I’ve owned my Bowers and Wilkins 606 S2 Anniversary Edition speakers for just over two and half years now, so I’ve had more than enough time to evaluate and get to know them.
I know these speakers got a few bad reviews when they first launched, but overall I’ve been pleased with mine, having used them on a daily basis for music, TV, movies and gaming.
The question is are they still worth buying in 2024, particularly when you consider that the new and improved S3 speakers are now available? Find out in this long term review.
Design
So the design of these speakers is classic Bowers + Wilkins, they have a super minimal look that I personally love. Build quality is superb at this price point. As you can see I have mine in a matte white finish, I also have them mounted on the official STAV24 speaker stands, which is a really solid combination.
Whilst these are classed at stand-mount or bookshelf, it has to be said that the 606 S2s are pretty chunky and heavy. I personally don’t think placing speakers of this size on your average bookshelf would be a great idea. So having some solid stands would definitely be preferable.
On the front of the speaker we have a 25mm reinforced aluminium dome tweeter, this is combined with a 165mm coned driver for the mid and bass. These speakers are rear ported, so if the bass is too much in your setup, you can calm things down a touch with the supplied foam bungs.
Also on the rear of the speakers are two pairs of terminals, so they can be be-wired if that’s your thing. These can be connected using either bare speaker wire or banana plugs.
Sound Quality
Now moving on to the actual sound quality, I’d say these are speakers that are very much on the front foot, I use mine with a 125W per channel Sonos Amp and the soundstage they can produce is impressive in both size and detail.
These speakers easily fill my medium-sized living room with sound, they really are very much loudspeakers. So much so, that if you have a small living room I would possibly recommend stepping down to the smaller 607, as the 606 could be overkill.
Bass is pretty tight and responsive, I’m currently not using a subwoofer with these speakers and I’ve been surprised at just how good the bass is without one. Obviously there’s no super low-frequencies, but they provide a real punch for both music and movies.
I’ve found good detail in both the treble and mid-range, although this is an area that these speakers often get criticised, with some people feeling they are too bright.
We all hear and perceive sound differently, but I’ve had no such issues with these speakers. In fact I’ve enjoyed the clarity the 606 S2’s have offered. Music vocals are rich and textured, whilst dialogue for TV and movies has been nice and clear.
Still Worth It?
So to conclude, are these speakers still worth buying in 2024? Well, I think most people would be very happy with them, but if possible it would be wise to hear them in a store, just to be sure that you’ll enjoy their signature sound.
When I purchased mine I compared to similarly priced speakers from KEF and Dali and for me the 606 S2 were the clear winner to my ears, simply offering more detail and a larger punchier sound.
These 606 S2 speakers can also be picked up for a bargain price in 2024, I’ve recently seen them as low as £399 for a pair.
Now I’m sure the new S3 speakers are an improvement, but they’re also nearly double the price at £749 per pair. Are they twice as good? I very much doubt it.
So really it comes down to your budget, if you have no constraints then you may as well buy the new S3 model, but if you’re on a tighter budget, or simply want the best value for money possible, then I’d say these Bowers and Wilkins 606 S2 speakers are still very much worth it.
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