683 S2 - Loudspeaker B&W - Free user manual and instructions

Product type	3-way floorstanding speaker
Brand	B&W (Bowers & Wilkins)
Model	683 S2
Dimensions (H x W x D)	1060 mm x 275 mm x 385 mm (with plinth)
Weight	22.5 kg
Construction	MDF cabinet with rounded front panels
Frequency response	35 Hz – 50 kHz
Nominal impedance	8 Ω (minimum 3.7 Ω)
Sensitivity	90 dB (2.83 V/1 m)
Recommended amplifier power	30 W – 200 W per channel
Woofer	2 x 165 mm (6.5 in) glass fiber
Midrange driver	1 x 130 mm (5 in) with Kevlar® cone
Tweeter	1 x 25 mm (1 in) aluminum dome with cooling gel
Loading type	Bass-reflex with Flowport™ vent
Connectors	Bi-wiring / bi-amping (gold-plated terminals)
Power	Passive (requires external amplifier)
Maintenance and cleaning	Dust with a soft, dry cloth. Do not use liquid or abrasive products.
Safety	Place on a stable surface. Do not expose to moisture or heat sources.
Spare parts and repairability	Drivers, crossovers, and terminals available from B&W authorized centers.
General information	High-fidelity floorstanding speaker from the S2 series, compatible with all Hi-Fi amplifiers.

Frequently Asked Questions - 683 S2 B&W

How to position the B&W 683 S2 speakers for optimal sound?

Place the speakers at least 50 cm from the rear wall and 1 m from side walls. Angle them slightly toward the listening position. The Flowport™ vent requires sufficient clearance to avoid turbulence.

Can I bi-wire or bi-amp the 683 S2?

Yes, the speakers are equipped with gold-plated terminals for bi-wiring and bi-amping. Remove the metal links between the HF and LF terminals and connect two separate cables or amplifiers.

What is the recommended amplifier power?

B&W recommends an amplifier between 30 W and 200 W per channel into 8 ohms. Too little power may damage the speaker due to clipping.

How to clean the 683 S2 speakers?

Use a soft, dry cloth to dust the cabinet and grille. Never use water, solvents, or abrasive products. For the grilles, a low-power vacuum cleaner is possible.

Are the grilles removable?

Yes, the front grilles are magnetic and can be easily removed for access to the drivers or a cleaner look.

What is the crossover frequency of the drivers?

The low-pass filter at 400 Hz between midrange and bass, and the high-pass filter at 4 kHz for treble. The crossover design is optimized for a smooth transition.

Is there a break-in period for the 683 S2?

Yes, it is recommended to run the speakers at moderate volume for 50 to 100 hours so that the driver suspensions reach optimal performance.

Can I use the 683 S2 in a home theater system?

Absolutely, they are excellent as main speakers. Ensure you pair them with a center speaker and subwoofer from the same range for sonic consistency.

What to do if a driver is damaged?

Contact an authorized B&W dealer or after-sales service. The drivers are individually replaceable. Do not attempt repair yourself.

Are the speakers supplied with a plinth?

Yes, each speaker comes with a lacquered MDF plinth to screw on. Spikes or pads are provided to stabilize the speaker on various floors.

USER MANUAL 683 S2 B&W

Welcome and thank you for choosing Bowers & Wilkins.

Our founder, John Bowers, believed that imaginative design, innovative engineering and advanced technology were keys that could unlock the enjoyment of audio in the home. His belief is one that we continue to share and inspires every product we design.

This is a high performance product that rewards thoughtful installation, so we suggest that you take some time to read this manual before you begin. Continue on page 4 →

1. Unpacking

Carton Contents

Check in the carton for:

1 Two-part foam plug
1 Plinth
1 Accessory pack containing
4 M4 spike feet
4 Rubber feet
4 Lock nuts (10mm across flats)
1 Accessory pack containing
1 Allen key
4 M6 x 35mm screws
4 Plain washers
4 Shakeproof washers

Environmental Information

This product complies with international directives, including but not limited to:

i. the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) in electrical and electronic equipment,
II. the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of CHemicals (REACH)
iii. the disposal of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE).

