Suggestions for B&W setup? (1 Viewer)

[Ed C]

I am trying to decide between the following music/5.1 HT setup.
Front: B&W 603 S2 or 602 S2
Center: CC6 S2 or LCR6 S2
Surround: B&W 601 S2 or DM303
The price difference between the 603 and 602 is larger than i thought. Is the difference worth it?
If I go with the LCR6 center, I'll need to downgrade the surrounds to the DM303. Bottom line, should I spend more on center or surround?
Has anybody compared the CC6 and LCR6? 601 vs. 303?
Thanks.

 

[Ned]

The word on Audioreview seems to be fairly similar to the previous CC6
http://www.audioreview.com/reviews/C...uct_6853.shtml
The LCR6 is a much better speaker but it still has the dispersion problems when laid flat
Dispersion: Within 2dB of response on reference axis
Horizontal: over 40° arc
Vertical: over 10° arc
If the main listening seats are both close to on-axis then this will be ok. As for importance of center/surround, the center is the absolute most important speaker in a HT setup. If you can't hear dialogue easily then no amount of thunderous bass or intoxicating surround will fix the problem.
I moved up to the NT line mainly because of the quirks in the CC/LCR center channel speakers. B+W hasn't seemed to realize that they have a hole in their 6xx line.
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[Lewis_W]

Go for the LCR6. It's a great center speaker and much better than the CC6. A few months ago I upgraded to the LCR6 from the CC6 and found dialogue to be much richer and clearer. Bass performance is also greatly improved.
If you can, go for 603's. They are fantastic speakers for the money and are great for music too. The LCR6 is a great match for them, always managing to match their high output levels. The 603's have vast amounts of bass, much more than the 602's. One word of warningt though. To get the most out of the 603's, you'll need a good amplifier. I recently bought a NAD 218 THX amp to go with my Denon 4800. The difference was amazing!
Cheers,
Lewis.

 

[Mark C.]

I use 601S2s for my rears, CDM1SEs for mains and a CDM center. The 601s are terrific rear speakers and would do a fine job as mains. Just match them with a good sub. If you're looking at B&W primarily for HT over music, the 602s will be just fine. If you're also counting on the speakers for music, I'd go with the 603s. You really can't go wrong with the quality of B&W. Good Luck.

 

[Jeremy Hegna]

"Dispersion: Within 2dB of response on reference axis
Horizontal: over 40° arc
Vertical: over 10° arc"
Ned, these specs aren't bad. Most theaters are built so that the center channel is several feet away...10 degree angle off the speaker from 10 feet away is pretty generous dispersion.
I own the LCR6 and have for a year. I recently upgraded to Nautilus 802 mains and I'm sticking with the LCR as my center channel. I have 602s in the rear which may end up being my back surround...as I'm contemplating a pair of LCRs as the sides surrounds. They are a perfect match for all the drivers used in the 600 series, from the 601s to the 605s. This allows for a damn near perfect timbre match in the front, IMO.
I don't believe there to be any such hole in the 600 series and couldn't recommend any other speaeker set in this price range as enthusiastically. The LCR6 s2 is my favorite in the line-up and I've owned them all except 601s.
Jeremy

 

[Jay_E]

I have a CC6 and 601's for mains. There seems to be alot of differring opinions on the CC6, but I really like mine. I find dialogue to be "rich and clear" from it. It really sounds good with the 601's. I recommend listening to both the CC6 and the LCR6, preferrably with your amp and the mains that you are considering. One thing I do know is that your center speaker is very important. Buy something that you like. Do not cheap out on it. Good luck.
Jay

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I originally tried the CC6 center speaker matched with the 604 S2 mains, and quickly upgraded to the LCR6 after one week (my dealer just charged me the difference in cost between the two speakers). I think the LCR6 is a much better match with the larger tower speakers, as the CC6 seemed overmatched in my setup. With the LCR6, the center channel never gets overpowered by the other speakers. Voices are clear and accurate.
FYI, we do not sit off-axis, so any dispersion problems are not an issue for me. Everything is calibrated with Avia test tones and a Radio Shack SPL meter.
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My DVD Collection
AFI 100 Films to watch: 40 -> 2

 

[Scott_G]

LCR is a must.
If you want a CC6, buy a used one. Should be under $200 easy.
I've got the 603's up front, LCR, and 602's in the back with the ASW/2000 for the "heavy" stuff.
What type of sub are you going to use? If you get a good one, you can use the 602's all around.

 

[Max Knight]

In my book the 603s are worth the price difference. I have a set and LOVE them. I use a CC6 and find it prefectly nice, but ymmv. If it came down between getting the 603s or getting the LCR, I would go for the 603s.
The 603s have much more bass than the 602s, and even though I'm using an SVS 25-31 for the low end I feel that the 603s give a much more "effortless" sound than the 602s.
-Max

 

[Ed C]

Thanks for all the replies so far. Based on what I've read (still need to go listen), my setup will look like this:
B&W 603 S2 front.
B&W LCR6 center.
The only remaining question is 601 S2 rear or 303 rear.
btw, these speakers will be powered by a Denon 3802.
Sub will be a SVS 20-39CS.

 

[Steve_Ma]

I have the 603s up front as well. Nice choice and good luck. If you get a decent sub, your midrange and bass performance will be impressive. FWIW, I have the CC6 and find it adequate. If I watched more than 1-2 movies a week or had a bigger room, I might feel differently, but 80% of the time, my setup is being used for music, so the CC6 doesn't come into play as much as I thought it would.

