Bookshelf Reviews

I know someone who has the Bose 301 Direct/Reflecting speakers and the JBL's put the Bose to shame. I have heard speakers that have cost up to $5,000 and I honestly believe these sound very similar. I bought the beech series and like them a lot more then the black ones due to the fact the wood blends well with the woofers and the cast-aluminum frames. These are a must buy for anyone who is looking high quality pair of bookshelf speakers that don't cost as much as a KIA.

I wish to take a moment to giggle in glee over my new speakers.

Heeheehee.

My good pal Greg bought a pair of the hideous beech version of these speakers and he was getting all showy with them because, well, we all couldn't help oohing and aahing over the glorious surround sound he has achieved in his room. Fortunately, I came on Amazon.com and found that these really cool looking black versions were available, so I trapsed out and purchased me a couple of sets. Two around the bed, one by the door, one on the shelf, and BAM! we're rolling. And now I giggle, for Greg is as jealous as can be, because his speakers look like dirty cinder blocks and mine look like Monaco headlights.

Don't be a freak, give in to your inner geek! Once you go black, you ain't never going to go back. Now, excuse me while I go listen to my Jai Uttal and gloat. Hahaha!

Although they are a bit larger than I wanted, the sound from these speakers is the best I have heard. Extremely clear at high or low volume for Coltrane or Zeppelin. I sat for hours in front of them slipping in CD after CD and marvelled at the clarity and depth. They also sound great from other rooms--they virtually fill space with sound. This is definitely one of the best buys you can make in a bookshelf speaker. They out-Bose Bose by a long shot and the price is truly incredible for this quality.

I know someone who has the Bose 301 Direct/Reflecting speakers and the JBL's put the Bose to shame. I have heard speakers that have cost up to $5,000 and I honestly believe these sound very similar. I bought the beech series and like them a lot more then the black ones due to the fact the wood blends well with the woofers and the cast-aluminum frames. These are a must buy for anyone who is looking high quality pair of bookshelf speakers that don't cost as much as a KIA.

I wish to take a moment to giggle in glee over my new speakers.

Heeheehee.

My good pal Greg bought a pair of the hideous beech version of these speakers and he was getting all showy with them because, well, we all couldn't help oohing and aahing over the glorious surround sound he has achieved in his room. Fortunately, I came on Amazon.com and found that these really cool looking black versions were available, so I trapsed out and purchased me a couple of sets. Two around the bed, one by the door, one on the shelf, and BAM! we're rolling. And now I giggle, for Greg is as jealous as can be, because his speakers look like dirty cinder blocks and mine look like Monaco headlights.

Don't be a freak, give in to your inner geek! Once you go black, you ain't never going to go back. Now, excuse me while I go listen to my Jai Uttal and gloat. Hahaha!

Although they are a bit larger than I wanted, the sound from these speakers is the best I have heard. Extremely clear at high or low volume for Coltrane or Zeppelin. I sat for hours in front of them slipping in CD after CD and marvelled at the clarity and depth. They also sound great from other rooms--they virtually fill space with sound. This is definitely one of the best buys you can make in a bookshelf speaker. They out-Bose Bose by a long shot and the price is truly incredible for this quality.

I know someone who has the Bose 301 Direct/Reflecting speakers and the JBL's put the Bose to shame. I have heard speakers that have cost up to $5,000 and I honestly believe these sound very similar. I bought the beech series and like them a lot more then the black ones due to the fact the wood blends well with the woofers and the cast-aluminum frames. These are a must buy for anyone who is looking high quality pair of bookshelf speakers that don't cost as much as a KIA.

I wish to take a moment to giggle in glee over my new speakers.

Heeheehee.

My good pal Greg bought a pair of the hideous beech version of these speakers and he was getting all showy with them because, well, we all couldn't help oohing and aahing over the glorious surround sound he has achieved in his room. Fortunately, I came on Amazon.com and found that these really cool looking black versions were available, so I trapsed out and purchased me a couple of sets. Two around the bed, one by the door, one on the shelf, and BAM! we're rolling. And now I giggle, for Greg is as jealous as can be, because his speakers look like dirty cinder blocks and mine look like Monaco headlights.

