Customer Ratings & Reviews

Small, but sounds big. You can place them against wall due to a new design. It is good for both music and movies.

Love these speakers. Great sound and very easy to move around the house. Would definitely buy more from this brand.

After researching the M-1 system from B&W and ultimately going to a serious upgrade, was worth every penny. These speakers (using these as my front and back surrounds) do an excellent job with creating the depth of a train or car racing past you. You can hear people in the audience of a concert like they are sitting behind or adjacent to you. When they are not used at there full potential, they do a wonderful job at giving you that small amount of atmospheric sound needed to drive home that cinema experience.

These were the first of several pairs of speakers that I brought home to audition. I installed them in a stereo setup for music only, no surround. They received ample power from a vintage Carver M1.0t amp and I auditioned them entirely with CD's of various genres. My listing space is an off-set, medium size room where the speakers are placed on a shelf just above ear level and very near the rear wall. The forward facing ports on the B&W 686 S2 certainly help with the near-wall installation in keeping the base tight. These speakers image incredibly well, particularly given the less-than-ideal conditions of my listening space. I quickly forgot that I was listening to book shelf speakers and became completely immersed in the music. The highs were crisp, the base tight, and in the middle nothing less than perfect. So why only 4 out of 5 stars? Because as good as these are, I found that there are better speakers at a similar price point. At least better for my circumstances. If you're shopping in the $400 to $600 range I encourage you to explore your options, there are plenty. I landed on the Elac Uni-Fi UB5. Your space, your equipment, and your musical preferences are your own, so I encourage you to audition as many speakers as you can in your own home and don't pay too much attention to what everybody else likes.

Great speaker . Quality build and sounds great . Don't let the size fool you . Great bass response as well . A sound bar will never replace a speaker .

Best speakers I've ever purchased. The range is unreal. Right now I'm using them for stereo but I'm going to buy 3 more to complete my surround sound ASAP.

These speakers blew me away. The style, the size and the way the sound fills my room. Highly recommend.

This is my first pair of BW speakers, they replaced old Infinity that had seen better days. We only have about 10 hours on them, but you can really hear the quality and clarity of sound. Connected them in a newly finished basement room along with a new Yamaha RX-A750. I have had a variety of 'good' speakers over the last 30 years (Bose, Klipsch, Infinity) but these BW's are the very best ever.

Fantastic, warm sounding speakers. I snagged a deal on a display model at my local BB store and I can't be happier. Currently paired with B&W ASW610 subwoofer and even this entry level B&W sounds warm and very detailed. Of course these are not the top end of the model but surely this is good enough for all music lovers out there.

I was looking for a new pair of bookshelf speakers to replace my aging Paradigm Titans. I went into the Magnolia section and into the audio room. I asked to listen to the B&Ws and was immediately floored. I came back to the store the next day and purchased them. My only concern was that they would be efficient enough to be driven by my restored 1959 Dynakit Stereo 70 amp. Well....no problem. They're still breaking in....the sound is still a little tight but it's getting better. They're almost there. They are as neutral as the day is long, and the soundstage is big, wide, and deep. I use them with a M&K subwoofer, so they don't have to handle the extreme low end. As a matter of fact, I'm using the muffling rings in the ports to cut down a bit on the low end. They just sound better that way in my listening environment. They are great little speakers. Highly recommended!!!

I love the sound it produces. The sound is clear. Just the right amount of Treble and Bass.

sounds great and not too big perfect for my surround sound

I was ready to step up to nicer speakers and these are fantastic for the price. I have them in a general use roll that includes music and home theatre. I'm not an audiophile but they handle big movie scenes and music equally well. Asthetically, they aren't the sexiest but the price reflects that. Don't worry about their size, pair them with a quality receiver and they rock. Love them.

Small design works well on a bookshelf. Easy to set up.

These are very impressive for their size. This model was actually discontinued so I got a great price on them. The store associate was a big reason why I decided to purchase these. The only difference in the new model is the life expectancy of the speaker. These are around 70 yrs and the new model are 90 yrs.

This small speaker has a great sound. Well worth it!

I got these to go with my B&W 603-S2 floor standing speakers and they sounded great. Perfect match in a huge two story room. I returned them because they were a trip hazard in the family room and a 2.1 setup worked fine in the space.

I purchased these speakers to use as the rear speakers in a 5.1 setup and have not disappointed.

Bought these with my tv and receiver. Didn't really look around. Just listened to many at the store. Very pleased with the quality of sound! Perfect for regular TV or watching a movie.

Coplliments by classic Bose 901s with a vintage 1970s Bose receiver. Worth the money.