I operate these speakers for close to five years on an average Yamaha amp and they sound very hypnotizing .My favurite

I have had the 601 S2's for about 5 years (purchased 2nd hand from eBay). I have been in love with the sound they create from the get go. I've been using them as the main front's on Atacama nexus 6 (Kiln Dried Sand Filled) Stands & Chord SA Bi-Wire in my HT setup, with a B&W CC6 center some cheep but decent enough Kef coda 7's at the rear. with this setup I had a Sony STR-980 5.1 Receiver a Denon DVD player (Also CD Source) and my HTPC. Now about a year ago I upgraded my amp to a Pioneer VSX-LX53 (7.1 but use the rear 2 channels to Bi-amp the S2's) and then a little later a Sony Blu-ray BDP-S350. My Room is about 15' x 15' so a medium sized room. I like action movies and everything from Handel to Hardhouse and everything in between so I bought an AE Radiance 12" Sub. I recently discover SACD playback and have been astounded by the S2's in both stereo and 5.1, the big let down has been the Kef's. So off to eBay I go again, especially after reading the reviews on hear from you chaps. Most of the 601 S3's I have found on eBay have always gone for more money than I am able to afford at present (£180-£220). Then I came across an absolute bargain with a chap selling a pair of black ash boxes for £99.00? I quickly get his telephone number talk to him to find out why so cheap and said he's emigrating and needs money quick and blah! blah! Blah. I decide to take a punt, got in my car, drove 20 miles and found them to be in near mint condition (Bargains still can be had on eBay just be patient). Any how I have been listening to them in their Current config for a while I am blown away. I have some very wealthy friends (I am by far and away the poorest of our circle) and they have spent silly amounts of money and whilst sounding great, do not have the fidelity, clarity or tonal range of my setup. I love B&W kit, the yellow cone isn't to my taste so the dust covers only come off for listening and remain on all other times. Build quality, as with the S2 is superb. These S3's were well run in by the time they came to me so I have listened to them at their best. I know these are getting pretty long in the tooth in terms of product life these days but they still sound fantastic even when compared to the latest B&W offerings, the 685 & 686. This is my bargain of the year, coupled with excellent sound I couldn't be happier. Anyone reading this review who thinks these are dated speakers, please get a pair and listen to them, you will not be disappointed, compare them to modern speakers in their class, if you don't love them sell them on but I assure you that you will fall in love. Remember to to put them on decent spiked and filled stands and couple them with decent components and interconnects they will sing.

Bought these at a sale a few years back. Paired with my Cambridge 640A v2 and 640C they sound a bit restrained. Maybe too much smoothness when these clean-sounding speakers meet the equally polite Cambridge amp and CD player? The music doesn´t quite come out into the room, if that makes sense to you. Would have bought something else today, something livelier to go with the Cambridge components. But at least the 601S3 never feel intrusive, as was the case with my last speakers (Dali 103).

Well controled, decent amount of bass. Very exciting to listen to. Clear and detailed. Good looking and well built.

Cant think of one.

These we meant to be a gift for my mum however she wanted to stick with her 15 year old jobs. Good for me, hey.
I have been using these in a stereo set up now for a few months.
Untill two days ago these were being powered by a Yamaha AX-497 and fed music from a Marantz CD-5001. Now a Marantz PM-7001 is delivering the power.
These went from really good sound to fantastic sound. Im amazed how much more im in love with what these are capable of now the amp has been upgraded.
The amp change came about cause id heard it a few times in a store and had thought that one day if i can afford it, i have to have it. Coming into a little bit of money recently i went for it. I also wanted a little more bass. Not floor stander more, just a little bit more. I had thought that 602's would do it but B&W just changed the line up. So on paper i thought the new 685's would fit the bill. I was all excited about making another B&W purchase untill i hooked up my new Marantz amp. This amp gave the 601's what sounds like more and better quality bass, so no further purchases were required. Im not as techinal as some so i dont quite understand how an amp can do that, but it did. Also the top end isnt as harsh and there is more of a feeling of what i can only describe as "warmth".
Im slowly coming around to the realisation that quality does not equal quantity. Im now getting a very big and very high quality sound from small (in size) equipment.
Unless you are in need of buckets full of bass then these are the way to go.
Anyone out there considering these, DO IT! Go get em! Although learn from my lesson that a good amp is required for them to really shine.
Ive also experemented with distances from the wall and have found no difference if they are against the wall or a foot off it. I guess front firing bass ports assist this.
Grilles off! Not only do they look great like this but the top end is clearer too.

Similar Products Used:

B&W 602, 603, Mission m71i ,Aaron ATS-5, Richter Preadator.

warm,laidback,non fatiging

coloured and vieled,needs more clarity,box bound.

Being a B&W speakers it is beautifully consrtucted,looks great,fit and finish first class.It would be nice for a real wood finish,which cheapens the product a little,but still offers good,if not exellent value for money.

The treble is much improved over the earlier version,smoother,more refined,and much less metallic sounding.The midrange,is typical B&W,in being slightly laid back,and the bass is a bit bloomy,lacking ultimate control and definition,while B&W have appeared to want to make the sound bigger than the box size suggests,I find it a bit over blown and blowsy lacking foot tapping,rythmic ability,instead you get more scale.

The sound is box bound,and doesn't really break free from the speaker,you can tell exactly where the box is,the sound is trapped within it,it just doesn't project the sound outside of the box,compared to other speakers,it's slightly vieled,muffled,and doesn't offer the greatest insight,even though its still one of the best at it's price point,and sounds far better than a monitor audio or any dreadful kef.

