B&W 685
Every bit as impressive as the first time we heard them, the 685s are yet another enduring B&W design
Write your own reviewFor
Big, coherent soundstage; impressive dynamic ability; boundless drive and attackl
Against
Tiny discrepancy between treble character and the rest of the frequency range
Familiarity breeds contempt, so they say – which just goes to show that ‘they' don't know as much as ‘they' think they do. It's been almost four years since we first heard B&W's esteemed 685 standmounters, and in that time familiarity has bred only a deep-seated respect and admiration.
They haven't managed to hang on to their What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision Award indefinitely (although back-to-back wins in 2007 and 2008 are not be sniffed at), but their five-star rating has never been under serious threat.
And even up against the best and latest rivals, they comfortably retain the full complement.
Timeless looks and sound
It's not just the 685s' performance that has proved enduring. The square-edged, vinyl-wrapped cabinets are livened no end by a combination of soft-touch paint on the baffle, a shiny, asymmetrical tweeter arrangement and bright yellow Kevlar mid/bass driver.
Face on and grilles off, the B&W speakers remain interesting and individual lookers.
Placed where they're happiest (out in a little free space), toed-in slightly towards your listening position and single-wired (B&W fits biwire terminals to the 685s but we think they sound their best on a single length of cable), the B&Ws are the same engaging, energetic listen we've always loved.
Eli ‘Paperboy' Reed & The True Loves' scorching Come and Get It offers a tough test of timing, attack and midrange resolution, and it's a test the 685s positively relish.
Still fine performers
They create a wide, deep soundstage, and their powers of focus and separation mean it's simple to follow individual strands of the recording even as the speakers present a cogent and convincing whole.
The song's vaulting dynamics present no problems for these speakers, and there's a stack of detail available from the taut, well-defined top of the frequency range to the deep, speedy bottom.
The soul holler in the midrange is packed with character, but not at the expense of transparency or precision.
As far as combining subtlety with cheerfully uncomplicated drive goes, the 685s yield to no rival. In fact, it's taken four years of listening (on and off) for us to identify anything approaching a meaningful flaw in the way the B&Ws go about their business.
Minor discrepancies
There's a minor but undeniable discrepancy in character between the high frequencies served up by the metal-dome tweeter and the rest of the frequency range; the slightest suggestion that treble sounds were recorded in a different environment to the rest.
A listen to John Coltrane's A Love Supreme, with its strong emphasis on the ride cymbal, confirms it.
But in all honesty this is the most trifling of shortcomings. The broad fact remains: even at this advanced age, the B&W 685s sound properly engaged with the music they're playing – and are a thoroughly invigorating listen.
Click here to watch our video review of the B&W 685.
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