Don't be a freak, give in to your inner geek! Once you go black, you ain't never going to go back. Now, excuse me while I go listen to my Jai Uttal and gloat. Hahaha!

Although they are a bit larger than I wanted, the sound from these speakers is the best I have heard. Extremely clear at high or low volume for Coltrane or Zeppelin. I sat for hours in front of them slipping in CD after CD and marvelled at the clarity and depth. They also sound great from other rooms--they virtually fill space with sound. This is definitely one of the best buys you can make in a bookshelf speaker. They out-Bose Bose by a long shot and the price is truly incredible for this quality.

My wife and I bought our 602s before Amazon carried them from a local hi-fi shop. We actually took the 602s and a few other pairs home to test out over a few days in our house. First off, every pair of speakers we took home sounded good in the store. We spent a few hours there listening to music and DVDs to get an idea of what we liked. When we got home, we quickly found that some speakers were so accurate that you could start to hear the short comings in our own equipment. I didn't think my $400 receiver was bad until I had some $900 speakers hooked up. Ouch!

I would strongly urge anyone considering B&W speakers to listen to them personally first. No matter how good speakers are rated, personal preference should guide your final decision. That said, B&W should definately be on your list especially if you're buying your first set of "real" speakers.

When I stepped into an audio store, I said show me all your speakers that are under $500/pr. What I found was pure clearity, superb hi treble and an accurate mid-range. B&W602 there is nothing like it, it sounds great for all types of music. But when it comes to hard beats from rap to heavy metal you will need a subwoofer to get that thundering bass sounds. But why kill your ear drums? B&W602 produces all the sounds that you expect to hear right from the recording studio. While many others speakers under $500 simply loose or degrade certain tones.

Also I would like to add that the parts they've included are excellent (they didn't stop half way). The cone material is made from bullet proof vests and the connectors are gold plated!

Very clean and crisp sounding speakers. I have them hooked up to a Toshiba SD-3109 DVD Player and Sony STR-DA50-ES Receiver. The sound is incredible. I just sit back and savor the listening experience.

how my god!, such unbelivable sound!, if heaven had a sound system it would surly use this speakers. I use them in my home studio, and my music never sounded better. It produce such accurate and precise sound for every music gener. defently Worth the money for this sound quality. They also got a very beautiful and classic look that will look just great in any part of your house.

I have spend considerable amounts of time in audiophile boutiques in various parts of the country and been astounded by some of he pricing involved in stereo equipment. These speakers are easily the best "value for money" I have purchased in a long time. They are beautiful finely crafted solid speakers with a sound quality that is clear, transparant, yet very warm. If you guard your budget carefully and aim to stretch your dollar for audiophile quality- then this is your speaker. Enjoy. HFG.

A little bigger than other bookshelf speakers so you can't exactly hide these, but the sound is wonderful, rich, detailed and good low frequency... perhaps not the best for rock or rap, but perfect for anything else. AND they are as good looking as any speakers I have seen, with a pleasing vintage style

how my god!, such unbelivable sound!, if heaven had a sound system it would surly use this speakers. I use them in my home studio, and my music never sounded better. It produce such accurate and precise sound for every music gener. defently Worth the money for this sound quality. They also got a very beautiful and classic look that will look just great in any part of your house.

I have spend considerable amounts of time in audiophile boutiques in various parts of the country and been astounded by some of he pricing involved in stereo equipment. These speakers are easily the best "value for money" I have purchased in a long time. They are beautiful finely crafted solid speakers with a sound quality that is clear, transparant, yet very warm. If you guard your budget carefully and aim to stretch your dollar for audiophile quality- then this is your speaker. Enjoy. HFG.

A little bigger than other bookshelf speakers so you can't exactly hide these, but the sound is wonderful, rich, detailed and good low frequency... perhaps not the best for rock or rap, but perfect for anything else. AND they are as good looking as any speakers I have seen, with a pleasing vintage style

The Wharfedale Diamnond 7.1 Bookshelf speakers are a great value. For their small size and price they produce excellent sound. Pros: Small size, lightweight, easy set-up, excellent sound reproduction overall. Cons: rear-ported so they must be placed at least 6" from the wall or sound is negatively affected, some bass tones are muddy (but I noticed it only because I was listening for it), and some of the high tones come off as slightly "tinny."

