BOWERS & WILKINS 606 (01) PDF Document

Inside the carton for your BOWERS & WILKINS 606 speakers, you should find the following items:

• 2 Foam plugs

• 8 Self-adhesive rubber supporting feet

The BOWERS & WILKINS 606 speaker is primarily designed to be mounted on a dedicated floor stand (such as the STAV24 S2). It may also be placed on a shelf if preferred, but this offers less flexibility to optimize performance. In either case, the speakers’ tweeters should be positioned at approximately ear height from your usual listening position.

If you use a shelf, ensure it is strong enough to properly support the weight of the speaker and fit the 4 supplied rubber supporting feet to the underside of the speaker. For shelf placement, it is recommended to use the foam bung inserts to optimize port performance.

For a conventional stereo setup, the BOWERS & WILKINS 606 speakers should be positioned between 1.5m and 3m apart. They should form two corners of an equilateral triangle, with the listening area at the third corner. The speakers should be approximately 0.5m away from the back wall and at least 0.5m away from any side walls.

It is also important to ensure that the immediate surroundings of each speaker are similar in acoustic character to avoid compromising the sound quality and stereo image.

If using the BOWERS & WILKINS 606 speakers as the front channels in a home theatre system, they should be placed closer together than for 2-channel audio. This is because the surround channels tend to widen the image. Positioning the speakers within approximately 0.5m of the sides of the screen will help keep the sound image in scale with the visual image. As with stereo positioning, the speakers should ideally be at least 0.5m away from any side walls.

Yes, the speaker drive units create stray magnetic fields that extend beyond the cabinet. It is recommended to keep magnetically sensitive articles at least 0.5m away from the speaker. Such articles include:

• CRT television and computer screens

• Computer discs

• Audio and video tapes

• Swipe cards and similar items

Note that LCD, OLED, and plasma screens are not affected by magnetic fields.

First, ensure all audio equipment is switched off before making connections. The BOWERS & WILKINS 606 has two linked pairs of terminals on the back.

Conventional Connection:

Leave the terminal links in place as delivered and connect just one pair of terminals to the amplifier.

Bi-wire or Bi-amplification Connection:

Remove the terminal links. Connect each pair of terminals to the amplifier or amplifiers independently. Bi-wiring can improve the resolution of low-level detail.

Correct Polarity:

Ensure that the positive terminals on the speaker (marked + and colored red) are connected to the positive output terminal on the amplifier. The negative terminals (marked – and colored black) must be connected to the negative output terminal on the amplifier. Incorrect connection can result in poor imaging and loss of bass.

Before fine-tuning, ensure all connections are correct and secure. You can adjust the bass in several ways:

Speaker Position:

• Moving speakers further from the walls will generally reduce the volume of bass and can create an aural impression of depth.

• Moving speakers closer to the walls will increase the volume of bass.

Foam Plugs:

If you cannot move the speakers, you can adjust the bass using the supplied foam bungs. The bungs are a two-piece part.

• For maximum bass reduction, insert the complete bung assembly into the port tube on the back of the speaker.

• For less severe bass reduction, use only the outer, larger-diameter foam ring in the port tube.

Listening Room Acoustics:

If the bass seems uneven, it is likely due to your room’s acoustics. Try making small changes to the speaker position or your listening position. Locating the speakers along a different wall may also help.

If you are using floor stands to support your BOWERS & WILKINS 606 speakers, ensure that they rest firmly on the floor. Use carpet piercing spikes if appropriate and adjust them to take up any unevenness. If you are using STAV24 S2 stands, it is recommended to mass-load them to deliver the best combination of stability and performance. You can do this by filling each stand to its maximum available volume using an appropriate material such as kiln-dried sand.

Yes, the performance of the BOWERS & WILKINS 606 speaker will change subtly during the initial listening period. The drive unit suspensions will loosen up during the first hours of use. As a guide, allow up to a week for the temperature effects to stabilize and 15 hours of average use for the mechanical parts to attain their intended design characteristics.

Cabinet Surfaces:

The cabinet surfaces will usually only require dusting. If you wish to use an aerosol or other cleaner, apply the cleaner onto the cloth, not directly onto the product. Test a small area first, as some cleaning products may damage some surfaces. Avoid products that are abrasive, or contain acid, alkali or antibacterial agents.

Paint Surface Marks:

Marks on the paint surface may be removed with a dilute perfume-free soap solution. Remove any remaining streak marks by spraying with a proprietary glass cleaner and lightly wiping dry with a microfibre cloth.

Drive Units (Woofers and Tweeters):

Do not use cleaning agents on the drive units and avoid touching them as damage may result.