B&W LM1 Bookshelf Speakers
B&W LM1 Bookshelf Speakers
USER REVIEWS
[Dec 02, 2018]
yegsimon
Strength:
I bought them second hand from Kijiji (online classifieds). They work fantastically well as near field speakers flanking my iMac in a small home office. I have them powered by a late 80’s solid-state Akai AA - R22. They’re pretty sensitive, so they don’t need a ton of power and the 30WPC on the Akai makes them sing. I have them paired with an Audica CS Sub8 100w sub that is pretty musical and again, doesn’t need a ton of power. Even when I push the Akai into its 7/10 volume range, the combo of the little B&Ws and the sub really show off every detail in the track. The source for the Akai is a beautifully transparent Keces DA151 usb dac fed by my computer. $80 for 2x LM1 $50 for Akai AA-R22 $60 for KECES DA151 $10 for Audica CS Sub8 $10 for Kimber PB&J coax interconnects between dac/receiver Weakness:
I love these speakers. If you can scoop up a used set for an okay price, you should go for it. Price Paid: 80
Purchased: Used
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[Jul 26, 2010]
Music Man
Audio Enthusiast
I purchased a pair of LM1's ex demo to use in a second room for stereo only (Using Klipsch and Rotel for HT in the main room). I combined with an 8" powered subwoofer, and although only running off a Marantz combined receiver / Cd Player / Amplifier the sound quality is amazing. Everything on my I-Pod now sounds brilliant whereby on other systems there are a number of tracks with deficiencies. Low or High volume they are clear and clean and somehow never manage to sound harsh despite the volume or music selected.
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[Oct 20, 2007]
exriguy
Audio Enthusiast
I was looking for a comparison between the B&W LM-1 (LM1) and the newer B&W M1. They are very different speakers. So now that I own both and have set them up as A/B and compared them back and forth here goes a review:
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[Jun 21, 2007]
ryan
AudioPhile
Strength:
Speaker grills come off
Weakness:
2 screws to mount, which the distance was more than 1 stud in length
Simply stated, these speakers are excellent. They have been, are, and will continue to impress me, just like the first time I took them out of the box. The tweeter grills come off, but I think it's a good thing. I don't know what all the other reviewers' issues are, they only time they come off is if the speaker is upside down, or you physically take it off. Like a good dog, can't beat it, go B&W all the way! Similar Products Used: Cambridge Soundworks S300 |
[Aug 02, 2003]
theotext
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
- High and mid freqencies - mounting possibility - Design - Price
Weakness:
- lack of bass(okay the compact speaker is good, but more bass would be nice, an added subwoofer makes the story compleet) - A bit attacking in the high freqencies Good design, well shaped. Multifunctional base, for mounting on wall, seling, every were. I used the speakers in my room, and they sounded good. Placing them was almost easy but there I was wrong. It took about three weeks and then I got the best position. Now I've got a subwoofer, Heco ONYX 1000 to fill the lack of bass... Ideal combination. Similar Products Used: - JM lab SIB Thies is also a very compact speaker, which could eaven be more hifi than the LM1, but also al little lack of bass |
[Nov 20, 2002]
Stevy
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Imaging,value,cute shape,good as rear speakers.
Weakness:
None for the price These cute little speakers are ideal for use as rears in a HT setup.They are good looking (available in 5 colours),good value,specially as I won mine by registering the gaurantee online,for my b&w cdm7nt main speakers! and also very flexible mounting-wise with the moveable base. LM1's also sound good for their price,I tried them instead of my cdm7nt's,and they put on a decent effort,good imaging,good bass and treble for size,obviously when cdm7nt's were back in place,it was like a veil had been lifted. I tried them in the kitchen for a while,but their cute design was lost,as they were on top of cupboards,so eventually they came back in the living room where they took up residence on stands, as the rears in my HT,where they are very impressive. Similar Products Used: Wharfedale's |
[Oct 05, 2002]
Bobsprit
AudioPhile
Strength:
Open and airy, good tonal balance, good off axcess performance will work well for surrounds. My 4 star rating reflects price. But these were truly better than I imagined. I bought 3 for surrounds and center surround.
Weakness:
A bit pricy, but quality mount and flexibility will make you smile when tweeking placement. Let's get this straight. These are VERY small units with 40% less volume than a Paradigm Titan. They are designed for best performance on a wall and REQUIRE a sub if you plan to use them in Home Theatre applications of ANY kind. No speaker this size can produce musical bass without a sub-period! In my test I placed the LM1's on Target Stands with MIT speaker cable. They were driven by an Outlaw 1050 and Rotel 1075 amp. Speakers were rolled off using the Outlaw's Xover at 80hz. Subwoofer is the Paradigm PW2200 which I set at near 85hz. Using Lyle Lovett's Pontiac in Stereo mode produced excellent tonal balance, even at high volumes. There was a slight grain when compared to my Carver Ribbon speakers, but nothing objectionable. Imaging was good to excellent, but required some toe in. Still, imaging was far short of what the big rbbons can do. The LM1's showed very little of the boxy sound that plagues units of this type. For HT use they excelled again, blending well with the B&W CDM center. All in all this is an excellent speaker that will work best in surround sound applications. Similar Products Used: tested or used: Paradigm, AR, Pinacle, Snell |
[Sep 17, 2002]
Bob
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Versatile, wall mounted. Decent low end. Awesome soundstage.
Weakness:
Breakin, even during a listening session. I have these speakers wall mounted for a long time as my second zone. Driven by a 60 Adcom amp. Compared with mirage speakers and various in walls. These are awesome little speakers. They do take some time to break in, and I find that they sound better over a listening session (loosen up or something). I had to move so I stuck them in my main listening room, and plopped them on top of a pair of JMlab cobalt 815's. All I can say, is these speakers look good, are versitale and have real low end extension. The high freq's esp with the tweeter bubble removed are very very nice. Good soundstage to boot. I honestly dont know which speakers I like better. Tradeoffs with both, but that B&W imaging, and mid/highs are killer. |
[Jun 16, 2002]
Francisco
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Sound Quality, Style, Price
Weakness:
Front Grill These are truly great little speakers. I'm using them as surround speakers matched with the B&W 602 S2 in the front and they do a great job. They have surprisingly good dynamic range and have a unique style that makes them a great buy. The only minus with them is the front grill, it pops off sometimes and can be a bit difficult to put back on. Similar Products Used: B&W 602S2 & CC6S2 |
[Mar 22, 2000]
K
Audiophile
Strength:
Cool looks, flexibility
Weakness:
Price/sound quality ratio - you pay for the looks Bought these b/c they sounded decent in the store and they had the cool "look" and size I needed for a modern setting. Used in my secondary system, they sounded OK - nice highs, but were missing "depth" and 3-dimensionality in the mids (sound kind of flat and congested). Of course, bass is missing b/c of the small enclosure. Similar Products Used: Blue Room Minipod |