Is the B&W 600 series a good value?

okay.. so i just went to demo Usher's and i was completely blown away by the BE-718 compared to the B&W 600 series

not really a surprise given the price difference.. but they told me they have a X-718 for $1299.. which is the same thing just without the BE tweeter

anyone have any comments about usher that might help me?

i will be going to listen to Totem tomorrow

thanks

Answer to your original question: Yes.

But, you should also listen to as many of these as possible:

Totem Rainmaker
Totem Arro (narrow floor stander)

Dynaudio Excite X16

Silverline Audio SR-12

B&W 685
B&W CM1 (maybe, power hungry)

PSB Imagine B

Paradigm Titan Monitor

Triangle Titus EX

Monitor Audio Silver RX2
Monitor Audio Silver RX6 (small floor stander)

Personally, I'm not a B&W fan, although I actually prefer the 600 series to the massively overpriced 800/Matrix models. As to you central question, whether they're good values, B&Ws are almost by definition more expensive than many comparably positioned products. For one thing they're an English import, which means they're weighted down by the weak dollar; for another B&W utilizes a traditional (and heavily marketed) retail business model, which means they're subject to astronomical dealer markups. In contrast, alot of internet/direct manufacturers (Ohm, Magnepan and VMPS conme to mind)are able to deliver a lot more speaker for considerably less by cutting out the middleman.
You've gotten good recommendations above--I'd opt for Paradigm, Totem, PSB, Usher; I'd toss in Von Schweikert as well as the above mentioned Ohm and VMPS into the mix.

Loomisjohnson,

The current B&W 600 series was designed in UK and is built in China - so a good value compared to other products currently on the market assuming you like the way they sound. I think the 600's sound pretty good. The CM series is really quite an improvement over the old 700 series, with simpler but elegant cabinets, and improved drivers and crossovers. I would not say the latest B&W speakers are remarkable, but are high value and competitive with other products in their respective classes.