sactohye

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
3.14 of 5, 7.00 votes

Price Paid:  $500.00 from Audio/FX, Sacramento

Summary:
The B&W LCR600 is currently being driven by a Sherwood Newcastle R-725 receiver. It makes up the center speaker in my home cinema system along with the DB604S3 for the left and right channel, DM602S3 for the rear and an ASW650 subwoofer. The LCR600S3 sits perched atop a Mitsubishi WT-42315 RPTV. Straight out of the box, male voices tended to sound a bit bass-heavy, so I set the Center Speaker to Small in the decoder’s setup and put the foam plug supplied with the loudspeaker in the port. This took some of the bass away from male voices so that they now sound more natural. This loudspeaker has a rear-firing port, which might account for this phenomenon. Higher frequency sounds are clean and clear. The sound from this loudspeaker is excellent no matter how loud it’s played. I have never heard any distortion or breakup from it, even at uncomfortably loud levels. With all the technology and quality built into this loudspeaker, it’s surprising it doesn’t cost more than it does. After four months of listening to it, I can find no weaknesses. The LCR600S3 is an excellent value and is hard to beat.

Strengths:
Sound is clean and clear no matter how loud

Weaknesses:
None.

Similar Products Used:
B&W CC3, JBL SC-305

smokehouse

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 2.00 votes

Price Paid:  $500.00 from B&W Dealership

Summary:
I bought this to replace a LCR6 S2 speaker. First off I must say that to my ear, there is little to no difference between the two other than looks. The highs, mids and bass are equally as defined after the initial break in period. Not unlike many other well-made speakers the LCR600 requires good equipment. This is not a weakness, but it is a requirement. Every time I upgrade this speaker sounds better. Not just better, MUCH better. A few years ago I upgraded to better cables (ok, I know some don’t buy into this so just ignore this part if you think it’s bull). That immediately brought more detail, especially in the highs. Highly recommended (I went with Straightwire Octave). The big changes however came when I replaced my Marantz SR-7400 with a Rotel RMB-1075 5ch amplifier (used the Marantz as a pre/pro). This speaker literally came alive. The bass had much more punch, the soundstage opened up and the voices flattened out and instantly became more lifelike. I thought I had it made until ditching the 7400 and replacing it with a Sunfire processor. Every improvement added by the Rotel was doubled and then some. Every time I upgrade my stuff this speaker just gets better. I know this guy has a limit and won’t sound better each and every time I upgrade. I strongly doubt this would sound like a Wilson center if running off a $25,000 amp but it’s are absolutely worth every penny and then some. I would describe this speaker as warm and inviting. The tweeter is absolutely amazing and produces some of the sharpest highs I’ve heard in a speaker of this class. Man, I love those Kevlar mids as well. As a center this is easily one of the best I’ve heard anywhere close to $500, heck it out performs many $1000 center channel speakers as well. Absolutely blows away the CC6 S2 and LCR60, well worth the extra $$. One last thing, beware the size and weight of this thing! I have mine on a Lovan stand in front of my Hitachi RPTV. I strongly doubt it would be smart to place thing on top of my set let alone many other TV sets.

Strengths:
Detailed, clean, beautiful clarity. Super clean for a center channel and a breeze to listen to. Great presence and soundstage, simply amazing for movies.

Weaknesses:
All the strengths listed above will only manifest AFTER purchasing good equipment, especially strong amps and detailed processors. Not a real weakness but more a requirement. IT’S HEAVY! BEWARE!

Similar Products Used:
CC6 S2, LCR6 S2, Polk, Monitor Audio, Jamo, mordaunt Short, JBL

Tone

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Visitors rate this review
2.00 of 5, 3.00 votes

Price Paid:  $400.00 from Sounds of Music

Summary:
This review is actually for B&W's S2 model of this exact same speaker called the LCR6. Okay, I was in the market for a B&W LCR600 S3 and lucked out to find a used mint condition predecesor LCR6 S2. I had just hooked up the newly acquired B&W LCR6 to my right stereo channnel and played Rush's Tom Saywer, then look over with wide eyes at Michelle (total babe girlfriend). As I pan the balance left and right to the sweeet-sounding Mission 764 tower and then to the LCR6 she confirms immediately that the B&W sounds way better....and that I'm "NOT EVEN TO THINK ABOUT UPGRADING TO MORE OF THESE EXPENSIVE SPEAKERS!!" Enough said?? I'm not into $30,000 stereos, but I am into $7,000 ones, and have been for 2 decades - even my $7,000 car stereo has a JMLAb front end in the form of high end component Focals. So take it from someone who is probably right for your price range (considering you are looking at this regularly $750 Canadian priced Center Channel and not a $2,500 one) - this speaker sounds warm, clear, sweet and makes me want to turn that sweetness up more and more. I detected no harshness whatsoever in 2 channel stereo mode, and expect the same once I integrate it into my surround system. As expected, at 89db and 8ohms the B&W seems to require ample amounts of clean power, but what a payoff in sound quality. From this experience I may soon end up uprading everything to this next level of B&W speakers. Note: I purchased this unit used so it was probably broken in upon arrival - from the other reviews I suspect this is an important thing to remember if you are buying one of these or a LCR600 S3.

