Best Buy Ratings and Reviews

Best Buy Ratings and Reviews

Customer Reviews for Bowers and Wilkins 6-1/2" 2-Way Bookshelf Speakers (Pair) - Black Ash Vinyl

Bowers and Wilkins 6-1/2" 2-Way Bookshelf Speakers (Pair) - Black Ash Vinyl

Model: 685B
SKU: 1277364
UPC: 714346305681
Learn more about Magnolia Premium Installation   Enjoy lush audio with this 2-way vented box speaker system that features a 6-1/2" cone woofer and a 1" aluminum dome tweeter for a wide range of sounds.
Average Customer Rating:
5 out of 5
5.0
 out of 
5
(6 Reviews) 6
Open Ratings Snapshot
Rating Snapshot 6 reviews
5 stars
6
4 stars
0
3 stars
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0
1 star
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100% of customers would recommend this product to a friend 
(
6 out of 6
)
Customer Reviews for Bowers and Wilkins 6-1/2" 2-Way Bookshelf Speakers (Pair) - Black Ash Vinyl
Review 1 for Bowers and Wilkins 6-1/2" 2-Way Bookshelf Speakers (Pair) - Black Ash Vinyl

Great speakers for beginner audiophiles...

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: PMoneyAudiophile
from Houston, TX
on 04/11/2012
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Appearance
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Power
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: Looks great and easy set up.
What's not so great: Nothing
Picked these up after a friend did the same and have been using them as primarys for my vinyl rig. They sound great and deliver full range of sound, including low end, without need for a subwoofer. Driving with 90w per channel from a tube amp. Recommend to anyone.
This product has... Right size for my space, Easy to set up, Good build quality
About me... Audiophile, Tech savvy
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 2 for Bowers and Wilkins 6-1/2" 2-Way Bookshelf Speakers (Pair) - Black Ash Vinyl

Great Sound Imaging

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: peter1099
from santa monica
on 03/15/2012
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Appearance
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Power
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: Great Build Quality!
What's not so great: None
I've tried several speakers in my living room (15X30 Feet) to create a full and good imaging sound experience. These are (in my opinion) the only true bookshelf speakers that can deliver floor standing quality sound imaging.
these are the only "bookshelf" speakers that are TRUELY bookshelf speakers. WHY? because the woofer port is front firing. Almost all other "bookshelf" speakers are rear port firing which defeats the "bookshelf" definition because the woofer port fires in the rear (wall). Well, if you place them on a "bookshelf" the port will be blocked from the back of the "bookshelf".
whether you crank up some good old "Earth Wind and Fire" or "Adele", these speakers make you close your eyes and imagine you are at a live performance.
As a bonus, you can Bi-Amp (google search what this means) these speakers which truly brings them ALIVE! They are floor-standing speakers at a fraction of the cost and space!
This product has... Right size for my space, Easy to set up, Good build quality
About me... practical, Audiophile, Tech savvy
I would recommend this to a friend!
+2points
2out of 2found this review helpful.
Review 3 for Bowers and Wilkins 6-1/2" 2-Way Bookshelf Speakers (Pair) - Black Ash Vinyl

Well worth the extra money!!!

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: Ebell914
from Charlotte, NC
on 02/02/2012
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Appearance
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Power
5.0 out of 5
5.0
I was looking to fill a hole that my tiny satellites left. I had a Klipsch SW-450, which is an awesome sub, with little 3" polk surrounds. I replaced the two front with the 685s and the center with an HTM62. WOW! All I can say is WOW! The clarity with the B&Ws is just amazing. I was looking at Energy and Definitive Tech - the DefTech's were terrible!!! The Energy CB-20s were very good, but they sounded muffled compared to the 685s. If you can afford it, go for the B&Ws. My wife even gave her full approval after hearing them! :o)
This product has... Right size for my space, Easy to set up, Good build quality
About me... Tech savvy
I would recommend this to a friend!
+2points
2out of 2found this review helpful.
Review 4 for Bowers and Wilkins 6-1/2" 2-Way Bookshelf Speakers (Pair) - Black Ash Vinyl

