b&w 220 speakers

[cdn guy]

i'm trying to create the best system i can from a "value" perspective. i have some energy c 250s however i've found the sound to be rather thin and piercing over the years. just stumbled upon a pair of older b&w 220's today for $150 and they sound amazing. it brought more realism to vocals, piano notes were more pronounced, strings more detailed...overall much more balanced than the energy 250s. they are still a tad bit bright for my liking however nowhere as harsh as the energy's.

my questions to you are:

1>what center channel will best match the b&w220's (should i keep the existing energy center?)

2>are there any other recommended improvements i can make to improve my listening experience without breaking the bank? will consider buying second hand.

i don't use the system too much but appreciate good sound when in use. 75% movies, 25% music (pop, classical, rock, musicals, rap..pretty much a bit of everyting).

thanks

denon 1602
energy xl-250 main
energy xl-c center
energy xl-15 rear
energy s8.2 sub

[cdn guy]

forgot to mention speakers purchases were b&w dm220. i believe they were made in late 80's early 90's.

[pixelthis]

forgot to mention speakers purchases were b&w dm220. i believe they were made in late 80's early 90's.

Even the cheapest B&W speakers are better tham most other speakers.
I dont know the model no. but before I stepped up to 600's I had a pair of dm305's,
floorstanders based on the dm302's, which I beleive came after your speakers.
They had a matching center, a friend still has it, it should match your speakers
fine.
B&w has a website, their current line of economy speakers should have a center that matches.
I have heard that wharfdale is a "value" version of B&w, but dont know if its true, you might check them out

[cdn guy]

pixelthis, you must be referring to the cc3's which looks like the centre channel for the dm3 series. i will try to look for these on the used market. will also be auditioning some of the newer b&w speakers at the local retailer shortly(there aren't too many b&w dealers in vancouver surprisingly). thanks for your advise.

[jtgofish]

i'm trying to create the best system i can from a "value" perspective. i have some energy c 250s however i've found the sound to be rather thin and piercing over the years. just stumbled upon a pair of older b&w 220's today for $150 and they sound amazing. it brought more realism to vocals, piano notes were more pronounced, strings more detailed...overall much more balanced than the energy 250s. they are still a tad bit bright for my liking however nowhere as harsh as the energy's.

my questions to you are:

1>what center channel will best match the b&w220's (should i keep the existing energy center?)

2>are there any other recommended improvements i can make to improve my listening experience without breaking the bank? will consider buying second hand.

i don't use the system too much but appreciate good sound when in use. 75% movies, 25% music (pop, classical, rock, musicals, rap..pretty much a bit of everyting).

thanks

denon 1602
energy xl-250 main
energy xl-c center
energy xl-15 rear
energy s8.2 sub

I have owned the 220s.
They are not bright sounding so the problem must lie elswhere.Try changing your cables to solid core[2 core] copper lighting cable..Cheap stranded speaker cable can sound tinny.

The 220s were quite cheap but they are still excellent.Those simple paper cones are better than the yellow Kevlar cones that afflict B&Ws of today.

[pixelthis]

pixelthis, you must be referring to the cc3's which looks like the centre channel for the dm3 series. i will try to look for these on the used market. will also be auditioning some of the newer b&w speakers at the local retailer shortly(there aren't too many b&w dealers in vancouver surprisingly). thanks for your advise.

The CC3 is a match for the 600 series, but should maatch your speakers fine.
I have one and it works very well, had it quite awhile too
Cost 318$ new BTY

[NightSky]

Well I am what you could call a speaker n00b, but am interested in setting up a pair of these speakers I inherited from my grandparents.

They just had the speakers. What else do I need?

What kind of audio cable, power cable.

My main goal is to be able to play an mp3 player through the speakers so what do I need to accomplish that.

Any help would be gratefully appreciated.

Again, sorry I don't know anything about this stuff, I am an avid tech lover and computer nerd so I will probably understand your concepts

[cdn guy]

Hi, I would make sure your mp3 player has an optical out to feed to your receiver. This way your receiver, instead of your mp3 player, will be converting the digital signals to analog. Make sure you have a decent receiver. Chances are the DAC on your receiver will be better than the one built into your MP3 player.

As for the wires, get some from home depot. The ones I have are pretty thick and require the use of plugs to attach them to the speakers. No need to buy any fancy cables. I had some fancy, and very expensive, multi braided cables and I cannot detect any audible difference between those and the home depot special.

Spend your money on a good receiver. Don't waste your money on wires. Good luck and enjoy!

b&w dm 220
b&w 601 s3
b&W LCR 600 (or 6? s3
outlaw receiver of some sort
old school 32 crt sony tv
energy 10" sub