|
|
Post by pop on Oct 9, 2015 9:22:28 GMT -5
Lordy Lordy Lordy!! We just put these puppies on display and I must say they are quite stunning. 3k a pair makes them honestly one of the best bargains I have ever heard. Not that they need the low price to sound amazing, but that is the icing on the cake. They possess serious low end extension, with a very tight musical quality. It's not the best I have heard (think BW 802D) but they are pretty close. We did a blind A/B comparison against the 802, and where the 802 won, we all agreed that at 3k there were more performance similarities than there were differences. And honestly, didn't leave THAT much to be desired. Highs are crisp and airy with zero fatigue that the smaller ribbon tweeter possesses. They feel effortless in this regard, reproducing a very true pleasurable listening experience. Lots of fast attack in this category and smooth response. Soundstage/imaging is enveloping and deep. Once again a true shocker at the asking price. They have a very strong studio presentation leaving pin point placement without being overly analytical. Live recordings are at a large scale with wall to wall presentation. These puppies are large! Think 803D size. Cabinet feels extremely sturdy and knock test approves. Visually they are large but don't feel imposing. Design wise they aren't the most elaborate speaker I have seen and resemble a typical "this is a speaker" speaker. The 60XT is one of the better performing speakers I have come across in a long time. Forget price, they are an excellent floor standing stereo speaker. Add the 3k asking price and you have a resounding winner in a lot of categories. Put it this way, they share more performance qualities with the 802D than they do the 804D. Seeing as how the 804D begs for $4,500 more it makes the budget minded decision extremely easy. Now, in comparison to the diamond series and this heavy hitting Martin logan speaker, they are worlds apart. The diamond series is more polite and laid back. They are blended a tad better than Martin Logan's offering and sound a bit more luxurious, if that makes sense. However, the 60XT is a lot more fun. It's exciting, impactful, excellent sounding, dynamic, well presented, and all in all just s true winner for a loudspeaker. Hope you enjoyed the write up.    |
|
|
|
Post by dasanto2 on Oct 9, 2015 10:04:42 GMT -5
Is this over at the rim?
Great review by the way. I'm a huge fan of the motion 60xts. Not only are they gorgeous but they hold their own next to speakers worth much more.
|
|
|
|
Post by pop on Oct 9, 2015 10:06:09 GMT -5
Is this over at the rim? Great review by the way. I'm a huge fan of the motion 60xts. Not only are they gorgeous but they hold their own next to speakers worth much more. No, the Austin location. You live by the North Rim store? |
|
|
|
Post by Bonzo on Oct 9, 2015 10:24:49 GMT -5
Sounds about right.
I have never considered the words exciting, impactful, and dynamic to fit B&W speakers. Luxurious, polite and laid back definitely fit B&W perfectly. The sound is just not my cup of tea. I find it BORING. But they are very well made products that will last a lifetime if you like their sound. And a big chunk of that added cost is in the fine furniture grade construction and finish. They are beautiful in that regard.
I think it's mostly that tweeter everyone is loving. From the very inexpensive Dayton Audio, to Martin Logan, to Golden Ear, and beyond, every speaker that has a folded motion tweeter seems to get favorable reviews.
|
|
|
|
Post by dasanto2 on Oct 9, 2015 10:42:00 GMT -5
Sounds about right. I have never considered the words exciting, impactful, and dynamic to fit B&W speakers. Luxurious, polite and laid back definitely fit B&W perfectly. The sound is just not my cup of tea. I find it BORING. But they are very well made products that will last a lifetime if you like their sound. And a big chunk of that added cost is in the fine furniture grade construction and finish. They are beautiful in that regard. I think it's mostly that tweeter everyone is loving. From the very inexpensive Dayton Audio, to Martin Logan, to Golden Ear, and beyond, every speaker that has a folded motion tweeter seems to get favorable reviews. Somewhat, I like to make a trip there once in a while to check out what the current set-up is. |
|
|
|
Post by Boomzilla on Oct 9, 2015 11:17:46 GMT -5
Thanks pop - I very much enjoyed your write-up! I'd LOVE to see a three-way write-up comparing the B&Ws, the Martin-Logans, and the Revel 206 speakers. |
|
|
|
Post by milsap195 on Oct 9, 2015 11:49:33 GMT -5
Couple weeks ago I was at Best Buy and compared the the 60 to the Martin Logan electostats and thought they were better. I was really surprised since I went to look at the Logan ESL's.
|
|
|
|
Post by pop on Oct 9, 2015 13:08:43 GMT -5
Couple weeks ago I was at Best Buy and compared the the 60 to the Martin Logan electostats and thought they were better. I was really surprised since I went to look at the Logan ESL's. The ESL are definitely IMO a large step under the motion 60. Montis would probably be the closest bet. Maybe the Ethos, but the low end extension will give out before the Motion60. However,the panels have a completely uniquely different sound. |
|
|
|
Post by pop on Oct 9, 2015 13:09:03 GMT -5
Thanks pop - I very much enjoyed your write-up! I'd LOVE to see a three-way write-up comparing the B&Ws, the Martin-Logans, and the Revel 206 speakers. I would love to hear the Revel lineup. |
|
|
|
Post by Porscheguy on Oct 9, 2015 16:28:29 GMT -5
Thanks for this. I've been eyeballing this and they seem to be a bargain..
|
|
|
|
Post by deewan on Oct 14, 2015 13:06:00 GMT -5
Hey pop, good write-up. As other people have posted, B&W's are normally more relaxed and warm sounding. The air motion tweeter in the 60XT do not fit that "type" of speaker sound in my opinion. I think the B&W 802's are great and I'd love to own a pair. I think the ML Motion 60's are great and I'd love to own a pair. But I wouldn't put the two in the same sound category or compare them.
