Share ko lang experience ko. I had the chance to audition B&W 683, 684 (floor standers) and 685 (bookshelves) at SGT few days ago. The receivers used were Denon 1908 and Onkyo 606. We started with 683. Wow, it sounded very nice. The highs and mids are very clear and crisp. The soundstage is open and wide. The Denon sounded softer and mellow (ideal for mellow and pop music) when compared to Onkyo which sounded more open and solid (ideal for movies) to my ears. Then we listened to 684. 684 sounded nice but not as nice as 683. I find the mid and dialogue not as clear as 683. 683 is a bit bright but laid back at the same time while 684 is somewhat on the warm side. Both are relaxing to listen to and not fatiguing to the ears.
It's difficult to quantify if the improvement in sound would warrant an additional P18T (price diff. based on SRP; difference is much lower if discounted). The 683 has FST (fixed suspension transducer) cones, which technology was previously used in B&W's flagship 800 series and this is what sets 683 apart from the previous UK-made 600 series 3 speakers. Also, I had the chance to compare the B&W 684 with Paradigm monitors 7 & 9. My personal observation is here:
http://pinoydvd.com/board/index.php?topic=60758.870 On hindsight, I think Denon 1508 used in the demo with Paradigm is too underpowered to bring out the best of B&W 684. For me, B&W 683 is better than Paradigm monitors.
Then I auditioned the 685. Wow, for such small speakers, they are incredible in highs and mids. I find the bookshelf 685 produced a bit better sound than the 684 (if you don't factor in the sub). Without any doubt, 683 is the best of the 600 series. I wonder how it will sound when paired with Rotel pre-amp and power amp.
Unfortunately, they don't have stocks for 686 so I can't comment about its performance as surround speaker. As between HTM61 and HTM62 for centers, HTM61 is the better match for 683 since both have FST cones. The dialogue sounded clearer. I didn't demo the subs of the B&W as other mid to high-end subs such as Velodyne would definitely do a better job . B&W's surround speaker for the recommended 683 system is DS3, a switchable monopole and dipole speaker, which is said to produce better diffused surround sound compared to forward firing bookshelf speakers. However, they are way too expensive (P45T SRP!) and, besides, the stocks are very limited and not available for audition.
Just for fun, I also auditioned B&W 803 (SRP P400T+), the costliest B&W demo unit on display in SGT. All I can say about 803 is WOW! It sounded "malambing". The highs and mids are very clear and crisp, and not irritating to the ears. It's a speaker you can listen to all day long. I was surprised to learn that B&W's top of the line speaker, 800D floor standers cost P1M a pair. GRABE NA ITO!!!
