B&W 686 S2 HI-FI LOUDSPEAKERS PAIR WHITE

Small is beautiful. The 686 S2 is the most compact speaker in the series, but don't underestimate its power and precision. That's thanks to a new Decoupled Double Dome tweeter and improved design.

An ideal bookshelf or wall-mounted speaker, the 686 S2 is designed to fit into any space and still sound perfect. Its main driver is a 5-inch bass/midrange unit which benefits from a new 25mm voice coil which makes for a higher sensitivity speaker with bass more suited for placement near a wall.

Bass performance is vital but can often suffer in smaller speakers. Not in the 686 S2, however. That's because a front-firing Flowport, dimpled like a golf ball around the aperture for smoothly regulated airflow, delivers superior bass response without the risk of rattle. Its placement ensures the speaker cabinet is slimmer than predecessors and can be wall mounted without affecting performance.

Like the rest of the range, and despite its smaller size, the 686 S2 also features a Decoupled Double Dome aluminium tweeter for superior high-frequency response. The 686 S2 even features a built-in bracket for easy wall mounting, although this small, versatile and precise speaker sounds great anywhere.

Woven Kevlar    
Crossover Tuning    
Nautilus Tapering Tube    
Flowport    
Technical features     Nautilus™ tube loaded aluminium dome tweeter

Kevlar® brand fibre cone bass/midrange

Flowport™
Description     2-way vented-box system
Drive units     1x ø25mm (1 in) aluminium dome high-frequency

1x ø165mm (6.5 in) woven Kevlar® cone bass/midrange
Frequency range     -6dB at 45Hz and 50kHz
Frequency response     52Hz - 22kHz ±3dB on reference axis
Dispersion     Within 2dB of reference response
Horizontal:     over 60º arc
Vertical:     over 10º arc
Sensitivity     88dB spl (2.83V, 1m)
Harmonic distortion     2nd and 3rd harmonics (90dB, 1m)

Two way, bass-reflex
Woofer 170 mm.
Polypropylene pentapolymer
Tweeter 28 mm. silk soft dome
Impedance: 6 Ohm (min. 4)
RMS POWER: 80 W
MAX POWER: 125 W
Efficiency: 88 dB/W/1 m
Dimensions: 255x350x400mm.
Net weight: 13,5 Kg.
Finish: high gloss metallized
Colors: blue, red, silver grey,
charcoal grey, racing red

The M-1 has been engineered with the same design attributes and ethos as B&Wʼs larger ranges. Perhaps the most striking thing about the M-1 is the weight and strength of its curved aluminium cabinet. This is combined with a strong, glass-loaded ABS front baffle. Together they provide an excellent cabinet: the curved aluminium is stiff and the ABS offers excellent and appropriate damping characteristics.

The M-1ʼs drive units were developed by Bowers & Wilkins specifically for the design. The metal dome tweeter benefits from refinements developed for the new B&W 800 Series and includes Nautilus™ tube loading and neodymium magnets. The glass fibre bass/midrange coneʼs ability to absorb standing waves has been further enhanced by the inclusion of five strategically placed resin filled slots that further minimise distortion.

The result of this detailed cabinet and drive unit engineering has allowed B&Wʼs engineers to borrow another feature from the new 800 Series and utilise the simplest of electronic equalisation in the M-1ʼs crossover. Each of the drive units is fed by only a single, carefully selected component. This approach to crossover design, although painstaking as it relies on optimising all of the physical components in a design, is crucial in achieving its aim of neither adding to nor subtracting from the original signal.

The M-1 is available in three colour options - black, white and silver, each with chromium plated stem and table base.

System Format:    2 Way
Frequency Response:    42 Hz - 60 kHz
Sensitivity (1W@1M):    88 dB
Nominal Impedance:    8 ohms
Maximum S.P.L
(Per pair in room):    112.6 dBA
Power Handling (RMS):    120 W
Recommended Amplifier Requirements (RMS):    60 - 120 W
Bass Alignment:    Bass reflex. HiVe port system
Crossover Frequency:    2.7 kHz
Drive Unit Compliment:    1 x 6.5" RST bass/mid-range driver
1 x C-CAM H.F ribbon transducer
External Dimensions excl Stand (H x W x D)

362 x 210 x 303 mm
(14 3/8 x 8 1/4 x 11 15/16 inch)
Weight (each) Excluding stands:    9.9 Kg (21.75 lbs)

Item    Value
System Format:     2 Way
Frequency Response:     55 Hz - 60 kHz
Sensitivity (1W@1M):     86 dB
Nominal Impedance:     8 ohms
Maximum S.P.L
(Per pair in room):     109.8 dBA
Power Handling (RMS):     100 W
Recommended Amplifier Requirements (RMS):     50 - 100 W
Bass Alignment:     Bass reflex. HiVe port system
Crossover Frequency:     2.3 kHz
Drive Unit Compliment:     1 x 5.5" RST bass/mid-range driver
1 x C-CAM H.F ribbon transducer

External Dimensions excl Stand (H x W x D)
    300 x 170 x 263 mm
(11 13/16 x 6 11/16 x 10 3/8 inch)
Weight (each) Excluding stands:     

7.5 Kg (16.5 lbs)