Anyone compare B&W DM602 S3's with Focal JMlab Chorus 707 S's?

 

Bronze Member
Username: Twochordcool

Post Number: 80
Registered: Jun-05
Anyone compare B&W DM602 S3's with Focal JMlab Chorus 707 S's?

Or separately?

What was your conclusion?
 

PatrickBateman
Unregistered guest
Tim,
I really dont mean this to sound badly at all..
you have started so many threads on so many different forums. You have to make the choice yourself, go out and listen. I know that it isnt easy, and that you cant hear all the speakers at the same time and at the same place. But asking others what they thought is pretty much useless. They can give you ideas where to start, but what you like and your opinions could be completely opposite. I asked the same things over and over again when I was looking over a year ago, so I am guilty too. But it made no difference until I heard the speakers. My friends even gave me suggestions and when I finally heard the speakers, I had a completely different opinion of them then they did.
I have heard both of the above, and I personally didnt really like either. A friend of mine has the JMlab 706 and thinks they are the best thing he tested in the price range, I think they are nice, but thought I heard a bunch that were much better.
Opinions are like a**holes, everyone has one
 

Bronze Member
Username: Twochordcool

Post Number: 82
Registered: Jun-05
The thing is that I have pretty much decided to buy the B&W's and the only thing holding me up is a curiosity about the other speaker that I have mentioned here. If the overwhelming majority would tell me one thing or the other I might agonizingly wait until I can hear the 707's - or not bother waiting and pull the trigger on the B&W's.

At this point unless something drastic occurs it has come down to one of these 2 speakers and I really don't want to wait if the B&W's can't be beat - but if I get the feeling that the JMlabs might be magical I'll suffer through the wait and give them a listen.
 

Gold Member
Username: Jan_b_vigne

Dallas, TX

Post Number: 4712
Registered: May-04


"If the overwhelming majority would tell me one thing or the other"


Tim, we have all told you the same thing. Sh!t or get off the pot.




 

Bronze Member
Username: Twochordcool

Post Number: 83
Registered: Jun-05
I'm specifically talking about 2 different speakers head-to-head, which you have told me nothing about.

I don't know about you, but I can't just throw $1800 around haphazardly on something that I intend on living with for perhaps up to a decade.

And I haven't even STARTED on looking into receivers!
 

Gold Member
Username: Petergalbraith

Rimouski, Quebec Canada

Post Number: 1076
Registered: Feb-04
You're spending $1800 on a pair of speakers and you haven't considered Klipschorns? Ouch!

(Just toying with mind games!)

And I haven't even STARTED on looking into receivers!

Oh oh.
 

Silver Member
Username: Touche6784

USA

Post Number: 529
Registered: Nov-04
have you even listened to the speakers? if you liked them wouldnt that be all the justification to buy them? jesus christ its not that hard to pick speakers. just go out and buy the damn things.
 

Silver Member
Username: T_bomb25

Dayton, Ohio United States

Post Number: 460
Registered: Jun-05
Now look timothy this is getting quite ridiculous what hell is your problem you have been given 1 million suggestions.F.ck just go fu.king listen to them, dam.im not trying to be funny,what are you bi-polar or what Dam!
 

Bronze Member
Username: Twochordcool

Post Number: 84
Registered: Jun-05
Alright critics, allow me to be VERY clear.

I have decided on one of these 2 speakers. I liked the sound and imaging of the B&W DM602 S3's, but I think I was more impressed with imaging abilities of the JMlab Chorus 706's.

The thing is that the JMlab 706 S's lacked the sound and the punch that the B&W DM602 S3's have.

I think the bigger driver in the JMlab Chorus 707 S's MIGHT have the bigger sound of the B&W speakers WITH the imaging abilities of it's little brother.

PLUS I noticed that it was HI*FI CHOICE product of the year in 03/04.

NOW, the salesman at the place that had the 706's said that he would have to get permission from the owner to order the 707's - in case I decided not to buy them.

I suggested that he was the areas Focal JMlab speaker dealer and he should not have a problem selling them if I did not buy them.

I'd be pissed off at myself, AND you guys for pushing me, if I hastily bought speakers and then heard preferable ones a week later.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Twochordcool

Post Number: 85
Registered: Jun-05
"You're spending $1800 on a pair of speakers and you haven't considered Klipschorns? Ouch!

(Just toying with mind games!)

And I haven't even STARTED on looking into receivers!