 

[Jay_E]

Ed,
Looks like your going to have a great audio system. I don't know much about the 303's, but I would stay with the 600 series if you can swing it. Will you being setting your 603 mains to small or large? If set to small how much difference will the 603s make over the 602s or 601s for movies. Thanks.
Jay

 

[Ed C]

Will you being setting your 603 mains to small or large? If set to small how much difference will the 603s make over the 602s or 601s for movies.

Great question Jay. I will likely have the 603 set to small for movies. My guess is that there would be little difference between the 603 and 602 in this regard.
For music on the other hand, I've been led to believe that the 603 without sub should sound better than 602 with sub. Any thoughts?

 

[Steve_Ma]

I have spoken to a few people who like to run the 603 as large. I have tried this and I just don't think they are best suited to handle the entire freq range. I think the midrange and bass suffers significantly when the 603 tries to do it all. My opinion, set it to small. Let the sub do what it does best. This will take the load off the 603, freeing up the midrange and upper end significantly. IMHO, this works best for music and movies.
[Edited last by Steve_Ma on October 29, 2001 at 11:34 AM]

 

[Gil D]

You may also want to consider going with the the CDM-CNT for the center. It's only a few $ more than the LCR and sound is very close to the smaller Nautilus HTM center.
Also, if you plan on upgrading 603/602 to CDM7-NT in a year or so you won't have to sell the LCR.

 

[Greg Robertson]

Gil, or anyone else who might know, how does the CDM-CNT match with the 600 series? I've yet to see a store setup that will let you listen to a cdm center and a 600 series main.
I'm currently thinking along the lines of previous posts in the thread. That is, I find myself really liking the 602s whenever I hear them, but I'm not sure if I'll be satisfied by either choice of center speaker. Not impressed by the CC6 and need a center with decent dispersion.
Now if only I wouldn't keep leaning toward the b&w mains..
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"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." - Benjamin Franklin

 

[Eric Barker]

I have been thru your dilemma...i first had the cc6 series 2 and thought it was awful. it was very chesty sounding and dialoque was very hard to hear. i had to crank up the decibels on the center +5 to get any decent sound out of it. i tried biwiring the speaker and gave it plenty of break in time, none of which helped.
after a month, i took it back and got the lcr6. this baby looked impressive, but after hooking it up i was again very disappointed. unlike what the one fellow said, the off axis response really is noticeable. 10 degrees is unacceptable...if you arent sitting smack in the center, forget it. even if you are, with such a poor response it doesnt blend well with the fronts. also, the 2 1/2 way design means the sound coming from the speaker isnt balanced when flopped on its side. took this one back also...
FINALLY i ended up with the cdmc nt (a true center)...best purchase ive made. it blends well with my 602 s2 fronts, it has excellent off axis response (40 degrees), superior looks and build quality, and it only costs a few bucks more than the lcr6. listen for yourself, dont go thru the hassle i did of returning the other 2 crappy 600 series "center" speakers! you can check out my setup here, let me know if you have any questions:
Link Removed
eric

 

[Javier_V]

My Denon 3802 drives two 602 S2 front, CC6 S2 center, 601 S2 rear surrounds and Yamaha YST-320 sub. Just thinking of upgrading my fronts to CDM 1NT. Any opinions about 1NT? would it be a huge improvement? will it match CC6 center?

 

[Jerry T]

B&W 602s2 Fronts and Rears
B&W LCR6 Center
Dual SVS 20-39cs Subwoofers
Denon 3300 Receiver
Yamaha Receiver powering Subs
I believe you cant go wrong with the 602s or 603s in the front. But I think for the rears, stick with the 600 Series. Go with LCR6 for center, the CC6 is allittle weak IMO.
I use the subs for both HT and Music and to me it sounds terrific.
I believe all speakers should be set to small setting and therefore if on a budget get the bookselves which are the 602s.
Nevertheless, if you get the 603s, still set your speakers to small and let the sub handle the low end.
Demo both the 602s and 603s and listen to their mid-highs performance. Pick which sounds better to you. Then get a decent subwoofer to cover the lows.
Ed to answer your questions, to me I dont think the 603s are worth it if you have to sacrifice the center speaker. The center channel is probably the most important in HT. Over 90% of the dialogue comes out of this channel.
This is what I suggest. Get 602s for Fronts and LCR6 for Center and 601s for Rears.
Good Luck!
Jerry
[Edited last by Jerry T on October 30, 2001 at 04:58 AM]

 

[Gil D]

Greg,
I ran 603 Series1 with CDM-Cse center and it was a good combo for movies and music. The big CDM center is one of the better center speakers I have heard. The LCR6 was not available at the time I purchased the CDM so it was not really an option for me. I haven’t heard the LCR so I can’t recommend against it but the reviews have generally been good. I have heard the CDM-CNT and I think it would be a good match with 602s or 603s since the tonality of the tweeter is matched fairly well. The CDM will definitely have clearer and more dynamic sound, and used as a center will give home theater more impact and intelligible dialogue.
The CDM center is constructed more like a normal bookshelf speaker (just a bit squashed) with the tweeter/mid aligned vertically instead of the woof-tweet-woof horizontal arrangement which never seem to sound the best to me. I am considering using three CDM-CNTs across the front in a front projection setup since the three are a better match (SPL & frequency response wise) than the CDM1 & CNT combo for a little more money. The three centers should work well for me since it is dedicated to theater with not much 2 channel listenening. If you go with the CDM center just make sure the thing fits – it’s a monster