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Customer Reviews for Bowers and Wilkins 5" 2-Way Bookshelf Speakers (Pair) - Black Ash Vinyl
Bowers and Wilkins 5" 2-Way Bookshelf Speakers (Pair) - Black Ash Vinyl
Model: 686B
SKU: 1277319
UPC: 714346305674
Learn more about Magnolia Premium Installation Get the most out of your music and movies with this 2-way vented box speaker system that features a 5" cone woofer and a 1" aluminum dome tweeter for enhanced sound.
Average Customer Rating:
4.6
out of 5
(7 Reviews) 7
Rating Snapshot 7 reviews
5 stars
6
4 stars
0
3 stars
0
2 stars
1
1 star
0
86% of customers would recommend this product to a friend
(
6 out of
7)
Customer Reviews for Bowers and Wilkins 5" 2-Way Bookshelf Speakers (Pair) - Black Ash Vinyl
Review 1 for Bowers and Wilkins 5" 2-Way Bookshelf Speakers (Pair) - Black Ash Vinyl
Small price, small speaker & small sound
Customer Rating
2.0
Posted by: bronzerocker
from Forest Lake, MN
on 04/04/2012
Value for Price
2.0
Sound Quality
2.0
Appearance
4.0
Power
2.0
What's great about it: Looks
What's not so great: performance
Not sure who's writing all of these great reviews? I was dissapointed and disgusted with the performance of these speakers for the purpose of listening to music. The speakers were being driven by a Marantz 5005 and supported by a JBL sub. These speakers might make for nice pair of rears as part of a surround system but at 500.00 for the pair they can't carry a tune. We used to be able to buy a whole rack system for that price which included speakers that would blow away these B & W's! Look elsewhere.
This product has... Easy to set up, Good build quality
About me... Audiophile
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
-8points
2out of 12found this review helpful.
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Review 2 for Bowers and Wilkins 5" 2-Way Bookshelf Speakers (Pair) - Black Ash Vinyl
Perfect for a surround setup, amazing for the size
Customer Rating
5.0
Value for Price
4.0
Sound Quality
5.0
Appearance
5.0
Power
5.0
What's great about it: Sophisticated sound and appearance.
What's not so great: A bit expensive, but worth it.
BW is all about a clean, rich and detailed sound, which is why I'm a long time fan. These little 686's are no exception. I'm using them for surround sides in a 7.1 setup, matched with BW 684's for my fronts, an HTM62 for the center, an 8" BW sub, and rears from another brand to save a little $, as BW quality doesn't come cheap. I'm extremely happy with how everything sounds together. As a whole there's plenty of loudness and punch, crisp detail, yet warmth, and the 686's more than do their part. Honestly, they're even sufficient for fronts, as I tested them at a Best Buy playing The Dark Knight by themselves, and was amazed by how much they filled the room, especially given their small size. It's quite impressive actually. Another winner from BW.
This product has... Right size for my space, Easy to set up, Good build quality
About me... Pro audio / DJ, Audiophile, Tech savvy
I would recommend this to a friend!
Other Best Buy Products I Recommend
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
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Review 3 for Bowers and Wilkins 5" 2-Way Bookshelf Speakers (Pair) - Black Ash Vinyl
Excellent speakers for budget audiophiles!
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: ChestIsHairy
from Robbinsdale, MN
on 01/08/2012
Value for Price
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0
Appearance
5.0
Power
5.0
What's great about it: Price for great sound, sound is simply amazing, set up is a breeze, the looks are jaw dropping
What's not so great: Price for a budget, bass isn't quite there all the time
Sure the price tag might seem a bit hefty but these are hands down, the most amazing speakers I've heard under 500 dollars! I've been to audio showrooms, and even the listening rooms at Best Buy and these guys blow everyone out of the water!
Appearance:
My goodness do these speakers look beautiful! They certainly make a statement when somebody sees them, the yellow Kevlar woofer and brushed aluminum plate really stand out!
