Red Cherry
Black AshHi-Fi Choice August 2007
"B&W’s astonishing new 600 Series is finally here, and the 683 has been worth the wait"
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683
The 683 is the largest speaker in the 600 Series. A true three-way floorstander, ideal for both stereo or home theatre applications in larger rooms, where its timeless look allows it to fit into any interior.
The imposing 683 is the genuine three-way speaker of the 600 Series, with a line-up of technologies and a level of performance that defies its entry-level place in the market. For large rooms, two 683s make a formidable partnership, either for stereo hi-fi or fronting a home theatre installation.
Deep, dynamic, bottom-end power is delivered by a pair of aluminium/paper/Kevlar® composite cone bass drive units. The 150mm Kevlar® midrange handles middle frequencies with its characteristic clarity and tunefulness, but, for the first time in a 600 Series speaker, includes FST cone surround technology for extra detail and resolution. The Nautilus™ tube-loaded, aluminium dome tweeter, featuring a new surround material to improve spaciousness and imaging, adds needle-sharp top end all the way to 50kHz and beyond.
The improvements to the drive units in the new 600 Series make it possible, for the first time, to introduce a minimalist crossover to the range. The use of components that are fewer in number but higher in quality – hand-picked in exhaustive listening tests – reduces the degradation of the signal significantly. So, whether you’re enjoying hi-fi or home cinema, what you hear is that much closer to what was recorded.
| Woven Kevlar | |
| Crossover Tuning | |
| Nautilus Tapering Tube | |
| Flowport | |
| Mushrooms | |
| FST | |
| Technical features | Nautilus™ tube loaded aluminium dome tweeter Kevlar® brand fibre cone FST™ midrange Aluminium/paper/Kevlar® cone bass driver Flowport™ |
| Description | 3-way vented-box system |
| Drive units | 1x ø25mm (1 in) aluminium dome high-frequency 1x ø150mm (6 in) woven Kevlar® cone FST™midrange 2x ø165mm (6.5 in) Aluminium/paper/Kevlar® cone bass |
| Frequency range | -6dB at 30Hz and 50kHz |
| Frequency response | 38Hz - 22kHz ±3dB on reference axis |
| Dispersion | Within 2dB of reference response Horizontal: over 60º arc Vertical: over 10º arc |
| Sensitivity | 90dB spl (2.83V, 1m) |
| Harmonic distortion | 2nd and 3rd harmonics (90dB, 1m) <1% 90Hz - 22kHz <0.5% 120Hz - 20kHz |
| Nominal impedance | 8Ω (minimum 3.0Ω) |
| Crossover frequencies | 350Hz, 4kHz |
| Crossover Filters | 1st Order – tweeter 2nd Order – midrange low pass 2nd Order – midrange high pass 3rd Order – bass |
| Recommended amplifier power | 25W - 200W into 8Ω on unclipped programme |
| Max. recommended cable impedance | 0.1Ω |
| Dimensions | Height: 985mm (38.8 in) (not including plinth or feet) Width: 198mm (7.8 in) Depth: 340mm (13.4 in) |
| Net weight | 26kg (57.3 lb) |
| Finishes | Black Ash Red Cherry |
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