Is the B&W 600 series a good value?

I happened to be in a place where I could listen to a pair of the 683's yesterday and this was my impression.

They have a really nice midrange - following on B&W's general strengths. The upper end was more subdued compared with a new pair of Paradigm Monitor 9's which were a bit more sparkly and tipped up. The B&W's killed on piano and female vocals compared to the admittedly less expensive Paradigms. Bass response on both speakers was somewhat disappointing, although it may have as much to due with the electronics used - 80 wpc NAD C-355BEE, the room set up (speakers up on a platform), and the spaghetti of wiring and switches used in the display room as to the speakers actual low-end capability. A stronger amp may have driven the woofers of both speakers harder and lower, and placement on the floor may have provided a better foundation.

The B&W 685's had a similar presentation relative to the Paradigm Titan Monitors, with more life-like and lush midrange and a little softer top end. Bass was adequate for both speakers given their smaller size relative to the larger towers.

thanks for all the info guys

this is probably off topic but i actually spotted a 805 for sale here for $1395

http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?spkrmoni&1261356733&/B-W-Nautilus-805-dark-red-cher

the guy is local to me and i need some quick advice on what you guys think of the price? i'm going to take a look at them tonight

for 685's, i'd be paying $710 out the door at my local dealer

is it worth it to spend an extra ~$700 for the 805's? i believe they're the older 805N, not the new S version, does anyone know if the difference is huge or not?

thanks again

805N is a very good speaker - "S" version is even better. They are beautiful to look at but need a strong amp and very clean source to sound their best - you will suffer upgrade-itis, or just suffer, if using with lo-fi electronics. Great upgrade path and very revealing, but not very happy with less than 100 true watts of solid state power and at least a mid-fi or better source. For tube amp might get by with 40 or more watts per side in a small room.

thanks for the response...

i have a peachtree decco powering my 685's right now, it works beautifully

i'm thinking of adding an emotiva upa-2 to give the 805N's more power, and use the decco as a DAC/pre

what do you think abuot this?

or more importantly, what do you think about the price of that 805N? is it an average price or a good deal?

That would go above your $1,000 budget. Anyways the N805 will not only be a more composed speaker than the 685(more refined sound across the entire spectrum- better highs, mids and bass quality) but you are paying for the beautiful woodwork as well in the curved cabinet. I have owned a pair before and have owned the CDM1SE for 9 years. Another point is the 800 series, together with the 700 and earlier 600 series are all made and assembled in the UK and not China.

Price-wise is subjective but I would think it's quite a fair to good deal. If compared with other American brands then others will have a different opinion as mentioned in the earlier threads(tax and mark-up issues).

If you listen at fairly low to moderate volume levels in a small to medium-sized room then power becomes less of an issue. Otherwise, more current would be beneficial.

If you like the current 685 sound and prefer the looks of the 805's cabinet, it is worthwhile to consider the speaker. As mentioned by other forummers here which I also agree, there are other options that can give comparable or better results for the same money(as always with most gears). It is your money and choice so good luck in whatever your decision.