Balanced.
Handles bass.
Doesnt fatigue.

Below a certain volume, pretty lifeless. Needs a good kick in the rear to get them to sing!

My mission died. I may repair it but thought this would be an excuse to buy a new pair. My room is big and I have not been able to fill it with sounds. I also have avoided a sub woofer (but use one for movies as part of a seperate system).
Running on a modest receiver (Yamaha) with a Sony DVD front end, these speakers were great. Very life like sound. Details that were missing before came out nicely and I can push the speakers to loud volumes.

I think for the price I coulnt have got a better pair.

Similar Products Used:

Mission 702e (recently died)
B & W 301
B & W 601
JBL N28 (used for a day)
JBL N310

Imaging, Very musical

none for the price

Very good speaker. I felt that the 603 sounded better than the 604's. The imaging seemed better and the sound was tighter and softer. For my taste in music I like this series more than the CDM's. I listen to rock music (Pearl Jam, Pink Floyd, Phish, etc) Purchased for $1000 including tax at Listen Up in Denver. Ask for Collin, great salesman.

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martin logan aerials, tannoy saturn 10

Tight bass, and not boomy if the bungs are used correctly. Nautilus tweeters seem very smooth, and midrange is good

None for the price range

I think this pair of speakers sounds great when properly powered (just like anything else). The bass is tight when using the bungs that come with the speaker, and the highs and mids seem very clean, although they came out of the 602's cabinet a little better. Most music sounds great, but electronic music seems to be a little bright at times. Movies are spectacular on them. I use them as my front channels with a CC6 S2 in the center, and a pair of 602 S2s in the rear...Paradigm Servo-15 sub to round it out. I'm only 22, but I don't see myself replacing these for any reason

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Paradigm Monitor 60

Great sound at low price

Needs spacious place

Great sounding speakers at very reasonable price. Nice imaging (just be sure you're on the sweet spot), fast and dynamic, not irritating. Just keep these babies away from back and side wall.

solid build quality, soundstage depth, imaging, never harsh, high volume coherence, overall pleasing and convincing listening experience

cabinet covering, boominess, thumpiness, boxiness, somewhat veiled midrange at less than high volumes

I've had EV Sentry 100 studio monitors (12" woofer, horn tweeter, very efficient, surprisingly delicate sound) for 23 years, and love 'em, but moving the system to the living room forces a smaller footprint and some consideration of cosmetics. I listened extensively to Dynaudio Audience 60, Contour 1.8, and B&W 603S2. While the Dynaudios are very accurate, they ultimately didn't do anything for me. The 603S2s always left me smiling. They are a very pleasing speaker, especially in the large listening room of the local dealer. Soundstage has wonderful depth and great imaging precision. More than once I walked up to the wall of speakers because I was sure the voice was really coming from a speaker on the shelf midway between the 603S2's I was auditioning. Smooth and absolutely non-fatiguing. I was enjoying the music instead of listening to the speakers. In the dealer's listening room, I liked these at least as well as the nearly-twice-as-expensive CDM7SE and NT, especially since I was still ramping up my expectation of cost--good grief, I paid $100 for the EV's. While the CDMs had a more forward and open midrange, I did not miss it when listening to the 603S2's. Overall the 603S2's simply worked very well. I purchased the 603s, took them home, and in my 13x23 living room the bass became thumpy and borderline boomy even with the foam bungs in place. Sort of like somebody slapped a too-strong subwoofer into the system. Placement and spikes would probably help this--I didn't want to try spikes on my wood floor, and couldn't place them more than about 10" from the side wall. Also found myself needing to listen in a little too hard for the vocals. The 603S2's were still very good, but after some consideration and more listening, decided to trade up to CDM7NT, with its tighter bass, more open sound, and furniture-grade cabinetry. The cabinetry was a significant consideration since these are in my living room--the 603S2's black finish and sharp corners were a concern.
For a listener with a big enough space and the ability to get these speakers away from the walls, the 603S2's could be a great choice. 603S2 is a must listen for rock-and-rollers. Neil Young's "Freedom" makes these speakers sound like a million bucks--with volume at the edge of clipping, Neil's voice is right there in the middle, separate from the band, clear and tightly focused, ambience is great. Unlike the Dynaudios and many other speakers I listened to, the 603S2's do not lose their composure and get confusing at high volume. They just squat down to the highway like a car with good aerodynamics at 120 mph. I think these will take as much power as you can give them. If I couldn't afford the CDM upgrade, I would be happy keeping the 603S2's.

