I do love the Bowers and Wilkins 606 S2, including its smaller brother, the 607, but only in small portions. It's like a very tasty, rich-flavored cake that you enjoy eating, but if you overeat, you'll feel fatigued and overwhelmed.
The 606 S2 has an energetic sound; the top end is wild and bursting with rhythm. The treble has been pushed to deliver a punchy, detailed sound. It truly brought the house to its feet.
However, this speaker is very polarizing as it requires careful system matching and placement. It really needs good treatment and planning, and even then, music that is bright by nature sounds harsh. Paradoxically, listening until the moment it becomes fatiguing is a unique experience in this price range.
That was extraordinary to me.
What is different from S02
Now we have a new generation of this speaker. Before going into the sonic quality of the new model, let's discuss what's different from the previous generation. While aesthetically very similar, its inner construction has seen some interesting changes.
The number one fault of the bright sound in Bowers and Wilkins was the aluminum tweeter. Since the treble is usually resolved with the tweeter, any improvement should start there. And look and behold, we now have a titanium tweeter.
I leave the science and magic to other YouTubers to explain. I will focus on how this affects the sound it reproduces, at least as I hear it.
Is the sound less bright? Yes. The new sound is more lean, with the edges shaved to give it a closer-to-baseline reproduction. Was this a magic bullet that solves all its problems? No.
Sound Quality and Amp pairing
But it does help make these more versatile speakers for different types of audiophiles. The major improvement I noticed is the sound being more open. By creating a more lean sound, they actually expanded the depth of the soundstage a bit. So now it’s a very interesting combination of punchy dynamics and depth. That is a high success in my eyes.
Now, you have this unique experience of a large soundstage brimming with details. It creates a soundstage that feels bigger and more impactful. The bass is well-controlled and weighty, but it still lacks a bit of transparency and separation for clinical listening, which other speakers in this range offer. But these speakers never really tried to appease that crowd.
The bass is agile and great. It lacks the showmanship and presentation of the bigger bass you can find in tower speakers, but there is enough bass to satisfy your needs. It gives your sound the definition and strength it needs. A lot of people advocate for always attaching subwoofers to bookshelf speakers; I personally am not one of them. If you need more bass, maybe you should invest in tower speakers instead. But subwoofers do enhance your listening experience, bringing more fullness and weight to your music. So investing in a subwoofer if you already have bookshelf speakers could be the way to go.
To combat Bowers and Wilkins' brightness, you should look at darker-sounding amps like those from Denon, Naim, Arcam, or Electrocompaniet if you can afford it. They can tone down the brightness, and the synergy between them is fantastic. As they focus on the lower end more and shave the treble, they can baseline the sound wave enough to help balance things a bit. It’s not that Bowers and Wilkins can only work with darker-sounding amps, but it is a safer bet.
One thing I always found interesting about the 606 is that it has a lot of details, but the texture of instruments, the hit of the snare, bass, vocals, percussion, etc., is not to the level I expect. It could be a nitpick, but usually with punchy, detailed, and forward speakers, the mids are detailed and textured.
What to listen to when testing these speakers was a question. I played some pop, rock, jazz, hip-hop, and electronic records. While I thought the different genres would show their strengths and weaknesses, it seemed to me that the production was the key difference.
If the production was bright, then the sound can get fatiguing and screeching. Anything with violins, pianos, or acoustic guitars can, at some dynamic responses and ranges, sound uncomfortable. I remember listening to Björk’s "Vespertine" on the previous generation of these speakers, and it had a lot of problems. I am happy to say things are more manageable here. It does a better job of shaving those highs and transmuting them into manageable treble. It still sounds a bit bright for my taste, but this is much better than the S2.
I don’t want to focus only on the negatives. Music like King Crimson, Anathema, Lupe Fiasco, and Aphex Twin, music with a lot of rhythm and drive, will sound very energetic and moving. Its dynamic expression is amazing, allowing for a very moving listen with lots of details. This is why the Bowers and Wilkins 606 speakers are so amazing.
Alternatives
I would compare them to other bright, energetic speakers in a similar price range, like Klipsch, Polk, DALI, and Monitor Audio for reference. These are excellent speakers in different price ranges that I think can work as an alternative if you like this kind of speaker. I recommend testing these speakers as well when considering a purchase.
Klipsch RPM600
Klipsch RPM600 is much cheaper than the 600 series, but they have some similarities. If you like punchy, energetic, bright sound, this might be for you. The Klipsch RPM600 is a speaker rumored to become a legacy speaker soon in their lineup. As the prices have fallen significantly, you can find them really cheap. The main difference is in details, resolution, and soundstage; they cannot compare with the 606. But for an entertaining and punchy listen on a budget, you can go with Klipsch.
Dali Menuet
DALI Menuet is a bit more expensive than the 606 but can be found at similar prices in some stores. It handles the upper treble with far better ease. It is very musical and entertaining, in that regard. We can classify them as a very fun speaker, as it is easy to listen to. The reproduction of details and soundstage is almost even, and I can say that the bass has more attack and presence on the 606. But if you want better bass, you might look at DALI Opticon speakers.
Monitor Audio Gold 100 5G
Monitor Audio Gold 100 5G is more expensive than the 606. But these speakers sound grand and big. Their lower end is unmatched for bookshelf speakers of this size. But they also have a huge soundstage. The 606 has a bit more class, as they are more detailed with a lot of finesse and precision. But agility and attack, the lower end is much more in Monitor Audio's camp while preserving soundstage and reach. They are also rockers’ speakers, brimming with fun when you listen to them. If you like your sound to be big, weighty, and massive yet not compromised too much, then try the Gold.
Polk R and L Series
I also recommend the Polk R and L series. I won’t go into too much detail here as I have only experienced the R series, but the L series is closer in price to the 606 and has similar characteristics. The Polk Reference is a punchy, energetic speaker. But its delivery and presentation are more neutral and balanced. So they are much easier to pair and listen to. The 606 is still better at detail reproduction, but the Polk Reference series is cheaper and can deliver fun musical sound that is more balanced. So you choose which characteristics your pennies will go towards.
Conclusion
Bowers and Wilkins 606 S3 are speakers that I love but cannot easily recommend. They are amazing, punchy, with great soundstage and reproduction of details, dynamics, and expressions. But they are also very hard to find a great partner for; they are talented, misanthropic speakers. In such a company, the sound can become unwelcoming, fatiguing, and bright. There are ways to combat this, with partnering equipment that can subdue them, but they will always be on the bright side.
So you must know what you love and what you have to do to truly unlock these speakers. But when you do, they are amazing, unlike anything else at this level. They could be your companions that, like for me, you love and hate only because you know they are so close to creating amazing speakers in this price range that could be unbeatable.