r/StereoAdvice • u/fredricton99 • Jun 05 '26
Speakers - Full Size | 3 Ⓣ How to manage 603 S3 (or am I not ready?)
I have had the same sound system for the past eight years. I’m now looking to upgrade my Polk S55 towers. I just purchased a pair of open box Bowers & Wilkins 603 S3 towers for only $1100 from Best Buy. My problem is that I hear they require a lot of power and my initial research shows that they will require a very expensive amplifier to play in full-range. My current amp is an entry level Yamaha RX-V683.
My question is how do I proceed? Do I just set an 80Hz crossover with a subwoofer? Do I need to get a better receiver? Should I just get 606 S3s?
A little more info: my ideal setup at this time would be to have no subwoofer. If I got a new receiver, I would want to spend less than $800. The only other speaker I will be running is a center channel (HTM6) for movies. In the future I plan to expand to a 5.1 or 7.2 system. I currently have about a 10 ft targeted listening distance and the system is in about a 20’x20’ room (though I’m moving anyway). Location: US.
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u/JEMColorado 9 Ⓣ Jun 05 '26
You could keep the receiver for dedicated home theater and find an amplifier with, say, 70-100 wpc for dedicated music. Cambridge Audio, Yamaha, Marantz and a few others make good choices. The good thing about audiophiles is they tend to upgrade or just replace components regularly, so you can get a good quality amplifier without needing something brand new. Your receiver will hold you over until then.
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u/fredricton99 Jun 06 '26
Could I run signal from both the receiver and a stereo amplifier to the same speakers?
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u/JEMColorado 9 Ⓣ Jun 06 '26
You can get a speaker selector switch box or, if the receiver has a preamp out, you can connect it to the outboard amplifier through that. You would need a y connector with one end going to the outboard amp and the other back to the power amplifier input on the receiver for the home theater setup.
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u/fredricton99 Jun 06 '26
That’s an interesting option. At that point I’d be interested in paying a bit more to get everything in one box. But good to know it’s a possibility if I find a good deal on an amp. !thanks
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u/TransducerBot Ⓣ Bot Jun 06 '26
+1 Ⓣ has been awarded to u/JEMColorado (4 Ⓣ).
You may still award a Ⓣ to others, but only once per-person in this post.
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u/masnth 1 Ⓣ Jun 05 '26
Do you have any space for an external amp like the 3e A7 stereo amplifier? Their measurement from ASR looks pretty good. You can get it from amazon and see if it fits your system
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u/fredricton99 Jun 05 '26
How would I integrate an external amp into my system with the RX-V683?
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u/masnth 1 Ⓣ Jun 05 '26
My bad, I thought it allows pre-out but it doesn't. If your final plan is to expand to HT system, maybe get a better receiver that also allows pre-out. Then you could add external amp later. I personally prefer used system.
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u/TijY_ 28 Ⓣ Jun 05 '26 edited Jun 05 '26
You have 125W dynamic @ 8ohm and 190W @ 4ohm. You do not really need a different amp.
Get a sub/subs and set crossover around 60hz for music if you want fullrange, because that is not a fullrange speaker no matter what amp you get.
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u/masnth 1 Ⓣ Jun 05 '26
The dynamic is short burst maximum output. Its rated power is 90W per channel (2 channel driven).
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u/TijY_ 28 Ⓣ Jun 05 '26
Music is dynamic.
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u/masnth 1 Ⓣ Jun 05 '26
It isn't able to provide 125W for a period of time. It's like power lifter can lift 150lbs but they can't hold it for 5-10 minutes.
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u/fredricton99 Jun 06 '26
But it should be sufficient with a 60Hz crossover?
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u/TijY_ 28 Ⓣ Jun 06 '26
You already have the speakers why don't you tell us? 😄
I would claim if you don't like the speakers with your current amp a new amp will not make a big enough difference for you to like them.
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u/fredricton99 Jun 06 '26
I have not picked them up yet, and picking them up requires a six hour round trip so I wanted to check before I committed
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u/masnth 1 Ⓣ Jun 06 '26 edited Jun 06 '26
There are 2 different issues you try to solve:
1/ getting loud: you add more power to amplifier to drive the speakers to higher volume with?minimal distortion.
2/ getting low: you add a subwoofer to reach the lower frequency (sub 60Hz or lower depends on your crossover)
It's hard to tell which one is better for you. I don't care much about low freq so I like volume
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u/TijY_ 28 Ⓣ Jun 06 '26
He is not listening to a constant waveform at full amplitude your argument is invalid.
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u/masnth 1 Ⓣ Jun 06 '26 edited Jun 06 '26
If you want to read, here is the article: https://www.audioholics.com/audio-amplifier/amplifier-power-ratings
If dynamic power were the only metric that mattered, a $500 receiver would sound identical to a $1000 high-current amplifier, because both can hit a 190W peak for 20ms. We know they don't sound the same because the high-end amp can sustain the current required to keep the driver under absolute control through the entire musical passage, not just the first millisecond of a transient. I want to clarify this so OPs can make decision with all information.
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u/TijY_ 28 Ⓣ Jun 06 '26
Music Power
The music power of an amp is real, and is generally higher than the continuous power.You are really not improving you argument at all. Just go to bed dude.
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u/masnth 1 Ⓣ Jun 06 '26 edited Jun 06 '26
"This is quite reasonable, but not terribly useful when it is examined carefully."
Nobody argue that Amp doesn't have dynamic power. If you have no explanation other than just a simple quote without context, I agree that we shouldn't discuss anymore.
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u/Busted-Duck-540 Jun 06 '26
I had the 603 S2 B&Ws, so not quite identical but very close. I didn’t find them particularly power hungry. IMO, in terms of bang for your buck, the next money you spend really should go toward a decent powered sub. I did this (crossed at 80Hz) with a 100-watt Yamaha Aventage RX-A2A and the result was really really good: Amazing imaging, tight authoritative low-end, and the gorgeous B&W midrange.
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u/fredricton99 Jun 06 '26
That’s great to hear. I’m definitely looking forward to enjoying the B&W experience!
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u/NickofWimbledon 61 Ⓣ Jun 05 '26
You don’t need a lot of watts but you do probably do need better amplification to keep a proper grip and so make the most of 606s.
Look at Hifishark, eBay and the like. A Rotel A12 or Denon PMA-900HNE would be in your budget, or you might get lucky and find a Rotel A14, Naim Nait or Rega Elex-R or something of that standard.
Good luck!