My goodness do these speakers look beautiful! They certainly make a statement when somebody sees them, the yellow Kevlar woofer and brushed aluminum plate really stand out!
Size:
They might be a bit 'big' for being a small speaker and you may have trouble finding a place to put it because of the depth of this speaker but that isn't really a problem, because with speakers this good you'll find a way!
They might be a bit 'big' for being a small speaker and you may have trouble finding a place to put it because of the depth of this speaker but that isn't really a problem, because with speakers this good you'll find a way!
Connectivity:
VERY easy to connect! At first I had just plain 16AWG speaker wire running from these to my receiver, then I bi-wired them (bi-wiring lets the Amp/Receiver separately power the tweeter and woofer) and the sound is much better! It also allows for Banana plugs to be used, and that needs to be done is to use a razor blade to pop the little plastic plugs on the binding posts off. I also suggest making your own speaker cable to increase sound quality! Don't go buy $100 a foot cable when you can make your own for around $2 dollar a foot.
VERY easy to connect! At first I had just plain 16AWG speaker wire running from these to my receiver, then I bi-wired them (bi-wiring lets the Amp/Receiver separately power the tweeter and woofer) and the sound is much better! It also allows for Banana plugs to be used, and that needs to be done is to use a razor blade to pop the little plastic plugs on the binding posts off. I also suggest making your own speaker cable to increase sound quality! Don't go buy $100 a foot cable when you can make your own for around $2 dollar a foot.
Sound:
Like I said before these speakers sound amazing!!!! I'm using them in my bedroom which is roughly 12x15x8 and it fills it up very nicely! What's even better is I placed them so the sweet spot is right on my bed. The sweet spot is what you have to look out for, if the speakers are off axis and you are in a weird spot in the room, destructive interference will occur and the sound will be quiet, muffled, and not as full, but when you do find that sweet spot and constructive interference occurs, oh my! (in the words of Mr. Takei) The tweeter is very crisp but not blaring like Klipsch's are, and it's a very warm sound. The midrange sounds amazing! I've been hearing things in my music that I never knew existed! The only problem I have is the bass, it isn't quite there, but for a speaker this size dropping down to 50hz is quite impressive!
Like I said before these speakers sound amazing!!!! I'm using them in my bedroom which is roughly 12x15x8 and it fills it up very nicely! What's even better is I placed them so the sweet spot is right on my bed. The sweet spot is what you have to look out for, if the speakers are off axis and you are in a weird spot in the room, destructive interference will occur and the sound will be quiet, muffled, and not as full, but when you do find that sweet spot and constructive interference occurs, oh my! (in the words of Mr. Takei) The tweeter is very crisp but not blaring like Klipsch's are, and it's a very warm sound. The midrange sounds amazing! I've been hearing things in my music that I never knew existed! The only problem I have is the bass, it isn't quite there, but for a speaker this size dropping down to 50hz is quite impressive!
All in all, the best speakers I have ever owned!!! I will buy these again a million times!
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!
+5points
5out of 5found this review helpful.
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Review 4 for Bowers and Wilkins 5" 2-Way Bookshelf Speakers (Pair) - Black Ash Vinyl
B&W 686
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: ibtjh
from SoCal
on 10/16/2011
Value for Price
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0
Appearance
5.0
Power
5.0
Images for this Review
(click to see full-size image)
What's great about it: design, construction, sound
What's not so great: haven't figured that out yet
Hi-Fi can be expensive but if one does not want/can't spend a lot of money and if you have a sub already at home and want to replace your satalites/main speakers you CAN'T GO WRONG spending that whole $500 on a pair of Bowers & Wilkins 686. Yes they ONLY have a 5" mid-woofer but they were not designed to give you bottom end. MOST satalites/bookshelf speakers almost always need a sub to run with them. That being said, these little speakers have a very neutral sound, well balanced and great center stage/presence. The midrange is quite good as are the highs and bass is running through your sub and the end product is very, very good. The ability to run power through them for room filling volume is very good with absolutly now distortion.............if you are getting some it is probably your power source.....;) !
