Yeah, I found that some B&W models do require break in time: a friend bought some 804 diamonds a while back and I couldn’t believe how much they tightened up and improved over time. They were kind of unimpressive right out of the box, but boy did that change! No worries in this case, the 704s will be a demo pair with tons of playing time. In fact they are currently in the shop and already have lots of play time. I won’t be auditioning them until some time in the new year.
Maybe if I move, but for now, I have plenty of whoop-ass. I am in a studio apartment. I just set them up and fresh out of the box they sound quite a bit better than the 683 S2s did after 60 hours of break in.
Yes, the bass got tighter and better controlled, and the treble brightness disappeared. But that was a different speaker, so I wouldn’t necessarily read too much into it as far as the 704s go.
With the Rotel RSX 1065 is 200 WPC in stereo at 4 ohms? Looking at the Rotel RSX 1065 manual it shows 120 WPC for two channel and 100 at five channels at 8 ohms. Either way Rotel is known to rate their AVRs and amps conservatively and accurately. Excellent AVRs and amps without a doubt. Just looked at the new Rotel AVRs and amps, very nice! http://www.rotel.com/sites/default/files/product/manuals/RSX-1065-OM.pdf Rotel AVRs - Home Theater
Yeah thats right I was recalling something about 200W per channel under dynamic conditions. But I have found that Rotel under rates their power outage. But it still has plenty for the B&Ws and they are matched really well.
I actually like the coloring of the Rosenut quite a bit more than it appears in the photo on my OP. It's darker and richer than it appears in B&W's image. And thankfully, it matches the dresser next to it nicely.
That looks stunning - without question, that’s the finish I’ll be going for if I do get these. My local hi-fi shop had a pair in that finish and I loved their look. That rich wood tone will complement my room colours perfectly.
Thanks guys! My only complaint at this point is a boomy sound from the port. I have the rear of the speaker 2 feet from the rear wall (the maximum distance that I can leave them 24/7.) I am hoping that break in reduces this boominess enough so that I can keep the speakers where they are all the time. If not, I will need to put them out a foot or two more every time I listen to them.
I should add that I auditioned the 704s at two separate shops and made sure they were only two feet from the wall when I did so. The boominess was not present in either case. Of course, those rooms are different than mine, but another variable is the fact that those two pairs of 704s were broken in.
Depending on how thin your carpet is, you might try them without the plinth. I’m using the floor spikes without the plinths. That might reduce the boominess. I’m personally not a fan of the plinths.
Thanks, Mazzy. I need the plinths for height. Even with them, the tweeter is 3 inches lower than I would ideally like them to be. (And for what its worth, both stores that I auditioned the 704s at had them on the plinth.)
I found that B&W CM10 S2 speakers benefit from bi-wiring. The new 700 series floorstanders should not be the exception. Regards
As convincing as it looks, I don’t believe that it is an actual veneer. They did use a real wood veneer on the old 700 series: my 703s have a stunning cherry wood veneer and I love how they look. But I think they’ve made price point decisions here and invested pretty heavily in the drivers and so on to achieve an amazing sound for the dollars spent: don’t get me wrong, the available finishes are amazing, but I don’t think you’re getting a real wood veneer on these.
Break in or plug the rear port IMO. With the dual woofers you may get enough bass without the port. However the break in should fix them. As Mazzy pointed out, that can be a long time. I read an article about a pair of 804's that came manufactured recommended 400 hours break in!
Thanks. I tried earlier to plug the port and I did not like the effect on the overall sound. The SQ seems so much better with the port open (until I turn it up louder and that boomy bass emerges.) I would be SO HAPPY if break in fixes my bass issue! I plan to run these things all day, when I am at work and as much as I can when I am home. (I live with my girlfriend, so my evening listening is somewhat limited.)
While I have no experience (yet) with these speakers, I’d suggest you do give them a bit more time. In my experience, some speakers change pretty significantly early on: I mentioned some 804s up thread, and those really changed over the first while. My 1st generation 703s however didn’t exhibit much of this - they sounded great out of the box, and I didn’t really notice if they improved over time. But given the fact that Mazzy reported some break in time for his 702s, I wouldn’t be surprised if these also benefit from some run time to break them in.
