Thinking about going with B&W, does anyone have any experience

[Widowmaker]

Hey, folks, I was in my local hi-fi store (Myer-Emco, might just be a DC area store) and I saw that they put the B&W 600 series LCR60 S3 center speaker on sale for $329.99 (originally $350). I'm seriously thinking about buying it but before I do, does anyone have any thoughts/issues with this line? Also, is it possible to bargain with a hi-fi store or is it considered unseemly?

[Woochifer]

B&W in general makes some of the best speakers around, but your inquiry's somewhat incomplete. First off, what main speakers are you currently using? With center speakers, it doesn't matter how good it is if it does not properly match with the mains. With the front three, the key is the matching. If you go with a significantly different sounding center speaker, it will break up the continuity of the front soundfield and detract from the listening experience.

That particular B&W model is their entry level center speaker for the 600 S3 series. It's supposed to be pretty good, but keep in mind that its predecessor with the 600 S2 series was not an especially good model at all. It did not match well with the main speakers, and I thought it was generally a weak speaker for the $300 that it cost back then. B&W makes great main speakers, no doubt about that, but they have had some less than stellar offerings in the past with their center and surround speaker models.

If you don't currently use a pair of 600 series B&Ws as your mains, I don't see any reason to jump on that particular center speaker. Sounds like you're more enticed by the discounted price than the speaker itself -- don't fall into that trap. The way to do it is to look for the matching center for your current mains, and try and negotiate as good a deal as possible with that model. It is possible to bargain at high end stores, just don't expect too hefty a discount if you're only buying a center speaker. Your odds increase if you're looking to get a package of speakers.

[Widowmaker]

Thanks for the reply. Currently, I am just using a dinky 6-piece home theater speaker package that I got from Circuit City four years ago (harman-kardon). I've been told that the best way to upgrade speakers is to buy a center channel first and see if you like it because, as you wrote, the center dictates what main speakers you get. I've heard a lot of good things about B&W so I thought I'd check that one out.

[Woochifer]

Thanks for the reply. Currently, I am just using a dinky 6-piece home theater speaker package that I got from Circuit City four years ago (harman-kardon). I've been told that the best way to upgrade speakers is to buy a center channel first and see if you like it because, as you wrote, the center dictates what main speakers you get. I've heard a lot of good things about B&W so I thought I'd check that one out.

I think that you need to look at the front three speakers together as a unit. To me, it makes no sense whatsoever to just listen to center speakers if you also plan on using your system with two-channel sources as well. It's a fallacy that just because the majority of sounds in home theatre soundtracks goes through the center speaker, you need to build the system around them. The mains are equally important because 1) most music out there is still two-channel; and 2) even in 5.1 soundtracks, the mains are still vitally important, and the front soundfield is created with all three speakers active. It's not just the quality of the center speaker's sound that you need to listen for, but how well it matches with the mains as well. It doesn't matter how good a center speaker sounds if it does not tonally match the mains.

B&Ws are good speakers, but they are not the endall in quality. I personally like them a lot, but in the past they have put out less than adequate center and surround speakers. You should get out and audition families of speakers just to see what type of sound you like best, and to evaluate how well the ancillary speakers match the mains.

[Keith from Canada]

Wooch is bang-on when he says that the center speaker is not the end all and be all of your HT set-up. I would take it one step further however and state that the main speakers should be your primary concern when building your system. Generally speaking, if you like the mains for music and movies, you should be equally impressed once those are matched up with a properly matched center and rears. This is not necessarily the case with the center speaker (e.g. you can love your center speaker and dislike your HT set-up if the mains aren't to your liking).

By the by...I personally like B&W however, I have virtually always found that you can do just as well, if not better, if you look at other speaker lines (e.g. Paradigm, PSB, Klipsch etc). This is based on the premise that B&W are generally overpriced (at least here in Canada) when compared to the competition. That being said, I have never heard of someone who was disappointed with a B&W set-up after they spent the $'s.

[Widowmaker]

I didn't even think about listening to the mains with the center; the salesperson turned off the mains and played the center only. I guess I should go back and hear how the mains are too. Thanks for the advice.

[topspeed]

Any salesman that doesn't know the importance of matching the center with the mains shouldn't be trusted. He/she was probably the same doughnut that said you should build your system around a center channel. As Keith noted, the mains are FAR more important because they will give you a better indication of the overall tonality and presentation of that particular speaker line. The center should simply be engineered to match.

A good deal is hardly a reason to invest in a speaker. A bad speaker at a great price is still a bad speaker. This is not to say the B&W is bad (I have a B&W HT), I'm only trying to make a point. Audition as much as you can and find a speaker that suits your musical tastes and preferences and then look for the center channel within the line. This way you'll know where you can grow when you slowly upgrade your system. I'd also look into that Maggie system that Geoffcin recently posted about...it sounds interesting if you have the space, amp(s), and taste for planers. $300 sounds like a ridiculously low price but giant killers (if it turns out to be one) are always fun to run across.

Good luck

[Jackman]

I have b&w speakers and I wouldn't change them for the world watching movies and even listening to music they are great Welcome the the High end of the audio world.
I agree with all the other threads if you are going to go buy a center channel make sure that the mains match too. They all have to match all 3 of them in my opinion, and for haggling that all depends on if you know what you are talking about, But most places that sell high end are willing to deal with you, especially if your going to drop some good change..
Go back and listen to all three and then make the decision

[Umrswimr]

I can't add too much to this thread- I agree completely with everything said above. Listen to all three speakers together, but listening to the center channel separately CAN be an invaluable tool. The truth is, most center channels do NOT sound like their respective mains, even if they AR "matched". Because they use different cabinets and often different sized drivers, they don't usually sound "identical". My Snell E.5's do not match my CR5 center.
My suggestion- buy three identical speakers for the fronts and center. That way you're guaranteed to match them. Of course, this only works if you're looking at small(ish) monitors. Big towers look funny perched atop your TV.