[...]

I agree with most of the reviews here. The 7.1 is just right for my apartment and produces great sound. I paired them with a Wharfedale Atlantic center [...], and have Bose 141s as my rear surrounds. They are all hooked up to a Sony STR-DE475 and they make lovely music together. :-)

Was surprised to see the size - I was actually expecting it to be smaller. The workmanship is good and the speaker really feels solid. The speaker grills though are a bit 'flimsy', but then again, that's no big deal for me.

I'm happy with this purchase and plan to eventually upgrade to a full blown Wharfedale speaker system soon. Overall, a good value bookshelf speaker.

These speakers are a great value, and they really sound well for their price and size. They seem to do well on all kinds of music and speach. I gave my pair away, and missed them so much that I purchased a pair of 7.2 LTD as replacement. The 7.1s actually sound much better in my opinion. Normally, I listen to Linn Ninka speakers, which are in a different league altoghether, but I really enjoy the 7.1s for a change. I have played them very loud at parties, and have not manage to break them yet, however some of the partiers tried cranking dr dre, odb, motorhead and othen speaker unfriendly music at very high volumes. When my friends succeed in breaking the 7.1s I will definitely get another pair or two as replacement. May even get a matching sub with them. Only wish they had an active version for the laptop or ipod.

These are awesome speakers! I bought 4 for my home theater system. The sound is amazingly clear and even though they are small, they give lots of sound. From what I understand, these speakers use the same tweeters as the top end model by NHT. Can't beat the price, either.

This is the perfect speakers for midrange and high tones. Extremely warm and smooth tones - great for jazz and classic music listening. I've got 4 of these units primarily for home theater listening though. It's a perfect mix and match satellite speakers for audio DVD experience. After much searching for a home theater package system - I found there really wasn't a very good solution. This pieced together with a center channel and decent subwoofer will not disappoint. You will definitely need a subwoofer and an AVReceiver that can pump enough energy out.

The actual design hasn't changed much from it's inception. The high-gloss is truly like glass. These are great build and finish quality for such a reasonable cost. The speaker connects are too closely packed together for easy wire installation - but I can live with the nuisance for the outstanding sound and value.

NHT only honors the 5 year warranty on these speakers if purchased through an authorized dealer. Amazon.com is NOT authorized. The only .com authorized to sell these with a warranty is Crutchfield.com

Just a warning to all of you out there.

have had these speakers for years, and they are outstanding. have surpassed my expectations, and just read that Consumer Reports gave this model a best buy rating, for sound, value, and their 10 year warranty. I've had mine for 12 years, and they play as well as the day I ordered them. thank you henry kloss- you make a great speaker. and now I can spend my saved money on other things. like my fishing trips!

I received these speakers as a gift and have been nothing but impressed. They have a terrific sound. Great bass and at a very affordable price. I highly reccomend the Model-six bookshelf speakers!

This pair of speakers is the best bargain I have ever come across in over fifty years experience in purchasing high quality sound systems. I really don't see how Cambridge SoundWorks can make a living at this, but I certainly hope they continue to do so.

I have had a pair of these for several months. I bought them after comparasion with several other slightly more expensive brands and am reasonably pleased. In this price bracket JBL have tended to be somewhat "bright" sounding, but I was pleasantly surprised by how warm these units sounded compared side by side with other products. The bass is tight and not overstated or "boxy" which is often a problem with cabinets this size, and the metalic tweeter is crisp and sounds wonderful on rock tracks although is a little harsh on classical strings. For the money I think these are excellent value and well worth serious consideration.

Loud and proud. I've been using these for about a year and I've had no problems. Mached with N24IIs they make a great sound system. Although, it seems that I am the only one in the neighborhood who enjoys having them around.

I bought these speakers around June and have had them for about 5 months and after breaking them in...which didn't take long at all, these will boost whavter home theater system you have. I used them as my rears for my 5.1 system over the summer and you could hear every bullet wizzing by in the Matrix when Neo is shooting out of the hellicopter. Now in school my dorm room cant handle my full 5.1 system and ihave these as my fronts, and again, they rock. the bass is amazing. my whole floor can hear whatever i want to play...weather they like it or not. great speakers highly recomended