The Bowers & Wilkins company, based in the UK, has redesigned their 600-series speaker line, which is now comprised of the 683 (shown right) and 684 floorstanding models ($1650 and $1150 per pair in the US, respectively), 685 and 686 bookshelf-type models ($700 and $550 per pair), and HTM61 and HTM62 center-channels ($750 and $450 each). Technical highlights of this series include the company’s Decoupled Dual Dome tweeter (all models), which pushes the first breakup model to about 38kHz, and Dual Layer aluminum-cone bass driver (683).
According to the February 10 press release, the Decoupled Dual Dome tweeter “comprises two separate aluminum domes, the second with its center portion cut out and glued to the rear face of the first dome to create a remarkable blend of lightness and rigidity. The entire tweeter assembly is then decoupled, being physically separated from the cabinet by a cushioning gel ring in much the same way as our outboard tweeters. Harmful resonances are neither transferred from the baffle to the tweeter or the tweeter to the baffle.” The Dual Layer bass driver “sees an aluminum bass cone reinforced around its periphery with a second layer of aluminum, for a more effectively damped cone and higher break-up frequency. The result is even richer, distortion-free bass.”
The 600-series speakers are available in one finish, Black Ash, and will be available next month.