Oh oh"

I'm buying 3 pairs of whichever speakers I decide on.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Twochordcool

Post Number: 86
Registered: Jun-05
"have you even listened to the speakers? if you liked them wouldnt that be all the justification to buy them? jesus christ its not that hard to pick speakers. just go out and buy the damn things"

And WHO is this guy?

I don't know where you guys live, but I have to go long distances in many different directions just to hear different speakers - and a lot of dealers inventorys leave a lot to be desired - the JMlab speaker dealers don't even have the 707's in stock and they aren't sure they want to order them - what kind of sh!t is that?
 

Silver Member
Username: Touche6784

USA

Post Number: 533
Registered: Nov-04
well how do you know you have it right if you dont have everything together or even at your house? how do you know the speakers will even work well with the electronics you decide on if you dont even have a clue about them? your experience at the store is meaningless compared to your experience at home. THAT is my point. where do you live, in the middle of wyoming?
 

Silver Member
Username: Touche6784

USA

Post Number: 534
Registered: Nov-04
also, why pick on me when tawaun just cursed you off? dont think i dont care about music, i in fact own a pair of B&W 601s hooked up to a HK 3480 so i am not some bimbo. my dad has a really nice system marantz and B&W, and my uncle has a really nice setup HK and B&W. honestly, you will never get it right till you pull the trigger and see how things work so dont get on my case, go out and buy something instead of annoying us. you may actually find that you really do like a product and you can move on to picking another component with a million questions.
 

New member
Username: Bumblebee

Post Number: 10
Registered: Jul-05
Even if you decided to get any of the two, you'll definitely find dozens more w/c you will think would be better.

The better imaging of the Focal's may have resulted from the smaller drivers. Try listening to the 705 and you might find them imaging better than the two, but you sacrifice bass response.

If you prefer imaging, get the Focal's. If you prefer punch (as you said), get the B&W's. There'll always be compromises.

Good luck.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Twochordcool

Post Number: 88
Registered: Jun-05
I PREFER both. Is that not possible?

I've already learned that the B&W's have a little of the imaging that the Chorus speakers seemed to have, with a lot of the punch that the PSB Image B25's had.

I want to hear what the Chorus 707's can do.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Bumblebee

Post Number: 11
Registered: Jul-05
"I PREFER both. Is that not possible?"

Probably not in this price range.

Btw, what's your amp?
 

Gold Member
Username: Artk

Albany, Oregon USA

Post Number: 1385
Registered: Feb-05
As Tawaun pointed out to you long ago, I believe that alot of the punchiness that you have been missing from some of the other speakers you have auditioned is due to the fact that they may not have been broken in. Bumblebee is right at this price point there will always be compromises. Buy the speaker whose weaknesses best complement your listening preferences and that you can most easily live over the long haul.

Now go go forth and buy some speakers....please. Like you said you haven't even started on the receiver yet.
 

OniLord
Unregistered guest
The JM 707S is a newer speaker as it debuted in mid 2004 whereas the DM602 S3 is more classic since 2002/03 I believe and both are mammoth bookshelves by size.
DM602 S3 pitfall is the slightly harsh highs when played at louder volumes.
I havent heard the 707S enuough to give a fair comment but if WHF mag is anything u go by, please be welcome to know that in the Feb 05 supertest, the 602S3 maintained its 5 star rating but the 707s(despite being a new kid in town) dropped to 4 stars due to the competition. Forgot what was the negative comment. Of course the champ of the test was the Epos M5. Less bass than the 602S3 but sweeter in the mids/highs to grab the award.

Lets face it Tim, the DM602S3 is tried and tested and shall be a classic in its own way someday & B&W is quite a name to go by. The JM707S while still good and classy just don't come to par the way I see it. I would go for the 602S3 if it were my moolah but as everyone pointed out, hear them both so that you wont second guess your purchase in future.....if you know that you will think in future "how would my system have sounded if ..just if I had bought the 707s" then you had better wait and listen to both b4 making the leap.

