Advice please: B&W 606 S2 Anniversary Edition vs Revel Concerta2 MI6

OK, I'm hammering the second hand sites for KEF R300's and a Roksan K3.
Now I play the waiting game. Wish me luck.

By the way, that Arcam SR250 is on ebay.co.uk for £450. The seller is "going high but is open to offers" as he doesn't know what to ask! The display is dim but if you're ok with a soldering iron you should be ok (he might just be in direct mode if you're lucky). Get in quick if you fancy it.
Why not Hegel H160?

Have you listen to the Roksan before-it could be dangerous to buy an amplifier with out demoing it.

But you may be lucky.

From what I’ve read Roksan has a very dynamic sound.

Good bass drive also.
 
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You probably would be fine with the Roksan also.

Sadly no experience with Roksan.

But listed to some KEF speakers.

The midrange is more musical then B&W speakers.

So perhaps it could rock, and be musical when playing Dire Straits etc.

But the LS0 (KEF) I don’t like. But hey that’s me.😊

I’d recommend playing DSOTM on CD, but the right Cd version. 😉
MFSL version, CP35 Harvest Cd versions.

If the clocks on “Time” don’t sound harsh, you know you got i right.

Good luck.
 
I've not seen a Hegel H160 for less than £1799 second hand; outa my league. I'll get everything I need for less than that.

I came on here thinking a pair of B&W 606 Anniversaries and a CA or Rega Brio amp...I reckon the advice given means I'll be able to get roughly twice as good second hand for the same, or even less, money.

There's also the suspicion Hegel failed in his attempt to organize under the single formula of triadic development every department of knowledge....so Roksan it is then.
 
I've not seen a Hegel H160 for less than £1799 second hand; outa my league. I'll get everything I need for less than that.

I came on here thinking a pair of B&W 606 Anniversaries and a CA or Rega Brio amp...I reckon the advice given means I'll be able to get roughly twice as good second hand for the same, or even less, money.

There's also the suspicion Hegel failed in his attempt to organize under the single formula of triadic development every department of knowledge....so Roksan it is then.
Are you taking about the philosopher or the amplifiers?
 
OK, I'm hammering the second hand sites for KEF R300's and a Roksan K3.
Now I play the waiting game. Wish me luck.

By the way, that Arcam SR250 is on ebay.co.uk for £450. The seller is "going high but is open to offers" as he doesn't know what to ask! The display is dim but if you're ok with a soldering iron you should be ok (he might just be in direct mode if you're lucky). Get in quick if you fancy it.
The K3 is a nice amp, its powerful, compares very very favourably against the Rega Elicit-R which is its direct rival. The K3's bluetooth isnt the best ... this is one time you need to be at low volume.. the bluetooth breaks up heavily at higher volume. Bottom Line.. don't bother with this input lol.. headphone is also only in 3.5mm version .. not 6.3mm just as a heads up

The only thing i can mention re the Roksan which i don't know if they have fixed with the K3 against my K1 is volume... My KA1 has to be run at volume before it opens up and delivers a very decent sound, anything below 11oclock on my KA1 sounds bland, bass light and flat. Alot of this i suspect is compounded by the fact i'm running Dynaudio speakers and they need power before they deliver for sure!

The Kef R300 is a more dynamic speaker than my Dynaudio for sure and is alot warmer so i "think" you should be ok... A K3 is in stock with most hifi shops still like richer sounds .. I think the closest to hearing a R300 in a shop will be the newer R3? but... the point here.. is you can demo both and get a very close idea of how they sound :)
 
I agree that the laws of diminishing returns kicks in fast regarding amplifiers.

Speakers are where we’re the real differences is.

There are however of course differences whether if you buy Class A amplifier, switch mode amplifier ( Class D amplifier) and Class AB.

But whether they are better...


But I wouldn’t say no though a Class A amplifier from Luxman.

Or the Marantz Model 30.

Still they are so expensive😞
 
Which speaker stands are you going to use with the KEF R300 ( that is the speakers you are buying) ?

I’d recommend buying B&W STA 24. Very good speaker stands.

The original speaker stands that KEF etc what you to buy are very expensive.
 
I recommend making your own..a wooden tower filled with stones and concrete. You can't get much more inert and solid than a concrete block.
 
I've got that covered. A pair of huge black steel plinths from Richer Sounds 25 years ago filled with sand. I've also got a fine pair of wall mounts, not the little plastic ball and socket jobs for surrounds, big solid steel things that are only going to move if the brick wall does (though we have felt an earthquake or two in the North West from a fault just of Anglesey).
 