Consult your local waste disposal authority for guidance on how properly to recycle or dispose of this product.

2. Positioning

Technical line drawing of a mechanical assembly with mounting brackets and alignment guides (no text or symbols)

Speaker Installation

The speakers are intended to be floor mounted only. It is important to ensure that the speakers stand firmly on the floor using the spike feet supplied whenever possible. In addition, fit the plinth for proper stability.

You may attach the plinth during the unpacking process, following the diagrams on the top flap of the carton. Alternatively, you may attach it after the product has been fully unpacked, by covering a suitable support such as a table with a cloth and laying the speaker on its side with the base of the cabinet overhanging the support. Align the plinth with its attachment holes in the underside of the cabinet, ensuring that the arrow on the underside of the plinth points forwards. Secure the plinth using the screws and washers supplied. Fit the shakeproof washers between the plain washers and the screw heads. Tighten the screws using the Allen key supplied.

The spike feet are designed to pierce carpet and rest on the floor surface. Initially, screw the lock nuts onto the spikes enough to leave the nuts floating just above the carpet when the spikes are resting on the floor beneath. Screw the spikes fully into the threaded inserts in the plinth. If the cabinet rocks when placed on the floor, unscrew the two spikes that do not touch the floor until the cabinet rests firmly without rocking. Finally, lock the nuts against the cabinet. It may be more convenient to fit and adjust the spike feet after speaker positioning has been optimised.

If there is no carpet and you wish to avoid scratching the floor surface, use either a protective metal disc (a coin perhaps) between the spike and the floor, or use the supplied rubber feet. Fit the rubber feet and level the cabinet in the same manner as with the spike feet.

Speaker Positioning

Adjustment of speaker position following initial installation will probably further improve the sound quality and is usually worthwhile.

In either stereo or home theatre installations, try to ensure that the immediate surroundings of each speaker are similar in acoustic character. For example, if one speaker is adjacent to bare walls while the other is adjacent to soft furnishings and curtains, both the overall sound quality and the stereo image are likely to be compromised.

Conventional Stereo Systems

To begin with, the speakers should be positioned between 1.5m and 3m apart at two corners of an equilateral triangle completed by 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 (above).

Home Theatre Systems

If the speakers are to be used for the front channels in a home theatre system, they should be placed closer together than for 2-channel audio, because the surround channels tend to widen the image. Positioning the speakers within approximately 0.5m of the sides of the screen will also help keep the sound image in scale with the visual image. As with conventional stereo positioning, the speakers should ideally be at least 0.5m away from any side walls. If the speakers are preferred placed against the back wall and this location results in over emphasised bass, see the Fine Tuning section of this manual for information on using the foam plugs.

Stray Magnetic Fields

The speaker drive units create stray magnetic fields that extend beyond the boundaries of the cabinet. We recommend you keep magnetically sensitive articles (CRT television and computer screens, computer discs, audio and video tapes, swipe cards and the like) at least 0.5m from the speaker. LCD, OLED and plasma screens are not affected by magnetic fields.

3. Connections

All connections should be made with the audio equipment switched off.

There are 2 linked pairs of terminals on the back of the speaker. For conventional connection (above left), the terminal links should remain in place (as delivered) and just one pair of terminals connected to the amplifier. For bi-wire connection (above right), the terminal links should be removed and each pair of terminals connected to the amplifier independently. Bi-wiring can improve the resolution of low-level detail.

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

Ask your dealer for advice when selecting speaker cable. Keep its total impedance below the maximum recommended in the speaker specification and use a low inductance cable to avoid attenuation of high frequencies.

1. Fine Tuning
   

Before fine tuning, make sure that all the connections in the installation are correct and secure.

Moving the speakers further from the walls will generally reduce the volume of bass. Space behind the speakers will also help to create an aural impression of depth. Conversely, moving the speakers closer to the walls will increase the volume of bass. If you want to reduce the volume of bass without moving the speakers further from the wall, fit the foam plugs or, for less severe bass reduction, the foam rings in the port tubes (above).

