B&W 601 S3's vs. M&K 750 THX MKII's (1 Viewer)

[AngeloEug]

Is there anyone out there in Audioland that has a preference of the two?

Usage: ht 45% Music 55%

I think I put more weight on sonic quality vs. the ability to play at loud volumes with less distortion.

I am currently using the M&K 750 LCR for my main/front sound stage and I am impressed with the size of soundfield the M&K's cast, vocals are clear and lifelike as well as being THX cert'd

B&W's are a thought for replacements to the M&K's. I've been finding myself closing my eyes and enjoying music pieces more and more lately and I'm wondering if the B&W's will be a noticable upgrade to the 750's.

Can anyone chime in with experience on the B&W's or both?

Thanks in advance!

p.s. I have noticed that on some material the M&K's can be "harsh" or fatiguing to the ear at "moderate" to higher levels i.e. -25db from 0 calibrated via test tones.

Will the B&W's have a more "laid back" "warm" sound, commonly described with Euro speakers?

 

[John Garcia]

Congrats! Are those the ones you asked me about previously? I heard the M&Ks at Jason's place, and I found them to be pretty harsh on certain tracks too. I'd call it more of a "brutally honest" sound that will tend to reveal less than stellar recordings, and even potentially show you some of the weak points in your system. This is normal with good speakers Not my cup of tea for music, but very good speakers.

I don't think the 601s will give you better depth or bigger soundstage than the M&Ks, but the 600 series is more musical to me, if that's what you are looking for. The highs are still crisp to my ears in the 600 series. I wouldn't call the 600 series laid back, but the midrange is somewhat reserved. I do think they fit, if not define, the "British" sound, which I am kind of partial to. The CDMs, now replaced by the 700 series have always been some of my favorite speakers.

 

[AngeloEug]

Hey John...quit replying to my posts!!! Yes, I've been fortunate enough to have the 750's on "loan" from my uncle while trying to sell them for him. In the meantime, I've decided to try and locate a lil' sumfin for myself as well.

The soundstage of the M&K's was immense to say the least but I still felt as if it just wasn't right for my tastes.

And of course, that's what it all comes down to. I know there are numerous happy 750 owner's but on the music side, I was willing to acquire them for a fair price from my relative.

Thanks for the input yet again John! How are your dad's AR's doing?

I may be looking into a Velo HGS-10 to face off with the pb-10!

 

[John Garcia]

The ARs are doing great. He's happy I stopped by and found that the receiver (open box Marantz 4400 I picked up for a good price) had both the bass and treble controls adjusted quite high. I adjusted them to flat and the moderate brightness was gone. I still have not calibrated the setup yet, but it sounds very good so far. Calibration coming up this weekend.

 

[GregBe]

Hi Angelo,

If you get a chance, listen to the M&K 850's. They are a little more expensive than the 750's, and look identical (with the exception of wood veneer). It may be just what you are looking for. They have all of the same qualities you like in the 750, but the tweeter is different. It is the one M&K puts in its professional line of speakers. It sounds much smoother and not harsh at all, while actually being more detailed. It is still very revealing though, and forward sounding. I will probabably be buying them in the next few months for these exact reasons.

Greg

 

[AngeloEug]

Hi Greg,
Thanks for the thoughts...I'm limited on the budget side so I don't think going M&K again will work for me. I did consider a few other marques, B&W, Epos, Quad, Wharfies, Rockets just to name a few in my budget of $400 or less. I've seen lots of packages with 3.5" drivers well within my budget but now that I've had a taste of what a larger driver can do in my space I'm hooked.

Every now and then I run across some great "used" deals and I'm thinking if I'm patient enough that I may be able to get away with an astounding sounding soundstage significantly superior to smaller speakers and smaller price(what a mouthful and, "yes" I did that on purpose).

At any rate, I'm lurking in the waters...alls I need are great LCR's and I'm set. I may have the opportunity to listen to B&W 601 S3's in my home for a few days...that should be a treat!

Nice to meet another local HTFer!

 

[kumar]

I have B&W 604s for my fronts and 602s for my surround. They are awesome. Probably Awesome too small to describe the beauty of sound they generate. I have listened to 601s too, they sounded great. But for larger room with open back and high ceiling I wanted slighly bigger speaker to fill the room. Hence went with 602s.

Honestly I cannot compare with M&K since I have not heard them, but trust your ears and B&W 601s are too good. For extra bucks 602s are even better.

Now, dont skin me if you spend your money on 602 upgrades.

Good Luck Friend!