B&W DM604 S3 Review

Overall Rating

Damm loud with exceptional looks

Bass tends too drag a bit (could be better)
Badly matched tweeter giving excessively loud high frequencies

The B&W 604 s3's have a large presence in a room - and not only in size and looks. They have the ability to bring to life previously dull and uninteresting tracks with their massive in-your-face sound.

However, this sound comes with a cost. Reference quality? - No certainly not. The quality is almost laughable at this price (£800). This is not to say they are bad but 800 quid is an unfair price to pay for mediocre results. These are after all 602's (£300) with 2 extra bass drivers per speaker.

The most obtrusive thing to the quality is an overly loud tweeter, which causes annyoying, even painful sibilance on certain tracks. I rarely have the eq switched in on my pre-amp but these speakers need it to take the edge of this nasty treble.

I owned a pair of these speakers for a year until two months ago when I sold them to buy a pair of Kef Q7's which I enjoy far greater although may not be able to take as bigger thrashing as the B&W's, which will take 150W's+ all day long. I'd recommend the KEFs over these any day, the bass is far tighter and there is soundstaging! (Those who own these b&w's will look puzzled..)

Great for house parties, home cinema and dancing round the room to.

Serious musical quality? Na.

Members' Comments onRMARKWEL's Review

• ashdad on 23rd Feb 2004

  I was rather suprised to read some of the conclusions in this review. I agree that these speakers bring to life tracks that you don't even notice on many other speakers--an admirable quality in my opinion. What I disagree with is the comments on the tweeters. I bought these for the improved high ranges and I have not been disappointed. I have never had better sounding treble. To my ear, the highs, lows and mid-ranges are well integrated. I am satisfied that I got a great pair of speakers for my money.

• greg33706 on 16th Jul 2006

  i had these speakers for sometime now and before i start i just want to tell you i know clean, clear sound. i always get the best of everything so i thought i was getting the best speakers b&w. these are nice speakers dont get me wrong, and they sound good/great when watching a movie (just watched "brave heart" on them last night) and they can play loud, really loud and clean so the voicals sound great. i tested these speakers to the max with a 1000 watt parasound amp (only ran 250watts to speaks) i got them to the point where i got the one speak to clip ( one of the 7" subs), but they are loud and clean vocials. great to show off to your friends
  
  so where do they lack... the speakers are not a clear, clean sound at low/med volume and to me they sound a bit muddy. while playing fm music or a cd you dont get to where you get lost in the sound and float away. it sounds like something is not there- it sounds like someone is holding a piece of paper over the speakers or there is a wall the speakers can't get over to sound crystal clean. but its werid cause at other times i can hear little details in movies and songs that i dont hear on other speakers. are these speakers good, hell yeah - are they great, i wouldn't go that far. heard the 700's and 800's are a lot better. you also need a good sub the make these speakers shine. im now looking at the paradigm speakers or martin logans to replace.

• nickheath01 on 22nd Jan 2007

  What the hell are you people on about? These speakers are outstanding. All I can think when you say they sound better one day than they did another day is you have a weak link in your system, or you don't leave your amps turned on all the time (which you should) and you just don't have the ear for sound reproduction. Please don't write bad reviews about things you don't understand.