Accurate highs, decent midrange

no bass

I have been very happy with B&W, although the 602 could be better for the money - I think. I originally bought these as fronts for my home theater system. One week later I moved them to the rear and replaced them with the 603s2. I am very happy with this setup. I listen to alot of music on my system and the 602s just don't come close to the 603s. The 602 is okay for fronts if you only use them for movies and have a good sub. Just don't expect to get any bass out of these.

My setup:

B&W 603s2
B&W 602s2
B&W cc6s2
Velodyne va1012x
Denon avr3300
Toshiba 3109
Yamaha cdc505

Clear, beautiful, balanced and above all musical presentation. Stupendous base for a speaker of the size. The imaging is good

Very bright when first recieved which is misleading! Other than that none at the price.

When I looked at these speakers I compared them to a pair of PSB Image 3T. The Images were home theatre speakers but these babies are musical, they are so balanced and even invigorating to listen to. I admit they are better speakers out there but I know of none within $200 of these.

They are terribly bright when out of the box but after about50/60 hours of moderate/loud burn in they snap into line and become very balanced and clear.

These speakers also like a fair bit of toe in to make the imaging snapo into view but then they are great for that too.

They play all types of music with aplomb never sounding strained except on the lowest notes.

Overall I love these speakers and highly recommend that anyone shopping this price range try them out. (Make sure to listen to a broken in pair.

Similar Products Used:

PSB Alpha, Boston Acoutics some very old kenwood speakers

Crystal clear, awesome soundstaging, pinpoint accuracy.

None

I've owned these speakers for about a year and have enjoyed them immensely. They are fairly attractive and their construction is first-rate. They are very solidly put together. The yellow kevlar driver is very striking. They don't have fine furniture quality looks, but then nothing in their price range does. Still, I like the way they look.

I began my search with a rather modest budget and I wanted these speakers but just couldn't afford them. I was out one day and I got a really good deal on a display set of PSB Image 2Bs, and for less than $250US these are a really fine set of speakers. I had the PSBs for a couple of months when a friend got the upgrade bug and let me have his Paradigm Studio 20s for a really good price. IMO, this was a nice upgrade to the PSBs. At this point, I was pretty happpy, but I still couldn't get the 602s out of my head. It was then I found an ad on an internet classified site for a pair of 602s and an LCR6 Center channel. The price was right and I had some cash, so I jumped on it. Now, I have the 602s up front, the LCR6 in the center and the PSBs in the rear with a Paradigm PDR-10 subwoofer. Finally! A complete 5.1 system. Now, I understand I haven't achieved Hi-Fi Nirvana, but I'm perfectly happy with this very solid Mid-fi setup. The 602s have a sound that I find very pleasing. The mid-range is warm, the highs are crystal clear and the bass is tight. I can listen all day without any hint of listening fatigue. Their presentation is impeccable. The soundstage is wide and complete, imaging is
top-notch. I guess you could call the presentation polite, but don't be fooled. The 602s can kick some serious butt if you decide to rock out.

Like I said, I love the sound and presentation of these speakers. I do have an affinity for the "British" sound, so take that into consideration.

Similar Products Used:

PSB Image 2B, Paradigm Ref. Studio 20;

Good dynamics, clean sound, large soundstage with good depth, decent bass, rich midrange, truly excellent on vocals, communicative.

Slight coloration, limited bass extension, average built quality.

I had these for more yhan a year before upgrading to the B&W CDM7 NT. They were truly excellent speakers within their category (bookshelf of similar pricing). No major flaws for the price. See strenghts and weaknesses.

Very highly recommended !

Similar Products Used:

Kef Q 15 and Q 35, JM Lab Tantal and Cobalt, Paradigm

Everything

NONE

Very Good speaker for the money

Similar Products Used:

Many

Terrible high, A lot of Coloring

What a terrible speaker this is! B&W602 S2 has really bad high. When I first bought it, some records sounds good and
some were bad. I thought it was due to some matching problem
with ampplifier. Since then I changed amplifier 5 times (tube, solid stage) and preamplier 3 times. Finally, I found that its due to bad high sound. Try it connecting high of the speaker to the amp (Really dirty sound.) After changing
speaker, I found that the other my equiments were quite good. B&W has a lot of coloring. So, it sounds good with some records. But terrible with some others. If it sounds bad, it can be due to corloring of this speaker. I believe this is the reason why D602 was listed as class D where D30 was listed as class C at stereophile recommended components.