I think if you want a good comparison for the ML 60's to see if the value is above or below speakers with similar sound, compare them to the Golden Ear Triton 2 or if you want a totally passive speaker, compare them to the Paradigm Prestige 95F.
|
|
|
|
Post by pop on Oct 15, 2015 8:47:23 GMT -5
Hey pop, good write-up. As other people have posted, B&W's are normally more relaxed and warm sounding. The air motion tweeter in the 60XT do not fit that "type" of speaker sound in my opinion. I think the B&W 802's are great and I'd love to own a pair. I think the ML Motion 60's are great and I'd love to own a pair. But I wouldn't put the two in the same sound category or compare them. I think if you want a good comparison for the ML 60's to see if the value is above or below speakers with similar sound, compare them to the Golden Ear Triton 2 or if you want a totally passive speaker, compare them to the Paradigm Prestige 95F. After spending many hours with the diamond series I can 100% tell you they are definitely not relaxed. The diamond tweeter is very forward and can be aggressive. In fact many of my clients have found the tweeter to be fatiguing and overall not very pleasant. As far as warmth, yes the mid range/low end is very full and intoxicating. As far as in the same category, I don't understand. I have been a/b testing these speakers for a good handful of days. Why, in your opinion, could these speakers not be put in the same category? The only two reasons I could think is price and build quality. The 802 are built much better and cost a lot more. However, I don't think these two attributes warrant any reason to not compare a speaker. Yes the golden ear shares a more similar tweeter and price point. . However if a 3k speaker to me sounds close to the ballpark of a 15k speaker, I would say that is a pretty darn good value comparison. Not declaring to be an expert, but I listen to the speakers in my store most likely more than people who own them. I know them inside out, how they sound with different amps/cables/cd/digital/turn tables/etc. Some people are afraid to compare the diamond series as it is widely believed that they are the holy grail to speakers. Are they good? Yes. are they stellar? Yes. Are they all that and a bag of chips? Absolutely! Are they 15k? Yup. |
|
|
|
Post by pop on Oct 15, 2015 8:53:21 GMT -5
And actually I would very much disagree with the statement on the sound of the tweeters.
The 802 has a definite sparkle on it that leads to a somewhat over emphasized high end.
The motion 60 lacks that sparkle and is quite flat in its presentation.
If you like sparkle in your treble, the motion 60 might sound recessed to you. If you don't like sparkle the 802 will come off as too forward.
|
|
|
|
Post by Boomzilla on Oct 15, 2015 9:51:14 GMT -5
After spending many hours with the diamond series I can 100% tell you they are definitely not relaxed. The diamond tweeter is very forward and can be aggressive... And the diamond tweeters (shrill as they are) are not half as hot as B&W's lower end products. B&W sells mid-fi speakers, period. They sell LOTS of them, however, because of where they sell them. Just like a television set's brightness and contrast are jacked up so that the set will "stand out" from other sets on display, B&W's highs are similarly jacked up so that the treble will cut through the clutter of the noisy Best-Buy showroom where they're being sold. I've heard $10 yard sale speakers with better treble than $4K pairs of B&Ws. That said, there is a (growing) segment of the market that just LOVES B&W speakers. Most of that segment is baby boomers who can now afford to finally get a pair of "good" speakers. Unfortunately, presbyacusis has already stolen their high frequency hearing, and B&W's tipped up treble now sounds "natural" to their ears. Of course, if they have need of tipped-up treble, it would be far more economical to turn up the treble tone control on their amplifier, receiver, or preamp, but if they like B&W speakers instead, power to them. It's their money. Boomzilla PS: If you're a B&W lover and take exception to my comments, feel free to ignore them. These are my opinions, based on what I've heard with my own ears (which still have full sensitivity to 17KHz based on my latest audiogram - not bad for a geezer...). Judging from the "boom box kids" now entering the workforce, I can categorically say that I hear better than most of them, despite the age difference. Makes you wonder how much B&W will need to boost their tweeters when THESE kids get old... |
|
|
|
Post by garbulky on Oct 15, 2015 11:32:31 GMT -5
Hey how do the ML compare to the Pendragons?
|
|
|
|
Post by deewan on Oct 15, 2015 19:50:55 GMT -5
Just my opinion. I normally first break speakers into "sound" genres. Everyone hears speakers differently and has different preferences.
|
|
|
|
Post by pop on Oct 15, 2015 23:09:11 GMT -5
Hey how do the ML compare to the Pendragons? Pendragons still remain my favorite speaker hands down. Don't loose sight of them Gar! |
|
