Customer Ratings & Reviews

So, these are my first B&W speakers ever. Previous to these speakers I've owned JBL, Martin Logan, and Klipsch. I am a guy of simple taste, 2 channel stereo sound is enough for me, and has been for years. I've always used Yamaha receivers, in this case I am using a new model the Aventage RX-A550. If all your looking for is Bass, then dual 8 or 10 inch woofers with Klipsch or JBL respectively will get the job done; however, if you are looking for clear sound with a nice mix of Bass, Mids, and Treble, and very crystal clear voice... then look no further, these B&W are supreme!!! Now, I did test these with a B&W 8inch sub, and the Bass was impressive!!!! But for my house, I have a fairly decent size living room, and these alone fill the room with crystal clear sound.

The 683 speakers came in well designed cartons, heavy wall, and capable of real protection during shipment, a nice plus. They were partitioned for placement of accessory parts and the manuals as well, so nothing bounces around during transit. I bought them directly from the local Best Buy, and the boxes were factory sealed. These speakers are quite heavy and appear well constructed; they are rock solid when you tap on them. But the real surprise is how effortlessly they perform. I only need 5 watts RMS per channel to fill my small listening area. The specs said they should need about 20 watts each minimum. And the speakers simply absorb the power as you crank up the volume, with absolutely no buzz, rattle, or distortion. I had them so loud that I had to leave the listening area, and I am sure the neighbors heard them clearly, but they just continue to operate smoothly; I could not cause these speakers to distort or behave badly, and I had well over 60 watts RMS into each speaker. The speakers are colorless; they add nothing to the music. Vocals are flawless, and the lows are nice and tight. They are forcing me to dial all amplifier contours back to neutral, and enjoy the music as it was recorded. No more tweaking bass or treble, no more loudness controls for low volume listening …. simply not needed. I’ve been seriously listening to speakers for over 50 years, and these are best I have ever owned. They sound so good that I am being forced to review my entire collection of music to discover what musical nuances I have been missing. I make new discoveries every evening. I also have quite a few amplifiers and receivers, and am now rotating them through the 683s. They are not cheap, but worth every penny they cost. If I had a larger listening area, I am sure these 683s would cover it well. I can hardly imagine what extra you get as you move up to the B&W CM series. I am totally satisfied with the 683s and expect years of enjoyment from them. PS – even my wife comes in to listen to them when I play some of her favorite songs, and that’s a surprise.

I wanted to upgrade my surround and was going to start with the front speakers and got the 685s and was going to gradually build up over time. Well when I hooked up them to the front all the rest of my speakers sounded so terrible. So I started debating getting 4 685s or move the 685s to the back and get the 684s or the 683s. Tried doing a lot of research but it seems like no one put the 685s as the rears and what matched best with the 685s if they were at the back. I went to best buy to listen to the speakers and the main difference between the 684s and the 683s is the range the 683s can hit. They are so much better at doing the highs. It made the 684s sound like too much bass. I really didn't want to fork out the extra money for the 683s. I gave in and bought them and just wanted to kick my self in the head for dropping that much money on 2 speakers but after listening to them for a week with standard TV/movies/video games, I am sooooo happy I did. For video games I noticed sounds I never heard before. For music, songs I have listened too, I noticed different sounds. I was amazed. I really thought spending that much money for a sound system was ridiculous and was not a believer that you'll notice a big difference between sounds. My dad has a nice set up and now when I go to his house I think his system sounds bad. He agrees now when he hears my system and wants to upgrade his now. I never write reviews but I am totally satisfied with these speakers and wanted to share. With 685s in the back, it is a little over kill, and could get away with something cheaper but I am glad I didn't. I love the 685s in the back and they sound great with the 683s. I probably would have been satisfied also with the 684s but after hearing them side by side I couldn't do it. If you are debating between the 2. Just get the 683s. You won't care about the price difference after you spend time with them and let them break in.

My first set of speakers were the B&W 600 Series 685 S2 Bookshelf speakers. I set them up as my primary home theater speakers. They sound excellent with movies, TV, Music, you name it. However, I couldn't get the 683's out of my mind. So I took a chance and picked up a pair. I demoted my 685s to the rear speakers of my home theater and replaced them with the 683s up front. These speakers are huge in size, weight, and sound. The detailing is beautiful at all volumes for every audio source. I spent an evening listening to Mozart and almost cried at how beautiful the music was over my older Bose 321 stereo system. As a test I setup my Bose 321 system in another room. I played the latest Taylor Swift single Shake it Up. On the B&Ws she sounded beautiful and balanced; plenty of depth and detail at every volume. On the Bose she sounded like she was angry. Her voice was harsh and shrill like a grandmother yelling at some young boys for charging through her garden of day lilies. It was so awful that I couldn't shut the system down fast enough. These may not be the best or most expensive speakers out there but they sound a lot better than other brands at or above this price point. I did audition many different brands while I was at Best Buy. To be honest the only speakers that sounded better to my ears were either the CM B&W series or speakers from the other brands that cost twice as much. And don't even get me started about the Bose offerings. I would choose to burn my money before investing any more into that trash. I am happy with my purchase and am looking forward to enjoying these speakers for many years to come.

