No, I wouldn't pay $1000 for a pair of MM1's either and I thought we had
it bad paying $699 for the things but having said all that I think the
$699 was worth the amount I paid for these.
I've not read the comments about hearing optimal sound sitting right in
front of those speakers but nevertheless I take the point to a degree
but I will say that the MM1 speaker system does a fine job at filling my
lounge room with a rich measured sound.
If I went out of the room obviously the sound would be radically different.
If you wanted devices to give you superb rich filling room sound then
the B&W Wireless systems would be worth looking at however they don't
quite have the separation characteristics obviously as the MM1 computer
speakers do and for obvious reasons, the MM1's are separate speakers
whereas the wireless systems are all-in-1 systems which are designed for
slightly different purposes.
Yes, you can detect the different channels in a B&W Wireless system its
just a little bit harder and not quite as obvious unless you're really
listening to the thing but when you see the size of these things its a
wonder that any seperation between channels can be detected at all so
full marks to the engineering team at B&W for the well designed DSP.
I mentioned that the Wireless systems give rich filling sound? Yep, that
they do and I'll go even further.
I recently got rid of my B&W A5 - saving for a B&W A7 -, the A5 lived in
my den but when the A5 was pumping out music at a modest volume I could
easily hear it at the other end of the house but it was far more than
just hearing it, the characteristics of the sound - no matter where I
were in the house - were exactly the same, rich and powerful with easily
distinguished speech, instruments and so on, I mentioned this to other
colleagues because the effect is something I've not heard too often and
the response was, "You're listening to B&W my friend, what else would
you expect".
On 21/01/2016 5:10 PM, André van Deventer wrote:
I would have to draw the line at the Bowers and wilkens ones. I already have a
good quality DAC so it will not be that much of an issue.
I'm not interesting so much in volume but in sound quality. So the optimum
would be for these speakers to deliver optimum sound while I am sitting at my
desk less than 6 feet away.
One of the criticisms I have read in interviews about the B&W mm-1 is they
sound optimum when you sit real close to them like about 6 feet away. That is I
think what desktop speakers should do though.
Dane finally - the strange thing is that many bowers and wilkens products are
available over here including their wireless systems. I can order 1 and have it
delivered to my door within 2 or 3 days. The problem is the mm-1 system which I
cannot find over here in spite of the fact that I have used google extensively. I
have now written to two B&W suppliers to find out if they can get it for me and
at what cost.
I could find one local supplier of the mm-1 but they mainly import from Amazon.
And they wanted almost $1000 for it which I am not prepaired to pay.
So the search continues
André
-----Original Message-----
From: Pc-audio [mailto:pc-audio-boun...@pc-audio.org] On Behalf Of Dane
Trethowan
Sent: 20 January 2016 08:33 PM
To: PC Audio Discussion List
Subject: Re: harmen carden sound sticks II
Only my observations for what they're worth.
I Had a pair and I wasn't too impressed to be honest, they're okay but nothing
earth shattering.
I suppose that's because I set a high bar when it comes to my music listening
as I want to enjoy it.
If you can wait a little longer and save a little more then perhaps you might look
at some computer Desktop speakers that will really knock your socks off and show
your ears the true quality of your music and there are quite some incredible pairs
to choose from such as those from Keff - can't remember the model number now - and
of coruse the B&W M1's which are still available.
Both these sets have their own Sound Cards in them if you like to think of it
that way so they just plug into the power and your computers USb port ready for
Windows to find them, they do have Aux-In for older systems or for other
devices.
Both the sets from Kef and B&W are strictly 2 channel units though one could be
forgiven for thinking that you have a 30 inch sub-wooffer connected to your
computer.
On 20/01/2016 6:08 PM, André van Deventer wrote:
Hi all
I'm in the market for a good quality set of desktop speakers This is strictly
for listening to music - definitely not a surround sound system!
One of the systems I am looking at is the Harmen Carden Soundsticks III. Does
anyone have this system and what are your thoughts? I realize that something
like sound quality is a personal opinion but I am curious to hear what people
say. I'm interesting in a set that will give you what would be considered
audiofile sound.
Regards
André
---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
https://www.avast.com/antivirus
--
**********
Those who don't need help are prepared to help themselves