You'll all be overjoyed to know that in the end I didn't take a blind bit of notice of anyone :) and got a pair of B&W 606 S2 Anniversary Editions (£499, open box returns to Richer Sounds Liverpool. The guy took one look at the size of them and returned for 607's...didn't even take the second speaker out of the box). I was able to grab a Cyrus One HD for £699 in a Sevenoaks clearance online.

I haven't stopped smiling all weekend. I absolutely adore them. Stayed up 'till five on Saturday playing everything from the Brubeck Quartet's Time Out to The Orb's Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld. Can's Future Days to Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Eno's Apollo to Jesus and Mary Chain. John Martyn and The Fall put in an appearance too. Still grinning all over my stupid face.

Thanks to all who took the time to respond. Suspect I'll be back soon to consult the AV Oracles.
 
You'll all be overjoyed to know that in the end I didn't take a blind bit of notice of anyone :) and got a pair of B&W 606 S2 Anniversary Editions (£499, open box returns to Richer Sounds Liverpool. The guy took one look at the size of them and returned for 607's...didn't even take the second speaker out of the box). I was able to grab a Cyrus One HD for £699 in a Sevenoaks clearance online.

I haven't stopped smiling all weekend. I absolutely adore them. Stayed up 'till five on Saturday playing everything from the Brubeck Quartet's Time Out to The Orb's Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld. Can's Future Days to Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Eno's Apollo to Jesus and Mary Chain. John Martyn and The Fall put in an appearance too. Still grinning all over my stupid face.

Thanks to all who took the time to respond. Suspect I'll be back soon to consult the AV Oracles.
Glad you got there in the end via whatever method you took lol..

The Cyrus was a good choice for the 606 re the midrange issues it has so well done there.

If you really want to give them a shake down.... give these tracks a go



 
The B&W speakers (603 Anniversary) sound nasal in the midrange, bright treble. The bass is particularly deep, but no punch at all.

I really don’t think I well ever buy B&W again.

They just get brighter, shouty it seems.

They won’t get your foot tapping.

The other brand I can comment on.

Try and audition as many speakers as you can.

Perhaps you can find a diamond in the rocks...
I had a pair on loan and pretty much agree with all the above..my little Dali are better
 
In case you missed it above...after listening to everything I could in two shops I went with the B&W 606 Anniversaries and they are absolutely marvellous. Couldn't be happier. They're paired with a Cyrus One HD (2x100w @8ohm) and a BK P12-300SB-DF Subwoofer. Huge sound stage, musical, punchy when needed with great 3d imaging and separation.

Just goes to show...trust your ears. I'd have been lost without some good pointers on here and it's always fun going through the options with the AV Gods when you're going to splash some cash but it's a personal thing at the end of the day.

Does make you wonder though, there's a few reviews casting shade at the 600's and they all say pretty much the same thing (though the very positive reviews outnumber them about eight to one). Is There a bad batch? Are they particularly sensitive to some amps? How much does the source effect them. Super sensitive to positioning? Who knows...it'll come out in the wash no doubt.

Personally, I've not stopped smiling and have just got happier as they've worn in and I've tweaked them to the room. Like a a kid at Christmas.:)
 
Personally I think it’s down to 2 things assuming reasonable source and amplification :
Our ears
Our rooms.
I’m very happy with my 606s and glad you are with your Anniversaries. :thumbsup::clap:
 
Glad you got a result & are happy with your purchase - at the end of the day that's all that matters.
For what it's worth, I too road tested various B & W standmounts and they all sounded varying shades of awful - even the much-lauded 805d3 didn't impress, so I bought a pair of Dynaudio Special Forties which saved me a grand and still have me grinning like a baboon on ecstacy six months later.
Just goes to show - there's no one-size-fits-all when it comes to A/V in general and speakers in particular.
 
In case you missed it above...after listening to everything I could in two shops I went with the B&W 606 Anniversaries and they are absolutely marvellous. Couldn't be happier. They're paired with a Cyrus One HD (2x100w @8ohm) and a BK P12-300SB-DF Subwoofer. Huge sound stage, musical, punchy when needed with great 3d imaging and separation.

Just goes to show...trust your ears. I'd have been lost without some good pointers on here and it's always fun going through the options with the AV Gods when you're going to splash some cash but it's a personal thing at the end of the day.