Otherwise get the 602S3 (black baffle with cherry cabinet is excellent, i dislike sorrento)
By the way, I am using quad 12L/epos M12.2/PMC DB1+ (this last one is on loan from the dealer who is a dear friend..hehehe)

Cheers

 

Bronze Member
Username: Twochordcool

Post Number: 89
Registered: Jun-05
"I havent heard the 707S enuough to give a fair comment but if WHF mag is anything u go by, please be welcome to know that in the Feb 05 supertest, the 602S3 maintained its 5 star rating but the 707s(despite being a new kid in town) dropped to 4 stars due to the competition. Forgot what was the negative comment. Of course the champ of the test was the Epos M5. Less bass than the 602S3 but sweeter in the mids/highs to grab the award"

Yes, I can tell you what WHAT HI*FI SOUND AND VISION said about the 707's - they said "Imposing in many ways - audition if your tastes run to the forceful"

But HI*FI CHOICE magazine gave it 5 stars and product of the year 2003/2004 - so who really knows?

HI*FI CHOICE magazine gave the 602's 4 stars and the other mag gave it 5 - it would be nice to get some consistencies with professional magazine reviews - but I'd only use them as a tool to see if I wanted to hear a certain speaker - never solely to decide on which speaker I go with.

I'm thinking the 602's are a very safe bet, from what I heard and from what most other 602 owners are saying. If it will be a hassle to hear the 707's I might just turn around and buy the 602's tomorrow.

Does anyone know how to get their bank to extend the price of a maximum purchase on a debit card? I think my limit is $400 a day and I want to make a $1600 purchase!
 

Silver Member
Username: Touche6784

USA

Post Number: 535
Registered: Nov-04
call the bank? what else would you do?
 

Bronze Member
Username: Leeintn

Woodbury, Tn

Post Number: 13
Registered: Jun-05
That limit is probably on getting cash on your card not making purchases. That's the way mine works anyway.
 

Gold Member
Username: Jan_b_vigne

Dallas, TX

Post Number: 4728
Registered: May-04


How many "audiophiles" have never had the chance to hear the music for the sake of "what if...?" How many "what if's" does it take before you finally realize there will always be another "what if ...?" If you obssess on "what if ...?", you will never be able to enjoy the music because you will always be wondering if that song might have sounded better if only ...


 

Silver Member
Username: Touche6784

USA

Post Number: 536
Registered: Nov-04
exactly jan. too bad he is too busy obsessing with the "perfect" system he forgets the whole point.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Twochordcool

Post Number: 90
Registered: Jun-05
You guys have completely lost your minds. I'm not obsessing. I'm being careful and trying to make the right decision. Any of you guys that have read my posts from the very beginning KNOW that I HAVE narrowed my selection down from about 15 pairs of speakers down to 2 - all of this with the major inconvenience of not being able to audition many speakers for various reasons. Give me a @#$%in' break.
 

Silver Member
Username: T_bomb25

Dayton, Ohio United States

Post Number: 469
Registered: Jun-05
Well,Timothy which ones do you like? then just go and get them, you will not be dissapoined with neither one of them.Just get the ball rolling so you can move on to something else in the chain,the sparkers are not the last thing you are gonna need,your gonna have to complete the whole system before you come to any conclusions.Look if audio is one of your hobbies you are gonna make some bad decisions and some good ones.#1 it takes experiances #2 experiment # you have to make peice with you and your speakers and system,the key is to limit compromises to the ones that you can live with,even the very best systems in the world have compromises.So stop whinning and get of your as. and go pick something out,its fun and the interesting part of this great hobby.
 

Silver Member
Username: Stu_pitt

NYC, NY

Post Number: 343
Registered: May-05
Timothy -
"You guys have completely lost your minds. I'm not obsessing."

Yes you are. Forget about magazines and people on a message board. Get what you think has the best balance of what sounds the best in your price range.

The problems you are having tracking down all this stuff happens everywhere. I live 15 min outside of MANHATTAN and have problems with it. If I have problems tracking down and comparing items in the shopping capital of the world, what makes you think that anyone else doesn't?

Find as many places within a reasonable distance and compare what they have. You've mentioned some very good speakers. You aren't going to get any better than the ones you've mentioned for the money. If you always wonder what else is out there, you will never enjoy anything you have. The grass usually isn't any greener on the other side...

 

New member
Username: Zorro

Post Number: 9
Registered: Jul-05
Timothy,

With all due respect it seems like you tend to makes things too "complicated".

It is good to ask for opinions but you need to make the choice it's your money and it's your taste!

Move on man
 

Gold Member
Username: Petergalbraith

Rimouski, Quebec Canada

Post Number: 1091
Registered: Feb-04
When I bought my Klipschorns, the last thing I wanted to do was discuss it here first to have someone talk me out if them! No offense guys!
 