For a small room,and first system it's a fantastic buy,and cant with stand good electronics,but it will get to a point where it limitations get obvious the better the electronics become

Similar Products Used:

KEF,Monitor audio

Great sound, nice-looking, good build quality.

I can't think of any. Seriously.

Well all I can say is that I am beyond impressed with these speakers. I haven't purchased hi-fi equipment for some time, so I spent many hours researching and listening to many bookshelf speakers and these are clearly the best I heard. I use them with an NAD C320BEE and they sound very full and clean, regardless of the music (although I've mostly been listening to jazz and acoustic). HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

Great clear, dynamic sound.
Beautiful construction.
Best speakers in price range and well possibly $150 above them!

A lack of bass, but are responsive to 40hz
Too clear for some

As you will find with many other reviews on these speakers, thay are amazing! Simply amazing. I am using them for near field monitoring and these speakers really do the job. As I was using plain old equipment before, I decided to upgrade my system. This Included the above mentioned speakers and a Rotel RB 1070 power amp. I used Sommer Elephant bi-wire speaker cables and Monster interlink cables for all the RCA's.

Yes the bass is not exploding out at you but the music has such an overall tone, it is almost as if you can "see" the music! I use these solely for music applications and they have to be heard to be believed! Strong construction, expensive look and the B&W name all just scream quality! No contest in price range!

For home theatre use as front speakers, I would imagine these would be fantastic, but I have not tried them out for that application as yet. If you are looking to run the sort of 2 channel application I am, then these are winners! But be warned, yo need a great amp. If you skimp on the amp you will not get half the sound that these speakers are capable of! They are also unforgiving in that they will show up a poor recording very easily!

Accurate crisp punchy base Exciting sound Same tweeters as £1000 plus B&W's Sterio seperation A+++++++++++ Never has there been a speaker that is able to produce such high end sound for under £800

Very large rooms would be better off the slightly bigger version 6m602 s3, but thats no weekness if your listining room isnt massive

I have honestly listened to many dozens of speakers which are supposed to be the closed competition for this speaker such as Gale, kef, Missions, high end Tannoys, JBL, Jamo, Castle ect ect. Whilst these are the closest competition for the B&WDM601 S3's none come close enough. If your after the best sounding best built and best value speaker then the BMW6M601 S3 will blow ever expectation, there is competition for these but only from the s2 and s1 which are the older versions of this speaker or the 6m602 which is the same but is a little bigger for bigger rooms. This speaker doesnt sell as well a the highly marketed speakers sony ect, the company believes in not spending hardly any money in marketing so they can afford to spend the money producing higher quallity for less price

Similar Products Used:

too many to list

Bass (good depth and very smooth) Detail Timbre Dynamics

needs very good equipment to perform well

Recently picked these up to replace some Axiom speakers I had as main speakers for a small 5.1 surround sound system. The Axioms were good and clean, but would give me listeners fatigue after a while listening to 2 channel music. Especially brass instruments. Drums would sound great though. The B&W DM601S3 sound night and day different. Some things on the 601's sound a little muted and dull by comparation. On the other hand some things would sound more real and tonally correct with better imaging and detail with the 601's. I don't know if it is the recordings or the way the 601's handle the mids and lower highs or a combination of the two. Anyway the 601's do not fatigue my ears and over all sound much better with a bigger sound and better bass. The timbre of the instruments is what has really suprised me though. I can hear details that are in the background that actually sound real as compared to the Axioms. On some recordings, I still miss the edge and highs that the Axiom's make the drums and cymbals sound. I would say the midrange was the best part of the 601's. It is a layed back smooth sound with very good detail and dynamic pace.

Similar Products Used:

Paradigm Polk JBL Bose Tannoy Yamaha Axiom

-High level of technologies employed -Quality of the craftmanship -Quality of individual components -Deliver the basics of true hi-fi sound (PRaT) -Exceptional tweeter performance -Bi-amp/Bi-wireable

-Recommended for small rooms only.

Looking for a great pair of speakers to suit a small room? Add this one to your list. The superb contruction start with the cabinet, correctly damped, got very good set of bi-wireable connectors, and nice finish. The tweeter is Nautilus coupled, this means the sound that the tweeter emits at the rear of itself is not reflected up front, but absorbed by a damping tube behind it. It's delivering high frequencies with so low distortion, that you can ear each and every word of a singer, you must ear it to believe it! The small and rigid bass speaker is also a work of art. A strong magnetic element is moving the tressed kevlar cone, and the moving part is supported by a good rubber suspension attached to a rigid speaker structure that allow the flow of air to circulate with the less constrain possible and in total control. Even the tune port have something special, it got a golf ball style mold that prevent the circulating air of making a wistle noise when the speaker is played a high volume. I do listen to many styles of music, and those speakers is confortable in all of them, they are neutral (neutral don't mean dull and flat), those B&W are able to deliver a great deal of subtleties, and presenting a convincing soundstage with good dynamics and energy. Of course, the 601-S3 have limits, and the sonic timbres are not at the level of excellence of the bigger B&W. The bass extensions will be a problem too in a medium sized room, those are really intended for small rooms or to fit into a high end home theater system as background speakers. What came in mind first when i look at those speakers is how far B&W went in technologies on this entry-level model, you get quality over quantity here. And if you are using them for what they are designed for, you're going to be very happy with them.

Similar Products Used:

Paradigm Monitor 3