In need of speaker advice.

[Walker]

I'm planning to buy new speakers (only for music) and I was considering the B&W's 603 s2. I now have the B&W's 601i witch I love but they have a very small sweet spot. The 603 reviews tell me that these speakers have a small sweet spot as well, and that they need a lot of space behind them and placement is very critical.
Basically I have no experience with speakers other than B&W's (except for a terrible JBL experiment) and I'm looking for some easy on the ear but detailed and open, supple sounding speakers that are not as critical (placement wise) as B&W's (in the 603 price range)

Thank you for your advice,
Walker

[nusiclover]

603's are like $900 right? you have many many options at this price. i would strongly recommened you try to find dynaudio audience 52 or von schweikert vr-1, both around this price range. they are bookshelves and this makes for easier placement. these speakers are very easy on the ear and provide wide open sound stages and clear supple sound. they are both, imho, better than anything in the b&w 600 line. for what you seem to be looking for, i would definitely consider auditioning these two great speakers. they will actually give you as much bass as the 603, believe it or not, even though they are bookshelf size. i dont know where you live, but dynaudio is easy to find, von schweikert is a bit harder. btw, considering that dynaudio needs a strong amp, what components are you using?

[nusiclover]

also, if you are looking for something easy on the ear, as you say, then try listening to speakers that do not have metal tweeters (like b&w do) as the metal can sometimes lead to fatigue. the two speakers i mentioned above do not use metal as they are soft dome tweeters. they are both a huge step up from the 601 and any JBL imho. dynaudio and von schweikert are music lovers speakers. but remember that the better speaker you buy, the better amp you will need.
also consider that bookshelves will always be easier to place than full-size. this is beaucsae full size (such as 603) need plenty of breathing space. bookshhelves, like their name, have unique internal crossover designs meant to be easy to place even (if you had to) inside a bookshelf. many people would agree that for your price range, you will get the best speaker if you buy a bookshelf as it is hard to find a good full-size for under $2000. better bookshelves are also known to offer wide soundstages when compared with similar priced full-size. however, the advantages of full-size can be lower bass reproduction, but in the case of the 603, you will get the same in the bookshelves that i meantioned. i auditioned 603 side by side with dynaudio52 and the difference is breathtaking. the 52 is just a better speaker imo.

hope this helps

[nusiclover]

one last thing, i upgraded from b&w 601s2, so i know the speakers well - so if you have any more questions...

[Walker]

Thank you very much, I'm going to try the dynaudio and schweikert speakers this weekend. I'm from LA so I don't think it will be hard to find them.
Thanks for the advice.
Walker

Amp: Harman Kardon AVR 75 (use it for music only)
Nad cd-player
B&W subwoofer

[topspeed]

I replied to this in the General Audio Forum so check that out.

One addition, if you're in LaLa Land, you might consider heading down to San Marcos where VSA is located. Talk to Kevin as he's a great guy to work with. If you're lucky, they may still have the VR11's set-up and you can give them a listen along w/ the VR1's.

[Walker]

one last thing, i upgraded from b&w 601s2, so i know the speakers well - so if you have any more questions...

What is the ideal placement of these speakers?
Thanks

[nusiclover]

the placement is a thing that has many options, most of which will curtail to your listening room. in general, have the tweeters on stands that will lign the tweeter with an imaginary straight line to your ears. have the speakers a good foot or more out of the wall. have the speakers be separated from each other by at least 6 feet. use the 3:4 rule, for every 3 feet of separation, be 4 feet away. so, having the speakers 6 feet apart will sit you at 8 feet away from the middle. last, toe-in the speakers so that the imaginary line hits you (some say toe-in so that the line hits exactly a foot in front of you). basically, depending on the size of your room and your options, play around with them and go with what sounds best to you. as example, i have mine on 24 inch stands a foot out from the wall and 8 feet apart during normal times. during serious listening, given that my room is 12 feet by 20, i bring them out about 6 feet from the back wall, i separate them by about 6 feet and i sit about 8 feet away. this gives me the best imaging and the most enveloping experience. of course, the speakers are in the middle of the room, as am i, so this is only for my personal enjoyment (and when the girlfriend comes home it all goes back to normal mode)
if you take topspeed's advice and go to VSA and listen to the VR-11's i will be one jealous man. and what better way to hear the acclaimed vr-1 monitors?
good luck

[Walker]

Thanks a lot lot.