Anonymous
 
Timothy, I've read most of your threads and I can tell you from experience you're obsessing.

I started looking for a new system last June - 2004. I've auditioned probably 30-40 sets of speakers (and listened to twice that many). I started looking at speakers in the $300-400 range, and gradually increased the amount I'll spend. I've taken 6-8 sets of speakers home to hear them and returned them all (add to that 4 receivers and 2 subs). Every speaker had *something* that wasn't quite "right." I could have been listening to my "new" system for the past year, but I still haven't bought one.

I had finally decided on Paradigm Studio 20s, and even though they cost about 2 times what I originally wanted to spend I still thought I was compromising on the sound. Then, just for kicks, I listened to a pair of Studio 40s. The piece I thought was missing from every other speaker was there in all its glory - the sound was exactly what I had been looking for. It was like the sky opened up and I heard the angels sing. The only problem is that they'll cost me $1,000.

I've spent tons of time online and in stores; I've driven 45 minutes to a couple of stores several times and have nothing to show for it. The money I wanted to "save" by buying cheaper speakers has been more than covered by the value of my time on a seemingly endless search. I'm one of the few who enjoys comparison shopping, but I have overdone it by a long shot.

If you have found a speaker you like more than the others, just buy it. You will like it. Use it to learn what you like about the sound and what you don't. If after a year you think something is missing then try to figure out what that is and ask for opinions on what might help.

Everybody hears sound a little differently. I read tons of reviews and agreed with many of them. I asked for a few opinions here on different speakers, and generally the suggestions were right on the mark. I am a novice at this; there are many people here who know far more about audio than I ever will. Trust the advice they give you.

Everyone can give you opinions about what they think, but ultimately you have to live with your choice. I wanted to buy speakers to use for the next 20 years, but if I'm wrong I can always try something else. At least I will have finally made a decision.

I apologize for my rambling and I don't generally open up like this online (hence the Anonymous), but I hope you can learn from my experience.
 

New member
Username: Kaisersoze

Post Number: 1
Registered: Jul-05
Timothy,
Be a man dude and pick something or keep listening to stuff until you find something YOU like. All you are doing here is searching for something to validate your choice. If so and so says its good or some audio magazine says its the best then it must be the best. Of course you can convince yourself that what you hear is great after assembling your dream system and if makes you feel warm and fuzzy at night so be it but to get the best system chuck the ratings and pick something based on your taste, ask for some home demos, some companies will ship you stuff.
Cmon do you want a good stereo or do you want to impress your friends with how many stars each component got. You are listening to music not stars.
furthermore there is no perfect piece of audio equipment, if there was would there be 100's of quality manufacturers? They all involve compromises to one degree or another. Really man learn to enjoy life and not have a nervous break down over it. Geez man what do you do when you have to buy car?
 

Gold Member
Username: Petergalbraith

Rimouski, Quebec Canada

Post Number: 1163
Registered: Feb-04
Be a man dude and pick something

He has. He's looking at receivers now...
 

Bronze Member
Username: Twochordcool

Post Number: 96
Registered: Jun-05
Yeah, what's up with this Eric dude that appears out of nowhere and digs up a thread that noone wrote anything on for nearly a week?

Yeah, I chose the B&W DM602 S3's - I liked them the best out of the speakers that I heard in it's price range - but I did not listen to too many speakers - so hopefully I won't hear something I haven't heard yet and like them better!

But I am quite happy and content with my decision.
 

New member
Username: Kaisersoze

Post Number: 2
Registered: Jul-05
Well obviously you are still checking this thread.
Glad you found something you liked, I don't think you can really go wrong with the DM602s(I have a set with cambridge audio compnents in my office) now you can get around to enjoying the music and don't second guess yourself, give it plenty of time before you decide something is better.
 

Anonymous
 
So, you want imaging and slam...here ya go pal:
http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?spkrfull&1128546333

They'll smoke anything you're looking at now!

 

Silver Member
Username: Twochordcool

Post Number: 114
Registered: Jun-05
Great anonymous-dork, care to handle the $3500 difference?
 

Gold Member
Username: Jan_b_vigne

Dallas, TX

Post Number: 5401
Registered: May-04


Timothy - If you want the best in "imaging" and slam from the bass response, treat your room with basic acoustic principles. The room gets you what you're after much more than the speakers can by themself.


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