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My current Wharfdale speakers cost me £35- well reviewed but they were obvioussly never amazing!
So i'd like to upgrade- looking at new Wharfdale Diamond 9.1 (£100) or some second hand B&W 601 (probably s1/s2) although i'd like 602's if they were cheap..
Anyone got any opinions? Unlikely to be able to hear either/both in a shop
B+W
Got the Diamond 9.1s, really good if you like lots of detail- works best for jazz and classical music. Lacks 'welly' tho- bit of a letdown on anything like rock or some filthy arsed d'n'b. In a word, well, civilised! 😉
B&W always sound very crisp, but Tannoy are my favourite for a richer sound. I have no experience of Wharedale speakers even tho they are (were) made a few miles away from my home.
depends on your ear... how do you like things reproduced...
KEF: crystal clear sound... quite bright
B&W: bass heavy, good depth...
Tannoy: Good all rounder..
I own a set of KEF iQ50's stunning speakers... tey looking out for some Q55#s or Q55.2's both very good and cheep on the bay'.
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Music wise its;
Deftones
Radiohead
Hot Chip
Manic Street Preachers
Chemical Brothers
Beth Orton
Imogen Heap
Queens of the Stone Age
etc
2 hours to go. b&w 601
into the same music across the board - for me the b&w while very good speakers didnt cope with heavy stoner rock that well... bands like QOTSA and radiohead get lost in a lot of bass, and you miss all the detail that makes up their sound, hence why i went for the KEF,s. Bands like hotchip / postal service sound so crisp, the KEFs really bring out the production.
if you listen to more electronica then go for the b&w's
tannoys are great, but they are a lot of ££
i bought a good deal at cash converters
castle isis speakers
chord carnival cables
nad 3320 pe amp
target stands
all for £55
good price
I had some small Kefs a long time ago (Coda 7's) they were a good all rounder.
Acoustic Energy AE109s could be had s/h for less than £100. They were a very fine floor stander speaker in their day for their price.
I'd recommend Monitor Audio BR1 for a small space or BR2 for a bigger space if you're looking for bookshelf sized units with a good sound/pound ratio. I have the BR1s in my kitchen on some cheap wall mounts hooked up to a Denon DAB M37 unit and they fairly sing.
Your Wharfedale Diamond and B+W options are good too.
Thing is, hi-fi choice is totally subjective and it really does benefit you to demo if you can; the difference in sound between 2 pairs of near identically specced speakers can be massive. Most hi-fi dealers will be happy to demo either in their demo room or on the shop floor if the demo room's taken.
Try before you buy!
I have some B&W DM601's and to be honest they have been related to my pc speakers.
I use a couple of pairs of early 70's Mordaunt Shorts as my main stereo.
I feel the 601 are a bit limited, they sound a bit empty in comparison to the MS's. The bass isnt great, yeah its pretty loud for a small speaker but its ill defined. The treble is ok but nothing outstanding.
For £100 i'd get on ebay and pick up a decent 3way in a good sized box.
If your going to buy B&W then you want something like this:-
I have a couple of pairs and they are suberb 🙂
May also depend on what amp you have. I have an Arcam Solo running through Kef Q1s, and it's definitely a bit brighter than my last setup, but I'm happy enough with it. Very clear sound, but not a hugely bassy combination. I'd recommend them, if you can find them - they also have a similar shape to the Wharfedales, which makes them look less boxy.