If the bass seems uneven with frequency this will most probably be due to resonance modes in the listening room. Even small changes in the position of the speakers or the listening position can have a profound effect on how these resonances affect the sound. Try moving the listening position or locating the speakers along a different wall. The presence and position of large pieces of furniture can also influence resonance modes.

If the central image lacks focus, try moving the speakers closer together or angling them inward so that they point at a location just in front of the listening position.

If the sound is too bright, increasing the amount of soft furnishing in the room (heavier curtains for example) may help balance the sound. Conversely, reducing the amount of soft furnishing may help brighten a dull sound.

Ensure that the speaker stands firmly on the floor. Use carpet piercing spikes if appropriate and adjust them to take up any unevenness.

1. Running In 6. Aftercare

The performance of the speaker will change subtly during the initial listening period. If the speaker has been stored in a cold environment, the damping compounds and suspension materials of the drive units will take some time to recover their correct mechanical properties. The drive unit suspensions will also loosen up during the first hours of use. The time taken for the speaker to achieve its intended performance will vary depending on previous storage conditions and how it is used. As a guide, allow up to a week for the temperature effects to stabilise and 15 hours of average use for the mechanical parts to attain their intended design characteristics.

However, longer run-in periods (as long as a month) have been reported and there is evidence to suggest that this has little to do with the speaker changing and more to do with the listener getting used to the new sound. This is especially so with highly revealing speakers such as these, where there may be a significant increase in the amount of detail compared with what the listener has previously been used to; the sound may at first appear too “up front” and perhaps a little hard. After an extended period of time, the sound will seem to mellow, but without losing clarity and detail.

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 and test a small area first, as some cleaning products may damage some of the surfaces. Avoid products that are abrasive, or contain acid, alkali or antibacterial agents. 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. Do not use cleaning agents on the drive units and avoid touching them as damage may result.

1. Déballage

Technical line drawing of a mechanical assembly with mounting brackets and alignment guides (no text or symbols)

Kartoninhalt

Technical line drawing of a mechanical assembly with mounting brackets and alignment guides (no text or symbols)

Technical line drawing of a mechanical assembly with mounting brackets and alignment guides (no text or symbols)

Technical line drawing of a mechanical assembly with mounting brackets and alignment guides (no text or symbols)

Installazione

Posizionamento

Sistemi Home Theatre

Technical line drawing of a mechanical assembly with mounting brackets and alignment guides (no text or symbols)

Luidspreker Installeren

Luidsprekeropstelling

Содержание упаковки

Technical line drawing of a mechanical assembly with mounting brackets and alignment guides (no text or symbols)

Установка колонок

包装箱内的物品

检查纸箱内的下列物品：

环保信息

本产品符合国际指令，包括但不限于：

Technical line drawing of a mechanical assembly with mounting brackets and alignment guides (no text or symbols)

扬声器的安装

扬声器的定位

梱包内容

Technical line drawing of a mechanical assembly with mounting brackets and a speaker (no text or symbols)

スピーカーの設置

EU DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY

We,

B&W Group Ltd.

whose registered office is situated at

Dale Road, Worthing, West Sussex, BN11 2BH, United Kingdom

declare under our sole responsibility that the products:

683 S2 and 684 S2

comply with the EU Electro-Magnetic Compatibility (EMC) Directive 89/336/EEC, in pursuance of which the following standards have been applied:

EN 61000-6-1 : 2007

EN 61000-6-3 : 2007

EN 55020 : 2007

EN 55013 : 2001

and comply with the EU General Product Safety 2001/95/EC, in pursuance of which the following standard has been applied:

EN 60065 : 2011

This declaration attests that the manufacturing process quality control and product documentation accord with the need to assure continued compliance.

The attention of the user is drawn to any special measures regarding the use of this equipment that may be detailed in the owner's manual.

Signed:

G Edwards

Executive Vice President, Operations

B&W Group Ltd.

Bowers & Wilkins

B&W Group Ltd

Dale Road

Worthing West Sussex

BN11 2BH England

T [phone]

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[e-mail]

www.bowers-wilkins.com

B&W Group (UK Sales)

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B&W Group North America

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B&W Group Asia Ltd

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