Votes - 6, Average rating: 4 ( )

Manafacture: Bowers & Wilkins File size: 489.13 kb File name: 1fb7e9d0-a60a-432c-a77c-26af9d6bf2ec.pdf Language of manual:

With a twenty year heritage behind it, this .300 per pair 602 S3 is a bulky 20-litre two-way standmount, based on a main driver with a seven-inch cast frame and 140mm diameter Kevlar cone, used alongside B&W’s tube-loaded 25mm metal dome tweeter. Not surprisingly, room measurements indicate free space siting, on high quality stands which should be a little lower than usual (eg 450mm) for maximum effect. The effect of the relatively large bass/mid driver is immediately obvious in the listening experience. This speaker simply brings superior dynamic grip and authority to the B&W 602 S3 STEREO SPEAKERS party, creating the sort of dynamic tension that grips and focuses the attention and adds genuine magic to the business of reproducing music. There’s a commendable lack of strain here too, with better than average headroom, and particularly impressive bass which is capable of going deep while remaining crisp and even, providing a firm and propulsive foundation. The top end might be a shade obvious, though it’s also notably clean and clear. The midband is essentially neutral, if a tad ‘pinched’ through the presence region, and maybe a little laid back for some tastes. And although some might prefer a punchier projection, this speaker has the sort of restraint that should suit budget electronics rather well. One of the great all-rounders of this or any other year, the 602 continues to become increasingly refined with each successive generation. Reviewed in issue 234 HI-FI CHOICEAWARDS Loudspeakers Stereo p KEY FEATURES TUBE-LOADED METAL DOME TWEETER LARGE 175MM CAST FRAME MAIN DRIVER 23.5X49X29CM ENCLOSURE KEVLAR-CONE BASS/MID DRIVER .300 Bowers & Wilkins 01903 750750 q All five speakers in B&W’s budget priced surround system are nominal standmounts, and deserve good quality stands. All use the same tube-loaded 25mm metal dome tweeter and all feature Kevlar-coned, cast-frame main drivers, so there ought to be plenty of sonic commonality, even though the latter vary slightly in size and configurations. The 602 is a two-way with 20-litre enclosure and 175mm main driver, while the 601 uses a 165mm unit in a 14-litre box, and the LCR has two 165mm drivers operating as a two-and-a-half-way in a 28-litre enclosure. Finish is vinyl, either in traditional black or the new lighter sorrento. The sound quality with stereo material is described in the separate entry for B&W’s DM602 S3. Perhaps predictably this high-class behaviour carries through into the multichannel performance, where the combination of all three B&W models creates a thoroughly convincing all-round coherence. These deliver the warm and cuddly envelopment of the whole musical or cinematic event, and the experience itself provides a strong justification for the benefits of surround sound music. The good-size centre and surround speakers clearly make a worthwhile contribution towards building up the complete wraparound soundfield, while the meaty 602s at the front deliver weigh...

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