Good tonal balance, impressive midband, good power and authority that most similarly priced speakers can only dream of.

None.

I agree with the comments that the 602.5 S3 are good speakers but the 602 S3 are even better. The bass of the 602.5 can be a little bit overbearing specially in small to medium sized rooms since most HT set ups will have a subwoofer to take care of the low frequency. I initially had 602.5 S3 but after a couple of weeks used I swapped them for the 602 S3 and I am very pleased to say they are better than the floorstanders. As a bonus I paid 15% lower vis-a-vis their selling price in the UK (bought them at a dealer in the Philippines for $400). I really can't understand it how thay can be so cheap here. I asked the salesrep if they are asian-assembled but he has insisted they are made at the UK factory. Well, regardless, they are the best speakers for the money. Set-up: Pioneer VSX-859TX a/v rec., B&W 602 S3 fronts, Tannoy MXc Center, B&W 601 S3 surrounds, REL Q150 sub bass system, Pioneer DV-533 dvd player.

Similar Products Used:

Tannoy Revolutions

Everything... For the money, here is a pair of speakers that can't be topped. Although the manufacturer's description calls the 602.5's "entry level," these speakers are in a class well above anything available at BestBuy, Circuit City, etc. I would recommend these as well as the receiever to anyone and everyone.

With speakers capable of producing sound this good, you don't want to flush it all down the toilet by using crappy Monster Cable. Good speaker wire is as much a component as the speaker or receiver itself. Don't add up the cost of the speakers and whatever else you may be looking at, add tax, and think you're done. Plan on taggin' on at least another 150-200 for good wire (double that if you're bi-wiring). Other than that, these speakers have no weaknesses (if you even call that a weakness)! You may get people saying they've never heard of B&W or that their Bose system is better- just turn 'em on, turn 'em up, and let the sound speak for itself. Then ask if their Bose system can do that...

After doing several weeks of careful investigation on the internet and test listening in the store, my wife and I decided to go with these speakers and a Marantz SR7200 receiver. From the moment we had them unpacked and wired to go, we have yet to be disappointed in the depth and clarity of sound which we get from them. Although having them in a smaller room surely helps, I still feel as though these speakers are completely capable of holding their own in a larger environment playing any type of sound, be it CDs, DVDs, or even television. The cabinet is extremely solid and pleasing to look at with the grill on or off (although the Kevlar driver does make a statement in itself) - knocking on it feels like a block of solid steel. The The two drivers produce an incredible combination of clear high and mid-range sound. Additionally, I have no sub-woofer, but have honestly been asked by friends where I've got it hidden. Simply put, the lows are there too in abundance. I can't even imagine how good it would sound with one! My speakers are only run with single wires, but the option for bi-wiring is there giving me flexibility to go that route in the future for increased definition between instruments, etc.

Nice tight and articulate bass, accurate mids, extended treble, slim cabinet design, good imaging and soundstage. Nice lively engaging quality.

Upper mids/lower treble is slightly lean, value may not appeal to those who place a higher priority on quantity over quality, deep bass < 40hz is missing

I upgraded from 601 S2s to the 602.5 S3s. Before doing so I did listen to the 602 S3s. First I'd like to say that the S3 series is a big improvement over the S2 line, both sonically and in terms of build/appearence. I also like the fact that 1/4" spades can be used with the S3 series. Sonically the S3s have tighter and subjectively deeper bass. I also find that there is less coloration in the mids, and the highs seem more extended without being bright. The S2s could be considered to be more mellow sounding. Some people may prefer this. Personally, I thought this is where the S2 series fell short. Some have mentioned here that they felt the 602.5 represents the least value and is not competitive sonically with the other speakers in the 600 line. I don't agree. I spent a good deal of time going back and forth between the 602 and 602.5. The 602 will grab your attention first since it has higher output capability, and sounds slightly fuller. In the end I liked the slim cabinet design of the 602.5 and thought that the bass had better pitch and articulation, and hence was more accurate to my ears. My room is only 11' x 15' so I didn't feel the need for the 602's greater output. Make sure you audition samples that are well broken in. My pair took a very long time to smooth out and sound natural.

Similar Products Used:

B&W 601 S1/S2, CDM 2s, Paradigm 60v2, ACI Encores, Sapphire IIIs, many other higher end speakers including my current reference Thiel CS7.2s.

Great middle and top end. Extended bass.

Some may find there is too much bass

The 602.5s sounded open and detailed from the off. They create a spacious sound that is involving and enthusiastic. Vocals and top end are especially good. Bass is there in abundance and they sound great with dance stuff.. but they also excel at delivering the likes of Ryan Adams and Divine Comedy. I have not regreted buying them ... they were the clear winners against the opposition that I auditioned.

the amazing open sound filled whit wounderfull tones from top to bottom beatiful finnish and solid cabinet

nothing realy... i can''t find anything

Wow.. thes speakers are great.. They match my Electrocompaniet amps great... They realy kick on the bass and the tweeter is amazing... realy an all-round speaker beutiful for the eye and a real treat for the ear!!!!

Similar Products Used:

B&W 603s2 Dantax P3000 Dali 107 Dali 808 Dali 909 Nothing come''s close to the 602.5s3... it realy rock''s!!

Great price versus quality. Open sound with a well controlled low and sparkling high.

None for a speaker in this price range.

In this price range, this is a great speaker. Nice and smooth low and sparkling high. Very open sounding speaker. Easy to handle speakers for a large range of amps. I am using them with a Denon set and I am very pleased with the Denon B&W combination. The looks are great. I am using the black ash finished set, but the light oak version looks great too.

Similar Products Used:

JM Lab and Dali floor standing speakers.

Accurate sound

I need to move my chair closer to the speakers to hear it. Hmmmm...maybe if I suppliment the sound with my Bose Wave radio.

I listened to these at a local dealer. I own a pair of 602 series 1 speakers, so I understood what kind of sound I should be hearing from this speaker. My initial comment is, "What happened?" I like the idea of playing off the success of the 602 with a floor standing model, but this speaker doesn''t even sound as good as the 602. It plays the music somewhat accurately (though a true test would require that the retailer replace their speaker wires with something better than the standard Monster Cables they were using), but overall, I found them uninvolving. The music existed in a plane somewhere out in front of me instead of enveloping me in all the velvety sound that a normal 602 tries to impart. Perhaps there were some issues with breakin time that had not been addressed yet. even so, I feel that this is a step backward for B&W.

Similar Products Used:

B&W 602, Klipsch Heresy, Klipsch RP-3

Being brother to other better speakers

grainy midrange, weak bottom end.

I borrowed these speakers on considering an upgrade from the 602 S1. After doing a side by side comparison with the 601, 602, and 603 S3 all amplified with an arcam fmj amp I came to this conclusion: The 602.5 are the worst sounding in the B&W 600 series. The bottom end lacks punch and the upper midrange is grainy. If you are condsidering these speakers over the 602 because you want floor standers - forget it. Buy the damn speaker stands. After a very long listening session I opted to buy the 603.

Similar Products Used:

603 S3, 602 S1