Question about B&W 602 s3?

[alexperl]

Hello my name is Alex and i am living in Israel.
I have Denon pma-655r intergrated amp, Polk Audio Monitor 5 speakers and Denon dcd-1000 cd player.
My room in not big :( 4x4 meters.
I am listening only to music, all kind of music.
I want to upgrade my system with a new speakers.
I am thinking about B&W 602 s3.
I heard this speakers a cople of times but with a reciever, i liked the sound but i can not compare them to my Polk's.
Please can any one tell me if the upgrade worth it?
If i will actually will hear the difference?
Thank you very much for your answer...
P.s Sorry for my bad English. :D

[RGA]

You will hear a difference - but I can't say it will be an improvement because I have not heard the Polk's. I would suggest that when you make an upgrade make sure it is a big one so you will be happy. I like the 602S3 more than the 705. Indeed, if it were me I would consider B&W a very good option up to the 600 series and then start looking at other brands after that.

A lot also depends on what is available in your city. The 602S3 is a good place to start.

[alexperl]

Thank you for your repluy.
So you are telling that 600 better then 602? or i did not understend you?
Or maybe you can sugest me any other speaker? for this price?
I like speaker that have a great mid and great ditales and i like it very sharp like Klipsch!
And here is my speakers:)

[alexperl]

I am listening to all kind of music, i like very much jazz with a good rekording like XRCD.
And i like to hear all!!!! the detiles.
I do not mind that the speaker will have a bad bass.
Thanks again :)

[RGA]

You can't tell just by looking at a speaker - I said 600 series in that the 602 is part of the 600 series. There is the 601 602 602.5 603 and 604.

I am saying I would not spend more on the 700 series of B&W's because for the money you can do a lot better for a lot less than the B&W's.

Just because there are good reviews means zilch - chances are you have never heard of the Audio Note AX Two Standmount speaker - most have not even heard of the company since they don't advertise - and yet for $550.00US it IMO clocks the 705 in every sonic area. The 705 has lots of advertising makes way more and is built in the same place so it SHOULD be far cheaper - but the charge $1500US plus.

Big name good looks sells.

[matt39]

Hi Alex,

From what you say you are looking for in a speaker I think the 602S3 would be a good speaker for you. However, I think the more important question is this: Are they a big improvement over your Monitor 5's? This is a very difficult question for me (and perhaps most of the members of this forum) because I have never heard your Polk speakers. I think the B&W's will give you good, crisp, clean sound with plenty of detail. Better than the Polk's? Hard to say and, perhaps, only possible for you to say. A couple things to consider are your dealer's return policy (can you return the speakers within a certain time period if you don't like them) and would it be possible to take your amp to the store and listen to the 602's being powered by your Denon while playing some of your own recordings. Doing this might give you a better idea of how they will sound when you get them home (they will sound different, and probably a little better, at your home). At least play some of your own music through the speakers. If there are other brands of speakers which you can audition do not hesitate to do so. You may find another choice you like better or be more clear in your mind as to your sound preferences when you make your final decision. I hope this helps a little bit and wish you good luck and listening.

[Woochifer]

You said that you're looking for a crisp and detailed sound similar to Klipsch? Why not just buy a pair of Klipsch RB-35s or RB-25s?

It's been several years since I last heard the Polk Monitor series. My recollection is that they had a slightly forward edge to them, but overall very clean and tight sound with decent tonal balance. The early Polk Monitor speakers were some of the first ones to break away from the prevailing "West Coast" and "New England" sounds among American speaker makers. They kept the balance of the "New England" speakers, while creating a livelier sound similar to the "West Coast" speakers without sounding as brash or forward as those speakers. I remember though that the early Polks were not especially easy to drive, so they do demand a bit more amp power to get up to moderately high volumes. The Klipsch RB-35 or RB-25 would likely give you a brighter overall sound, which seems to be what you want. If anything, your Polk Monitors will probably sound somewhat similar to the B&W 600 series, maybe a bit more forward sounding. The B&Ws should be a slightly more efficient.

B&Ws are definitely speakers to consider, but I'm not sure if the 600 series fits the bill for what you're looking for. I don't know what else is available where you live, but some of the Canadian speakers like Energy, Paradigm, and PSB are reminiscent of the early Polk speakers with a bit more detail in the highs, and better linearity in the midrange. The Klipsch speakers will definitely give you more prominent highs, so you should give it a listen and see if it fits with your preferences.

[alexperl]

Waw! Thank you all to youe answers!

[Aric M L]

I own the 602 s3's and have them in a similarily sized room, however, I believe they may be a bit too much speaker for such a small room. In my living room (about 8m x 6m) they sounded more natural and the low end wasn't brought out so much. Then again my bedroom is fairly bare right now and adding some curtains and other sound absorbing materials around the room might help with my problem a bit. At lower levels though, I have to say these speakers kick @ss. After a bit of break in, they sound just amazing for the price, and since they are what I chose as my best option, I cant really suggest an alternative in the price range. I hope you can enjoy them as much as I do.

[Aric M L]

Oh I forgot another point I wanted to tell you. While not as impressive in larger rooms, I also found 601's to be fine speakers. In the size of room you have, they may fit the bill just fine. You should see if a local dealer will allow a home audition with a broken in pair.