My system:
Marantz 140 power amp (75W/ch)
British (Musical) Fidelity Preamp 3B
Sony CD
Plain old wires

Similar Products Used:

Own EV Sentry 100; auditioned B&W CDM7NT and CDM7SE and CDM1NT, Dynaudio Audience 60 and Contour 1.8, Paradigm Studio 60 and 80, MB Quart ???, Thiel 0.5

all

be gentle with them(and you'l have a right music partner)

I listen them more than a year and I realy love them.
If You want real dynamics,general feeling of rightness and superb imaginary these are babies for You.
Please note that You have to feed them with strong,dynamic amp.,conect it with good cables(bewiring is necessery),find a right source,put them in right position and all pleasure is Yours.
I recomend my system as a great budget solution:
-NAD 350C (excelent integrated amp.Take off the jumpers between amp.and preamp.at the back of the NAD and conect them with good cable:VDH CS-122.You will hear the diference!).
-CAL CD player DX2
-Van Den Hul Thunderline(interconect)
-Van Den Hul C-102 (speaker cable-for bewiring)

Drive it for some time,and than You have only enjoy to the music.
Conserning speakers I rated them five stars!

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many

Wonderful imaging, tight bass, crisp highs.Dynamic range, great for movies too.

None apparent.

After suffering many years with inadequate speakers I finally purchased the B&W 603s2's. I'm very happy with my decision, great imaging, tight bass and crisp highs, and powered by only a Yamaha RX-V793 (80 watts x 5). Can't wait to uprade to a more powerful amp but for now these speakers have given me incentive to spend even more $. Movies are just as impressive through these babies, great dynamic range. Best value I could find in the price range, highly recommended!

Similar Products Used:

B&W LCR6S2 CENTER, B&W 601S2 SURROUNDS, B&W AS6 SUB

Wonderful imaging, tight bass, crisp highs.Dynamic range, great for movies too.

None apparent.

After suffering many years with inadequate speakers I finally purchased the B&W 603s2's. I'm very happy with my decision, great imaging, tight bass and crisp highs, and powered by only a Yamaha RX-V793 (80 watts x 5). Can't wait to uprade to a more powerful amp but for now these speakers have given me incentive to spend even more $. Movies are just as impressive through these babies, great dynamic range. Best value I could find in the price range, highly recommended!

Similar Products Used:

B&W LCR6S2 CENTER, B&W 601S2 SURROUNDS, B&W AS6 SUB

Wonderful imaging, tight bass, crisp highs.Dynamic range, great for movies too.

None apparent.

After suffering many years with inadequate speakers I finally purchased the B&W 603s2's. I'm very happy with my decision, great imaging, tight bass and crisp highs, and powered by only a Yamaha RX-V793 (80 watts x 5). Can't wait to uprade to a more powerful amp but for now these speakers have given me incentive to spend even more $. Movies are just as impressive through these babies, great dynamic range. Best value I could find in the price range, highly recommended!

Similar Products Used:

B&W LCR6S2 CENTER, B&W 601S2 SURROUNDS, B&W AS6 SUB

Wonderful imaging, tight bass, crisp highs.

None apparent.

After suffering many years with inadequate speakers I finally purchased the B&W 603s2's. I'm very happy with my decision, great imaging, tight bass and crisp highs, and powered by only a Yamaha RX-V793 (80 watts x 5). Can't wait to uprade to a more powerful amp but for now these speakers have given me incentive to spend even more $. Movies are just as impressive through these babies, great dynamic range. Best value I could find in the price range, highly recommended!

Similar Products Used:

B&W LCR6S2 CENTER, B&W 601S2 SURROUNDS, B&W AS6 SUB