Does make you wonder though, there's a few reviews casting shade at the 600's and they all say pretty much the same thing (though the very positive reviews outnumber them about eight to one). Is There a bad batch? Are they particularly sensitive to some amps? How much does the source effect them. Super sensitive to positioning? Who knows...it'll come out in the wash no doubt.

Personally, I've not stopped smiling and have just got happier as they've worn in and I've tweaked them to the room. Like a a kid at Christmas.:)

I have the 606 (non annivesary) and have used them with a few different amps and they are quite sensitive to changes in that department - they are definitely a speaker that you want to pair carefully otherwise they can sound harsh.

Mine didn't work well with an Arcam A75 amp I tried, but sound amazing with Marantz PM-66 KI Sig / Rotel RB-06 / Keces S300 / JVC AX-555

I have settled on the PM-66 KI Signature for now though, my second one after selling mine then realising it was a superb match and buying again 🙃
 
I have the 606 (non annivesary) and have used them with a few different amps and they are quite sensitive to changes in that department - they are definitely a speaker that you want to pair carefully otherwise they can sound harsh.

Mine didn't work well with an Arcam A75 amp I tried, but sound amazing with Marantz PM-66 KI Sig / Rotel RB-06 / Keces S300 / JVC AX-555

I have settled on the PM-66 KI Signature for now though, my second one after selling mine then realising it was a superb match and buying again 🙃
Do you think the Cambridge CXA 81 will be a good pair for them?

I recently bought a 606S2, as I told in another post.
 
Do you think the Cambridge CXA 81 will be a good pair for them?

I recently bought a 606S2, as I told in another post.

I actually recently parted with my CXA81 and went back to the PM-66 KI Sig.

It was a good pairing, but a little too clean for my tastes - I'd suggest trying to demo that combo before shelling out for it. I personally prefer the slight warmth from the Marantz, the CXA81 doesn't hold back which can sound a little clinical at times.
 
I actually recently parted with my CXA81 and went back to the PM-66 KI Sig.

It was a good pairing, but a little too clean for my tastes - I'd suggest trying to demo that combo before shelling out for it. I personally prefer the slight warmth from the Marantz, the CXA81 doesn't hold back which can sound a little clinical at times.
Thanks.
But do you think it's a matter of superiority or only based on your taste?

To tell the truth, I've already purchased both, awaiting for arrival. I mus admit it was an impulsive purchase, as long as I've never heard them together or separated, only based in reviews and listening to similar products in both lineup. I confess.
 
Thanks.
But do you think it's a matter of superiority or only based on your taste?

To tell the truth, I've already purchased both, awaiting for arrival. I mus admit it was an impulsive purchase, as long as I've never heard them together or separated, only based in reviews and listening to similar products in both lineup. I confess.

Only your ears can say whether you will like the pairing - it comes down to taste rather than one is better than the other.
 
Just set it all up and have a blast. I bet it'll sound great! I only got rid of my last Cambridge Audio amp after 25 years, they do great stuff.
If not ship it back, no problem.
 
Cambridge with B&W won’t work. Too clean sounding, and B&W has a very recessed midrange. You either need to use Marantz, Arcam, Denon, NAD, Electrokompaniet. In other words amplifier with a warm soundstage.

But even so it is your own ears that decides, so play some tunes and be happy.
 
Cambridge with B&W won’t work. Too clean sounding, and B&W has a very recessed midrange. You either need to use Marantz, Arcam, Denon, NAD, Electrokompaniet. In other words amplifier with a warm soundstage.

But even so it is your own ears that decides, so play some tunes and be happy.
Thanks.

But is this midrange issue common to every product in the lineup?
I thought it was more present in the 8 series, related to the crossover in high frequency.
Curiously every time I turn an equaliser on, I usually reduce midrange. Maybe it would be nice to my ears.
 
B&W harshness can be sorted with AVR room correction, sorted out on mine, but speakers should be sorted in the first place, shouldn't have to use EQ to correct speaker issues.

I recall reading one of the B&W speakers really harsh top end, 805 or something, there's graphs to show just how top end they are
 
B&W harshness can be sorted with AVR room correction, sorted out on mine, but speakers should be sorted in the first place, shouldn't have to use EQ to correct speaker issues.

I recall reading one of the B&W speakers really harsh top end, 805 or something, there's graphs to show just how top end they are
I listened to the 805s on a Cambridge 851a, and it was terrific. The best I’ve heard so far, in my (short) experience.
 

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