon 5cd, Polk r10s, double runs of cheap monster cable speaker cable, .5 meter Belden cables original bought for video. The setup was amazing although it lacked bass depth and dynamics. Very good detail in what bass there was. I was surprised at how good it sounded. I've owned many different Polk bookshelves but the r10s were my fav bang for the buck models (i think i paid 50 for the pair). Highs were silky smooth, mids were amazing. Best bang for the buck setup I have ever owned or heard.

Next came a freshly broken in pair of 1 meter Kimber Hero ICs. Results were dissapointing at this point. The highs became too soft, not a good cable for tubes with soft speakers. After this, I bought the 600 S3s and I was glad I had the Kimber Heros. These speakers were harsh out the box! Very detailed but almost to a fault. These are probably better speakers for a solid state setup with fast and bass heavy music with a listener who prefers detail over smoothness (this to accentuate what seems to be its strengths? for most other reviewers). I happen to like both smoothness and detail but the speakers were horrible when new in this setup. After about 100 hours of break-in (which the dealer recommended) they have softened up a bit. Mids are much better though. Female vocals were way too deep and off key sounding when new. They still are but getting better. I have ordered Kimber 8TC speaker cables and PK10 power cables to see if I can warm it up a bit more. Bass is great for this size of a speaker but not as good as some studio monitors (passive and similar size) that I have heard, especially no comparison to KRKs. These speakers are great for orchestral, jazz, and anything that doesn't involve vocals, especially female. I suspect it is due to the Kevlar mids, probably needs about 1000 hours of break in. Very revealing tweeters which is good if you have good equipment but not great on low/mid stuff. Detail in tweets is amazing but again, be sure the equipment is worth showing off. After new cables I will decide what source to use. Tube CD (Jolida) if it is still too bright and forward, or SS CD (Rega Apollo or Denon 3910) if it sounds warmer.

Strengths:
Detailed sound, good bass, solid drivers, reputation, style, and pedigree. Great for instrumentals.

Weaknesses:
Long break-in, too detailed in the highs (blacks have brightened now), distorted vocals, cheap box construction (should be at least half inch to three quarters thick wood with veneer instead of the vinyl wrap).

Similar Products Used:
Polk r10s, Polk rt25is, rt28?, totem atom, energy veritas, boston acoustics, infinity, 600s1, 600s2, 601s2, 602s2, dynaudio.