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Model: | DM6 |
Category: | Speakers |
Suggested Retail Price: | $1,000 |
Description: | 3-ways 6db/octave floorstanding ~1978 loudspeakers |
Manufacturer URL: | B&W |
Review by Belgarchi on March 29, 2010 at 20:29:08 IP Address: 216.80.143.3 | Add Your Review for the DM6 |
Around 1980, the B&W DM6 became quickly an incredible success, 'the' reference, despite a high price and a terrible look.
Their main selling point was their stepped baffles and usage of 6 db/octave crossovers, for a near-perfect phase match between transducers. But they innovated in many other ways. The cast-frame, 10" bextrene cone woofer was equipped with a huge magnet, around 4 kg! The 6" medium covers the critical range 500-5000 Hz, and uses a woven kevlar cone. The 19mm soft dome tweeter was probably the best on the planet at the time.
Their low efficiency allowed an F-3 of 40 Hz, with a slope of only 12 db/octave (closed box, not bass-reflex)
The sound was very detailed, the medium very natural, the bass deep but a little bit undefined. The sound was changing a lot between seated and standing-up positions. Very good soundstage, very wide listening window.
These speakers required a strict minimum of 2x100W to come alive.
A recuring problem was the 0.5A fuse protecting the tweeter: it blew up all the time, due to the gentle 6 db slope.
Product Weakness: | Low efficiency, Look, Undefined bass. |
Product Strengths: | Natural Medium, very detailed highs, deep bass, soundstage |
Amplifier: | Quad 405 |
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): | Quad 44 |
Sources (CDP/Turntable): | Thorens TD125 + SME IIi + Shure |
Speakers: | See review |
Cables/Interconnects: | 14 gauge |
Music Used (Genre/Selections): | Various |
Room Size (LxWxH): | 18 x 18 x 10 |
Room Comments/Treatments: | Reflective |
Time Period/Length of Audition: | 8 years |
Type of Audition/Review: | Product Owner |
but we loved it.
Kal
Thanks for the photo, Kal!
Driven by a powerful amp (my Quad 405 was barely acceptable), these speakers were incredibly good around 1980.
Yves
For its day a very coherent detailed speaker with excellent imaging. The early ones could be hard to drive because of the multi-tapped auto former on the woofer for a level control. They got rid of it fast which made a much easier amp load and saved a big bunch of dollars.
The crossovers were not true 6 db/octave. They were for about an octave and the went to at least 18 db/octave.
The Stereophile test pair is still at a home in Delaware and they don't sound bad after over 30 years with all the original crossover parts.
Yes, I remember that my pair had big transformer, and the Belgian B&W importer recommended to remove them... I didn't do it, probably a mistake...
Yves
If your amp can drive a reactive load you might as well have the flexibility to vary the bass. But if not it can make amps very unhappy and the removing it is a good idea. But I bet the biggest reason to drop it was money. An autoformer is costly and when B&W dropped it they didn't drop the price.
One of my best sellers along with DCM Time Windows at Henry Radio in Anahiem CA in my part time sales job. About $600 as I remember. This was when Bookshelf Loudspeakers were still popular. I remember a common pairing was with the APT 100 Watt power amp. Also the Macintosh RCVR worked well with the DM6.
I remember the sound as a smooth as the the high end B&W 802 without the bottom end of the much larger family member
The DM6 was a large floorstanding speaker - the 802 was not much larger...
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