Bottom line.....a very fine speaker that gives you hours of enjoyment of listening to music the way it should sound.....REAL!
Bottom line.....a very fine speaker that gives you hours of enjoyment of listening to music the way it should sound.....REAL!
This product has... Right size for my space, Easy to set up, Good build quality
About me... Audiophile, audiophile always on a budget...
I would recommend this to a friend!
+6points
6out of 6found this review helpful.
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Review 5 for Bowers and Wilkins 5" 2-Way Bookshelf Speakers (Pair) - Black Ash Vinyl
Great speaker for 2 channel listenting.
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: Jeff12345
from USA
on 01/02/2011
Value for Price
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0
Appearance
5.0
Power
5.0
What's great about it: Great high and low end performance.
I disagree with the What Hi Fi review of this speaker. I bought a pair of these after auditioning them and I decided that I didn't need to spend the extra money for the 685's. These speakers are great for my needs. I am listening to a lot of vinyl and I am hearing things that I never heard before in the music. Highly recommended!
I would recommend this to a friend!
+8points
10out of 12found this review helpful.
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Review 6 for Bowers and Wilkins 5" 2-Way Bookshelf Speakers (Pair) - Black Ash Vinyl
Strong for small space.
Customer Rating
5.0
Value for Price
4.0
Sound Quality
5.0
Appearance
5.0
Power
5.0
What's great about it: You get a lot out of small boxes - warm punchy.
What's not so great: The base extension was created with some give and take.
This speaker was downgraded by what hifi from a 4 to a 3. The lower base extension was created by loosing some accuracy. This is easily resolved by using a subwoofer.
In my small living room space these speakers are fantastic, not as breathy and detailed as the 685's but excellent. They are punchy and warm. If your budget is limited, and you listen to jazz or classical music, these could be a very good option.
Given a choice I would move up to 684's floorstanders with spacious detail and base.
The 685's got rave reviews but the 684's have real base. If you have the money go big!
In my small living room space these speakers are fantastic, not as breathy and detailed as the 685's but excellent. They are punchy and warm. If your budget is limited, and you listen to jazz or classical music, these could be a very good option.
Given a choice I would move up to 684's floorstanders with spacious detail and base.
The 685's got rave reviews but the 684's have real base. If you have the money go big!
I would recommend this to a friend!
+4points
9out of 14found this review helpful.
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Review 7 for Bowers and Wilkins 5" 2-Way Bookshelf Speakers (Pair) - Black Ash Vinyl
Great Budget Hi-Fi Speakers
Customer Rating
5.0
Value for Price
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0
Appearance
5.0
Power
5.0
What's great about it: Great sound throughout the whole range, aesthetics, compact, high quality, snob appeal
I picked these up the other day along with a sweet Marantz receiver. These B & W speakers will not be outdone for the money. Are there better speakers out there...sure...but you will pay a lot more for them. Marantz is known for their warmth and "musical" heritage; I don't care about having 1000 features, just give me quality and outstanding sound. I knew that I would have to pair my Marantz with a quality pair of speakers, and I did not want huge, monolithic speakers. "Justin" demonstrated these for me at a local Magnolia. They sounded killer with the 100w Marantz. They are very clean and powerful little speakers; I actually asked '"him" if he was sure he wasn't sneaking in a sub on me--these things have base! You can push them hard with a good amp and they remain true throughout the entire range. The mids are solid, the highs are warmly accurate and the base is very respectable. Furthermore, these speakers sound great with every type of music: classical, jazz, rock, reggae or whatever you will feed them. Plus, they have the B & W cache and snob appeal. If you want to impress people when they come over, remove the speaker covers to reveal their exotic, yellow kevlar woofers, and then crank them. If you have reasonable expectations for $500 bookshelf speakers, you will be consistently impressed.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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19out of 22found this review helpful.
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