But, the piano and guitar sounds are quite good for the money. Some records sounds good. But, I don't recommend this
speaker to serious listeners.

All !

look

Very good sound quality in all !

Similar Products Used:

nothing

Tonal balance, natural textured midrange, detailed highs, price

high freqeuncies can sound course at high volumes

I’ve compared all the B&W DM 600 series II range and regard the 602s2 as the best value of the bunch. Some reviewers have complained about its poor bottom end extension, but really how many speakers this size and price delve into deep sub terrain levels anyway. Not many I say. It’s the quality of bass not the quantity that matters to me. The 602s2 speakers really sing when positioned properly and some consideration is given to room acoustics. I found when you place the 602s2 on good speaker stands (Atarcam s24 -- sand filled) and position them at least a metre away from the front and sidewalls these speakers produce bass that is detailed and taut. In fact, when I moved these speakers a third of the way into my living room and moved the TV and hifi rack away from between the speakers the bass response was that good I thought my subwoofer (ASW1000) was still connected. With the right degree of toe and separation these speakers provide an involving soundstage that is deep and open. Although 602s2 are well balanced tonally, it’s the smooth and detailed mid range frequencies that make these speakers outstanding. Listen to music that features string instruments, piano and or vocals and you’ll hear what I mean. The only negative comment I can make about the 602s2 was the high frequency registers at times sounded a bit congested and course. Though I suspect this should not be a problem if you partner these speakers with a not too bright or forward sounding amp and source machine.

Of all the 600 series range speakers the only speaker that sounded similar to the 602s2 was the 604s2. I was seriously considering upgrading my 602s2 to the 604s2 but after comparing them and considering the substantial cost difference I decided not. The 604s2 certainly provided deeper bass, but when compared with the 602s2 partnered with a B&WASW1000 powered subwoofer the difference was hardly noticeable, particularly in the mid to high frequencies. The powered sub provided the 602s2 with more bass extension that was somewhat more detailed and punchier than the 604s2. The 604s2 are three times the price of the 602s2 and when you include the cost of the ASW1000 sub the 604s2 are still a few hundred dollars more.

If your budget is limited and you want quality sound you should check out the B&W602s2. Give them room to breath, partner them with good sub as well as a quality sound system and you’ll sure to get a taste of high-fidelity.

Similar Products Used:

All B&W 600 series II range, Bose, Wharfdale Pi range.

Great Mid-Bass, look nice without grills

Bad tweeter, highs are really bad

I really wanted to like this speaker after reading all the reviews and knowing that it was one of the best selling speakers on the market. The problem was that I wanted to get better highs from my speakers than what the B&W's were offering. The mid-bass on this speaker is its best quality. But to get that, they put in an average tweeter. I went side to side with the 602 and the Mordaunt Short 906's and wow what a difference. The Mordaunt shorts really hit the highs so much better. The mid-bass was not as good as the 602's, but was fairly close. If you want a bookshelf speaker with some nice mid-bass, than the 602 is for you. I assume that to keep this speaker at the price it is at, B&W decided to sacrafice something, and it turned out to be the highs. If you want a speaker with some clear crisp highs you should look elsewhere. Hopefully the new B&W CM series will give you both highs and mids, so that B&W fans can have both.

Testing Equipment
Marantz SR7000
Marantz CD player
Music-Tracy Chapman, Dave Brubeck, Days of The New

Similar Products Used:

Mordaunt Short DS906, Monitor Audio Silver 3i, B&W 601, PSB Image series

Amazing ability to produce a large sound field despite their size. Actually sounds like small floorstanders.

Do not use them with small amplifiers that can't deliver enough current, they will lose their clarity and mid-range
frequences will loose strenght...

You need a amp that packs a punch to make them sing out with all their glory.

They tend to resonate in higher regions a bit. Or it might just be my room-setup. Or it's just my ears ringing from to much listening :)

If your are looking for terrific budget speaker that sounds great these are just the thing.

Though... to get that low-key bass further down the frequences you should complement them with an equal, fast yet powerful subwoofer. No need for a 12" or 15" sub.
Just a smaller one to get that missing warmth that makes your stomach tickle.

Similar Products Used:

B&W LCR6 S2