Strengths:
Warmth, texture to sound, clarity, looks.

Weaknesses:
Requires lots of clean power, no banana plugs

Similar Products Used:
Mission Paradigm

andrewdavis10

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Visitors rate this review
2.75 of 5, 4.00 votes

Price Paid:  $500.00 from Soundscape, Baltimor

Summary:
I have read other reviews about this speaker stating that it is a bit 'woofy' 'huffy' or over-large and chest in the tenor range of speech. I have to agree perfectly...at first. This is a thouroughly capable and nuanced speaker that takes a long time to break in. Given a f3ew months of regular use, the mid-tenor range evens out, and this speaker goes from a good speaker to a greak speaker.

Strengths:
Clarity over the entire range. Great low end. Bi-Wireable (try it, great use of time and copper wire)

Weaknesses:
Long break in time. Size (it's big)

Similar Products Used:
LCR 60 - I've read people recommending the use of the LCR 60 with smaller speakers and I have to say this: Get the highest quality center speaker you can. The center speaker is responsible for 40% or more of the audio soundtrack of a movie. Speaker matching is great, but if you go a little bigger and fuller for the center, it will onlt sound better, not worse...so err on the side of quality.

coolmonk

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
4.43 of 5, 7.00 votes

Price Paid:  $400.00 from Local Retailer

Summary:
My home theatre setup: - B&W DM602 S3 fronts - B&W LCR600 S3 center - B&W DM601 S3 surrounds - Denon AVR-3803 - Denon DVD-2200 - 32" HDTV Sony KV-32HS500 I posted a review on the B&W DM602 S3 bookshelves not too long ago and stated there that I would eventually get the LCR600 S3 center speaker to match my fronts. Well folks, it's finally been done so let's begin... As many reviews have already swore by, this thing is impressively large and heavy. I feel bad for my 32" Sony HDTV for having to take on such a painful task as to support the LCR600 on top. I would suggest not placing this center speaker on anything smaller than a 32" TV. In a standing position, it is noticeably taller and deeper than the DM602 bookshelf speaker, although a bit slimmer in width. Pop off the grill and two yellow kevlar cones shine beautifully, making the LCR600 even more attractive than the already beautiful DM602 S3. During the first week of use, the LCR600 sounded a bit closed-in and tended to be overshadowed by the room-filling sound of my DM602 S3 bookshelves. I kept thinking to myself, "Maybe the LCR600 was made only to match the bigger 600 series such as the DM603 and DM604." Well, after plentiful hours of movies and music, the LCR600 has finally broken-in and opened up to perfectly match with my front speakers. Many reviews on here will say that the smaller LCR60 S3 center speaker is a better match for the DM602 S3, but I disagree. I listened to both the LCR60 and LCR600 paired with the DM602 S3 side by side and there is just no way that the smaller center can produce richer clarity. The LCR600 has a much larger cabinet, thus producing a fuller midrange and getting better low frequency (those deep male voices). It is almost identical in size to the DM602 S3 speaker, therefore, also producing the same richness in tonality. Remember, the center speaker is the MOST important piece in home theatre speakers. Do not settle for less when choosing your center! The LCR600 does a fine job with vocals in movies. I would be lying if I said it didn't make a difference in hearing the actors/actresses better...because it does! It's amazing how it makes you pay more attention to the subtle nuances and detail in a soundtrack. In the past, I always preferred listening to music in 2-channel stereo, but the LCR600 has really shown the potential of Dolby ProLogic II. Music never sounded so nice coming the center speaker as it has with the LCR600. I find myself using Dolby ProLogic II mode more often than stereo mode when listening to my CDs, which is very uncommon. I don't want to overpraise this speaker because I understand that the richness in clarity that it produces cannot compare to that of the Nautilus HTM1 or HTM2. Regardless, it is still every bit as detailed and clear as any center speaker for under $1,000. Believe it!

Strengths:
- Beautiful looks - Excellent build - Detailed vocals - Clear highs/lows

Weaknesses:
I find no weakness for the LCR600 S3 center speaker. Given the price and performance, you wouldn't either considering your setup matched and everything is properly configured. Size matters for many people, but bigger is better for me! =]