You can pay more but, you will not get more

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: DougUWS
from New York, NY
on 10/12/2011
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Appearance
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Power
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: Fantastic Sound for the price
What's not so great: Nothing
I have very limited space in my apartment. I only have enough room for bookshelf speakers. I searched a long time before I found these units. They sound better than many floor standing speakers that I have heard. These are the best book shelf speakers on the market at any price. Check them out for yourself in Best Buy. They sound deeper and richer than the other B&W book shelf speakers that are twice the price. They bring out the life in the music, especially with vinyl. If you have the ability to bi-amp these speaks, do so. It will clear up the mid range, they will sound less muddy.
This product has... Right size for my space, Easy to set up, Good build quality, fantastic sound, bi-amp capable
About me... practical, Audiophile, Tech savvy
I would recommend this to a friend!
+10points
12out of 14found this review helpful.
Review 5 for Bowers and Wilkins 6-1/2" 2-Way Bookshelf Speakers (Pair) - Black Ash Vinyl

The Best Bookshelf Speaker Period

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: Hardcore2
from Lake Forest, CA
on 08/20/2011
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Appearance
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Power
5.0 out of 5
5.0
After comparing a lot of speakers over the months. The B&W 685B is the best sounding bookshelf speaker out there. I think they sound even better then the higher end B&W bookshelf speakers with a fuller sound field. The quality and detail you get when listening to these speakers is amassing. Right now I'm using them as my main connected to a Pioneer Elite SC-35 and when I crank it up my neighbors hear them. If you want an accurate speaker that reproduces sound the artist intended you to hear get these speakers you will NOT be disappointed.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+13points
14out of 15found this review helpful.
Review 6 for Bowers and Wilkins 6-1/2" 2-Way Bookshelf Speakers (Pair) - Black Ash Vinyl

Incredible value

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: RReed
on 10/27/2010
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Appearance
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Power
5.0 out of 5
5.0
What's great about it: Incredible sound, great value.
What's not so great: You need speaker stands!
I've been a proud owner of 685's since the beginning of the year. I, like most non-audiophiles, wasn't familiar with B&W's line up because before now, you had to go to specialty home theater stores to purchase them. I happened to demo them almost a year ago and was blown away by the quality of sound they were putting out for the money. I was really happy to see the Bowers and Wilkins name come to a larger distribution channel like Best Buy/Magnolia because it will give this incredible British brand more reach and exposure.
These speakers have a great, smooth sound which for those more used to Klipsch will probably be a little disappointed. IMO, B&W's give a more accurate reproduction of the sound being sent to them. I'm not 100% on this, but I think that "smooth" sound is very characteristic of British brand speakers.
My set up is: Pioneer Elite VSX-32, B&W 685 (L-R), B&W HTM62 (C), Bose V100 (surr), Polk 10" sub. Pretty mismatched, but the B&W front channel speakers are stars. I removed speaker covers to show off the yellow kevlar woofer cone and "Bowers and Wilkins" name plate.
Movies sound very dynamic, detailed and move seamlessly from speaker to speaker. I'm eventually going to get a pair of 686's or 685's to replace the surrounds.
For music, I go with just a 2.0 set up to let the 685's really shine. They sound very detailed and create a wonderful sound stage-- you'd swear the other speakers were on! For a little more lower end punch when listening to a little hip-hop, r&b, or rock, I'll switch to 2.1. I wasn't real big on just sitting and listening to music, but these speakers have really made me rediscover my music collection.
Nothing to take away from the 686 or 684/683 floor standers, but the 685 is the sweet spot in the 600 series. For $650, these sound like a much more expensive set.
Don't take my word for it! The 685's won all kinds of awards when they came out a few years ago. Go to What HiFi?'s website and read for yourself. They just named the 685 home theater the best traditional home theater package (1000-1500 british pounds) for the 3rd straight year.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+42points
60out of 78found this review helpful.