I had these speakers for about half a year. They were pretty good at first, accurate and detailed. However, they were lacking in mid-bass and imaging. The highs on this speaker are kind of shrilled too. They are good for the price you pay ($250) but I wasn't fully satisfied with them. I eventually exchanged them for the DM601's.

bought a pair of these for my Mother. I was bored so I moved my CLS-IIz out of the way and listened to these little guys for a weekend.The CLS-IIz position of honor in my system is safe, but I was amazed at how good the B&W DM 302's were, For $250 a pair nothing else
that I have heard even comes close. The 302's trash the much admired NHT Super Zeros.

I'd check out the 302's for a budget system, office system, or bedroom system. They are one hell of a little speaker!

Cool, hot and really terrific! Good prices and a lot of joy.Buy them!

price

sound

I have lived with these speakers now for almost a year in my 3rd level system(once removed from HT and twice removed from main listening 2 channel system). I thought the sound would grow on me, but hasn't. I have a review posted below form last year and have read a lot of previous reviews. If you stick these speakers in a cabinet or bookshelf, the bass gets muddy and overwhelming. If you set them on the floor and close to the back wall, more of the same. They will not sound worth a damn until at least 22" off the floor and at least that far off the back wall. I do not understand what other reviewers are saying about not having any bass. My pair of 302's must be on bass steroids. Which brings up a very good point about cable interactions and amps. I am driving these from a Marantz "lifestyle" kind of all in one box receiver, cd player($500+) which I cannot also recommend with AQ type 4 cables which I cannot also recommend. I wanted to put together a $1000 or less system which I did but does not sound good, yet. I plan on changing out the cables to an XLO product (highly recommend) and if that does'nt work, bye bye Marantz hello NAD. Point to be made here and service to budget speaker buyers. Try B4 U Buy. Get a loaner pair and put them where you will listen. So far, they do not work where I will listen. The 302's are very apparently overly sensitive to cable and amp. I need a brighter cable and or amp, you may not. So far, I do not think these speakers deserve their lofty Stereophile rating.

Similar Products Used:

mission, infinity

Clean Sound at a reasonable price

None

I purchased these speakers for an HT setup with B&Ws venerable V201 on the surround. The speakers are clear and strong. As they are coupled with a Def Tech 200 Sub, I was not concerned with bass.

I compared these speakers with Def Tech 200 and B&W 601s. My opinion is that the speakers have a smooth and full sound and work wonderfully. By the way, the center channel is a DefTech Procinema 100.

Similar Products Used:

B&W V201

Cost, overall sound, size

Slightly muddy bass

I bought my first pair of 302s almost six months ago, I spent two weeks, and listened to just about every speaker on the market under $500/pr. I still haven't found any serious problems with these speakers, and have no regrets about buying them. I just bought another pair and a matching CC3, along with a velodyne sub (8")

I have heard alot of people say that these speakers are a little muddy in the bass area, and I would say that I agree but it's very minor. What kills me about these speakers is they're efficency... I have an older yamaha reciver, which is very clean, but kinda gimpy on the power. But it makes the 302s sing.

In my oppinon, if you are really interested in sound quality and care how your music sounds these are the only speaker on the market for under $500

Neutrality in spades! Instruments retain a very realistic tone, especially acoustic guitars and double bass. Speaker sounds very full on orchestral music, much larger than its size indicates. Performance/price ratio can't be beat!

Bass was slightly subdued, but it was still "there". Would definitely need a sub to hear the lowest octaves. Materials aren't top notch, no kevlar driver or metal tweeter.

I've read all the rave reviews about this little speaker, even the one where it was given Stereophile Class C status.
All I can say is, RIGHT ON! This speaker is awesome!

Only real caveat is the materials: vinyl, paper cone driver, dome tweeter, etc., henceforth its ridiculously low price. However, once you get past the low cost materials and turn your attention to the SOUND, you'll simply be amazed!

Firstly, this speaker is unbelievably NEUTRAL for the price. The "prism cabinet" is no doubt accountable for this performance. It compares favorably with the far more expensive CDM1SE in that area. From high to low, the frequencies are uniform and smooth and uncolored. The DM601 by comparison is way too bright, no doubt due to its metal dome tweeter. The highs in the DM302 are so much smoother. And both speakers were heard through Rotel amplification.

Secondly, these speakers are remarkably detailed, although not quite up to the standards of the CDM1SE. They do hold their own with the "metal-domed and kevlared" DM601. I could hear the hall in Rachmaninov's "Piano Concerto # 3", uncanny for a speaker so inexpensive.

Thirdly, these little speakers make instruments sound quite real. Acoustic guitars on Genesis' "More Fool Me" were so full-bodied. Gary Peacock's double bass on "Bye Bye Blackbird" by the Keith Jarrett Trio also snapped with full body, and all but the lowest octaves could be clearly heard, thus showing that these little guys can put out "good" bass. I would neither count on these little guys to give the full impact of explosions in home theater without a sub, nor would I expect to hear the lowest keys of pipe organ or orchestral bass drum on symphonic recordings without a sub.

Finally, the DM302's disappear while soundstaging and imaging with the likes of the CDM1SE (although without the refinement!). I could easily place each instrument within the soundstage in realistic proportions.

The DM302 is THE OVERACHIEVER in high-end audio. Although it's far from the last name in refinement and/or detail. However, its neutral presentation, its high efficiency, and most-of-all, its overall SOUND make the DM302 a ridiculous bargain. Listen for yourself!

Similar Products Used:

Celestion Impact 15, B&W DM601, B&W DM602, B&W CDM1SE, Paradigm Reference Studio 20.

Price, Sound is impressive from such a small box

Easy to overdrive, Really need to be on stands(as you would expect)

A great little speaker i had brought these a 18 months ago as a part of my first system. Initially had them sitting on a set of small tables and they sounded good. I then put them on stands and they opened up great sound. As for all the comments on the bass content What do you expect for a small bookshelf???????
For me the Bass was fine except abit muddy at higher volumes

All and all cant beat them for the price

I am using them as surrounds at the moment with 603-S2's and an LCR6-S2 and they are doing a stand up job.

I will be looking to replace them later on this year (with 602's) and they 302's will end up being the speakers for a small music system for the bedroom

Well rounded sound, imaging, tight, responsive sound

none, well maybe bass... no, none!

Why do these speakers get about the same rating as the Klipsch's? I own both and there is no comparison. Best $250 in audio I ever spent. A good sub and you are in heaven for less than a grand. Definitely 5 stars. Who can give them less?

Similar Products Used:

Klipsch ksb 1.1

High to low excellent sound reproduction, price, B&W quality

Could use a little more bass, but hey, they're bookshelfs so they can't help it.

These little speakers are awesome! Right across the whole range of frequency you get clean and detailed sound. Even before I got stands they performed amazingly well, considering I had them in the worst spots possible; now they've gone to a whole other level! I listened to many other speakers with all kinds of music and dvd movies for comparison, stuff that I listened to enough that I knew excatly what it should sound like. These babies shocked me by how much they took out everything else. A significant step ahead of the rest, you'd think they cost alot more. I've got two pairs of these for front and rear surrounds, plus a B&W CC3 for the center. Definitely the best investment that can be made for the money. If you want better sound than this, expect to start doubling your budget at least.

Similar Products Used:

JBL, PSB, Energy, Mission.