Really you cant go wrong with these. Bowers and wilkins 683s are 90% CM10s without the price craze. Dont get me wrong the CM10 blow these away, but not for the more than double the price point they are marked at. These 683s will get you 90% of what the CM10s offer, but with the budget friendly price as you arent getting that nice piano black finish on the CM lines. I cannot emphasize from an audiophile stand point how great these do on ALL types of music. Spend your time in a magnolia room and listen to them. you wont be disappointed.

These replaced my Boston Acoustic 2 way floor standing speakers. The B&W work much better for the Blue Ray video system as the sound is much more powerful. I was worried that they would not be sensitive enough for my taste in music but they sound great.

Excellent speakers especially for people who really love instrumental music such as jazz or classical music. These very powerful speakers are designed for large rooms. If you want to blast them, you will need to live in a house. I would not recommend these for an apartment. Instead buy a less powerful model so you can turn up the volume loudly without fear of disturbing your neighbors.

The sound is excellent. These speakers have a lot of power so make sure to get a powerful center speaker.

I was helped by a Magnolia Room expert. He was extremely helpful. I had not done a lot of research before speaking with him, but knew this was a top shelf brand. After having the associate play about 20 different combinations of speakers and set ups, I chose these because they were at the top end of my budget and I couldn't afford to go to the next level of B&W speakers. They had enough extra bass to warrant the upgrade from the less expensive 600 series B&W speakers. When I got them home, they performed as expected. I have a 75" TV and these give off huge sound to compliment the TV. My youngest daughter even told me she felt like she was at the movie theater while we were watching Zootopia. I highly recommend these speakers. They put out big and clear sound. Well worth the money.

I love these speakers. They have crystal clear highs and solid bass.

Im very satisfied with the overall sound from the 683 S2 towers for both music and TV surround sound, with the towers as the main front two speakers. Clean highs, midrange and bass. Highly recommend.

Purchased a pair recently. Set them up and I was in awe at the clarity of the sound. They can be a a little pricey. But if you're in the market for some really great sounding speakers, take a look at these. I was a firm believer in Klipsch but these blew them out of the water. It takes some tweaking to get the sound right to your individual liking. I'm no audiophile and these speakers out of the box sounded Awesome. The warranty that is offered by the manufacturer is great as well. I still have yet to purchase a sub, center or the rear speakers. Lets just say these two speakers make me not have to worry about purchasing the other speakers any time soon

After listening to lots of speakers at best buy and other stores I didn't find anything that sounded as good as these. I find I listen to music a lot more now with these because they sound that good

These speakers are powerhouses and I’m very happy with them. Fantastic for multiple music genres, they pump music throughout my whole apartment, the sound is super clear and beautiful, and the geek squad guy at the Best Buy was super helpful in picking them out.

These speakers are the best I have ever heard. I would recommend for anyone looking to buy speakers to go to a Magnolia Center, and listen before you buy. They may be pricey, but you will be thankful after experiencing them.

I bought the 683 s2 open box and paired with my Marantz sr7007. Playing rock and jazz. First thing I noticed was the clarity, imaging, and stage of these speakers. Definitely a sweet spot but the entire room is served well. I was used to more bass but hearing much more detail with the B&W. Not to say bass is less, but more balanced and not overpowering other frequencies. Overall, very satisfied.

Awesome sound range and clarity for both surround sound and high quality music. Worth every penny.

I had the Bowers and Wilkins 685's for front speakers and moved those to the rear and used these as front speakers and wow is all I can say. Yes they do need a separate subwoofer but who doesn't use one anyway. Very clear and perfectly balanced. Worth the money if you want great sound. Not the most interesting design but the audio output is the top notch and that's what matters.

Paired with Yamaha 1070 Aventage. Very great mids and highs with a decent amount of bass for a tower speaker. With the Yamaha i get zero clipping at any volume and always have a robust sound that is extremely crisp. Still want to add a sub, but its not needed unless you want to unlock the full potential of any system. This has enough volume and bass to shake the walls a bit as is.

That's right, these speakers are bump'n. Very little distortion and a pretty good range. Best purchase I've made in 5 years.