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B&W 685 vs Monitor Audio BR5

I'm really having difficulty deciding between these two models. I'm looking to spend no more than $600, preferably less. Ive audition about a dozen other speakers from various manufacturers and narrowed it down to these two.

I auditioned the 685s in my home and really enjoyed the sound. Though to my ears they had some limitations. For one I never heard the sound stage open up; i.e. the 685s never disappeared. I like when speakers image so well they sound as if each note is being reproduced from the original live source right in front of me. Also the 685s really didn't have the presence I expected, they did not fill my room with sound. I think those limitations exist because the speakers were not broken in, I had them sitting on my old Klipsch SF2 floor standers and I did not have the time to play with their placement (they were due back in 24 hours.) My expectation is with the correct adjustments and stands, and break in time they will become the speaker that every reviewer swears it to be.

The MA BR5 is a 2 1/2 way floor stander from the Bronze line. The speakers really vanished when I started listening. They won over everything I had auditioned in terms of mid range reproduction, their highs were similar to the B&Ws (maybe a little less shrill, both were non fatiguing though) but their bass wasn't lifelike. Overall it had the presence and imaging I was looking for but not the clarity and realism... a direct opposite of my preference for the B&W.

I will be using a NAD C320BEE integrated (50 watts per channel), NAD T514 cd/dvd player and an ipod with line level output for the sources. I will be keeping the NAD and pairing it to these new speakers...my goal is to enjoy this system for at least 10 years. So I guess it comes down to what speaker will last me? It seems like the build quality on the B&W was better than the MA. Also I do listen at louder levels, loud enough to have to yell to be heard but not to the point of distorting the speakers. Ive read a lot of threads where MA guys report having blown tweeters out at louder volumes, whereas Ive never heard anything about well cared for B&W speakers blowing anything. What are your opinions?
gold_soundz

Showing 1 response by nicknace

nicknace
2 posts
 
I came to find this thread precisely because I am not satisfied with the imaging and soundstage coming from my 685s. I've played mine enough over the past month to definitely consider them broken in. I've played with their position in the room. Toe in, toe out, farther and closer to walls, you name it. They're about 15 feet apart-perhaps I should bring them closer to each other, but this is what's needed to make a triangle with my listening position. The singer and most instruments are stuck right in the middle between the speakers. Occasionally one will venture out a foot or two beyond the speakers, but it's rare. I'm very frustrated becase the 685s are actually terrific sounding speakers and they do virtualy everything else very well.

I set up an A-B comparison tonight with the 685s compared to a 25+ year old pair of MB Quart 220s. The Quarts have no low end whatsoever. But when it came to imaging and soundstage they walked all over the B&Ws. Same position, same height, same (good) stands at the right height. I'll probably have to eventually sell the B&Ws. Shame.

BTW, I'm running the speakers with a Rotel 1056 receiver fed by an Arcam DV 135 DVD player.
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