Quote Originally Posted by Sound5
Anyone with B&W speaker eexperience ?

I am interested in B&W's 604 and considered the 704 speakers. Yes, there is a bit a price difference. The 704s are over my price range.
Application: CD music, home theater movies, DVDs...etc. Still looking for an AVR receiver or separates to match.
Of the two you mentioned, I agree wholeheartedly with Dave that the 604's are far and away the better value. I have CDM NT's, the predecessor to the 700's, and was therefore very curious about the 7 series upon debut. I'd read about the revised motor structure designed to make the new speakers more amp friendly (the CDM's had a well earned reputation for their impedence swings which made amp choice tricky). It didn't take long to hear the differences the changes had wrought. After hearing the 705's and 704's, I mentioned to my dealer they sounded a helluva lot like the 600's. He told me that the voicing change in the 700's was due to the fact that the CDM's were voiced too closely to the 800's and were cannibalizing sales. Therefore, the 700's were voiced more towards the 600's. Whatever the reason, the change was not subtle and I for one have never cared for the 700's, especially at the price B&W commands for them. With the 604's, at least you're getting what you're paying for.

Keep in mind, most B&W's generally prefer current and it's best to avoid cool or aggressive sounding amps, unless of course you prefer that sound. It's not that the speakers are "bright," just revealing. In my audition, the 604's tweeter could get a little ragged when pushed, but this was at very high volume (probably over 90dB's) and unless you're hearing impaired, I doubt you'll be pushing them that hard very often.

Good luck in your search and I would also recommend taking the time to audition other speakers as well. There are lot of great speakers in your price range, from Magnepan, Revel, Focal, Vandersteen, Sonus Faber, Dynaudio, and my favorite at this price, Von Schweikert's VR2 (albeit B stock). Take your time and enjoy the process. A great speaker will give you decades of enjoyment!

Hope this helps.