Warm sound, helps make a very natural soundstage up front

goofy grill shape

The upgrade process left me with a pair of DM602s2 up front and a B&W CC3. Obviously the front sound stage was not as solid as it should have been. The CC3, although a very good speaker, did not match the warmer sound of the 600 series speakers.

I biwired the CC6S2, angled it slightly toward the seating area and checked the speaker levels. I went back to the old stand by; Eagles - Hell Freezes Over. MMMMmmmmmmmm, nice. My attention was no longer drawn to the center channel like it was with the CC3. Vocals seemed to be tied more naturally to the video than before. Panning from side to side was much better and believe it or not panning from front to back was also improved.

Before inserting the CC6S2 into my system I could never get close to reference levels because of the sound being too bright. I assumed that this was due to room conditions, but I was very surprised when I realized the new center channel had an impact on this problem. I now need more volume to get good clean dialog. I'm still listen well below reference, but the increase in volume has made the dynamics so much better.

Some reviewers have indicated that they had to increase the level of the center channel to hear it. I suspect that these individuals are not use to watching movies at or near reference levels. They turn down the volume because loud sections are too loud, but then they can not hear the dialog.

This is an excellent center channel and the negative reviews here should not discourage anyone from at least checking out the 600 series of speakers. Keep in mind that the price of the 600 series speakers makes it a great chose for salesman to push on newbies with a little extra money to spend. As a newbie, they might not be ready to appreciate the quality sound from these speakers or any other speaker in this price range.

Assoicated Equipment
Denon AVR2801
B&W 602S2, CC6S2, 302
Def. Tech PF15TL
Pioneer DV525
Acoustic Research cables and wires

Similar Products Used:

owned
B&W CC3

Tried
centers and mains from Paradigm studio series and Klipsch

strong, reliable

none

Read alot of reveiws on these speakers and most people say go for the LCR6 S2 centre speaker. I used a CC3 for a week while my CC6 arrived from the store. This was way to small and was very happy when the CC6 turned up. I never had a chance to listen and try the LCR6 but now wish I had. The CC6 does a good job but as other people have said some dialog is hard to hear. I have my CC6 turned up full the whole time to fix this problem. I am happy but will deffinatly listen to a LCR6 sometime soon.The centre is running with the B&W DM 603 S2 front speakers.
System :

STR-DB930 reciever
DVP-C670D DVD
B&W DM 603 S2 front
B&W DM 601 S2 rear
B&W CC6 S2 centre
B&W ASW 1000

Similar Products Used:

CC3 S2

Clear voices. Good for a mid sized theater. Gold plated binding posts.

Can sound thin at times.

This is my second review. I am using it with 602 S2 fronts. It would be perfect with the 601's in a mid sized room. It it pretty good with the 602's I have, but if you have any doubts, go with the LCR2. The CC6 is a very good center for $300, but, as with all things, the $450 LCR2 will sound better. Let those kevlar cones break in. They take a long time. I'm driving it with a Sony DA-555ES reciever and it sounds good to me but listen to both B&W's before you make up your mind.

Very pleasing to the ear. Very nice and crispy highs

Break-in Time

After reading the reviews on this product, it seems like people are rating the speaker right out of the box. Having these speakers for some time now, it seems like it takes a considerable amount of time to break this speaker in. After about 50 hours of break in time this speaker really comes to life with very clean vocals and crispy highs. Best center I've had yet.

Similar Products Used:

None that I've heard

I purchased the CC6 with the 602s2 and 603s2 and this is a great combination. With surround sound these speakers blend together beautifully. I am not sure how they sound with other combinations but they are a perfect match for the B&W 600 series.
Equipment used:

Denon avr3300
Toshiba 3109
B&W cc6s2
B&W dm602s2
B&W dm603s2
Velodyne va1012x
Yamaha 505 cd player
Monster cables

music performance, looks

chesty, poor performance for dialogue

this is a beautiful looking center, but it just doesnt go well with my 602 series 2 for fronts, and 601 series 2 for rears (both of which are spectacular speakers!)

it performs well for music, but for home theatre it leaves much to be desired. like others have said, the dialogue is very chesty and inaudible at times. i have to turn my denon avr 3300s center decibels up +3 to 4 for it to even be passable. i also have my panasonic a120s dialogue enhancer feature on, and its still drowned out!

i am going to try to biwire the cc6, and if this doesnt help, will upgrade to the lcr6 series 2.

i should have spent the extra 100 right off the bat for the lcr6, and you should also!

Similar Products Used:

lcr6 series 2

Looks and "Theoretical" Sound(i.e. New design)

Does not present a clear sound stage AS much as the DM602S2...even though this is the matching counterpart

Good speaker better than any speaker system in any TV that I have heard. OK addition to the B&W's 6 series of speakers...but it appears not to blend in well with my DM602S2 speakers in the front. I was expecting the sound to stay the same, but the center has a different "color" than the DM602S2's. Maybe it is my amp...not the best but my CC3 sounded as good or tiny bit better than the CC6S2 in the same setup.

Summary: Good...but not matched well with DM602S2 IMO.

Similar Products Used:

B&W CC3

Looks, Performance

Few, if any

I found the speaker to be an acceptable addition to my Home Theater system. I enjoyed the speaker in every movie i have seen with it so far and was very impressed with its clarity and performance. Great for somewhat low budget. Great addition to the 602s2 is set up correctly, i like the setup. Good speaker for money.

Similar Products Used:

Father has Cambridge Sound Works system, blows it away without a doubt.

Has a reasonably wide spatial dispersion (wide arc), Elegant size and build

Some conversations barely audible (sounds husky)

In HT mode, sometimes I have to turn up the volume considerably (or increase the decibel output to the center channel from the receiver). Turning up the volume causes considerable bass warmth from my front speakers (DM 603) which causes the dialogue to be inaudible again. As a compromise, I reduce the decibel level to the main speakers so that I can increase the volume somewhat. May upgrade to LCR6 S2. Music performance, however, is good. Tonal balance with 603 is excellent.

clean and accurate sound

long break-in period

As many of you has noticed, this speaker becomes a little of a disapointment at the begining. Plugging it into my Nad760 I had to turn the (db) up a few steps to be able to keep overall neutral sound, and being able to hear the vocal part.

I know speakers need to have a break in period, but this was a bit extreme. I tried changing cables in the begining but it made no bigger difference which one I choosed.

After about 10-20 hours I began to hear changes in the mids and highs. After 30 hours of usage the cc6 was a total new product.

Well, after 60 hours this center speaker is still improving and I did not think it could because it sounds GREAT at the time being.

Bi-wire this one, and hear the differance