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B&W

Quality B&W Bookshelf Speakers DM601 S2

Name: Quality B&amp;W Bookshelf Speakers DM601 S2
Brand: B&amp;W
SKU: 9147
Price: 495.00 CAD
Availability: OutOfStock

$495.00

Out of stock

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Categories: Used/Vintage, Speakers, Bookshelf / Monitors

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Custom-built Radique Audio speaker cables with gold-plated banana plug, spade, and pin connector terminations

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Description

Attractive, great sounding bookshelf speakers from B&W.

DM 601 S2 measures just 356x204x244mm, or 14x8x9.6 inches (HxWxD), and weighs in at 6.1 kilos (13.4 lb). In my book, this is called a small speaker, though the weight is a little above the norm in this class. The sales literature describes it as a “2- way 4th-order vented system”, or a bass reflex ported speaker.

It uses two drivers, a 165mm (6.5 inch) mid/bass driver and a metal coated 25mm (1″) dome tweeter.

Crossover is at 4 kHz, efficiency is rated at 88dB/1W/1m, impedance is said to be 8 Ohms nominal (4.3 Ohms minimum – kudos to B&W for quoting the worst case!), and response is said to be 70Hz-20kHz +/- 3dB on axis.

Dispersion is also quoted, something I wish other speaker manufacturers would also pick up as a habit, at within 2dB at 40 degrees horizontal and 10 degrees vertical. Harmonic distortion is said to below 1% 88-20.000 Hz at 90dB SPL at 1m. Power handling is said to be 25-100W continuous of unclipped programme into 8 Ohms nominal – impressive for what is supposed to be a small speaker.

Its technical highlight is no doubt the woven Kevlar® bass/mid cone; it is very becomingly yellow in color, but thankfully uses rubber rather than foam surround, so it should last a very long time. The bullet-like CENTER of the cone is a phase plug, now almost mandatory on European speakers with any pretensions. And yes, the reflex port is on the front baffle, much more preferable than on the back.

The front baffle is somewhat uncommon insofar that it is uneven, preferring a slightly “rough” surface to a perfectly smooth one – this should bode well for decreasing front baffle refraction. A good move.

Speakers are equipped with dual pairs of 5-Way bindings, suitable for Banana Plugs and optional Bi-wiring.

Speakers are in very good condition and sound wonderful for this form factor. Asking $495; buy with confidence and benefit from Radique’s “Bumper to Bumper” warranty and Perpetual trade back policy.

Additional information

Weight	30 lbs
Dimensions	13.6 × 22 × 18 in

About brand

B&W at Radique

We service B&W, too. Bring us your own B&W speakers and subwoofers for repair, servicing or restoration (speakers up to 80 lbs each), with a 90-day warranty on the work. See our Audio Service page

Bowers & Wilkins began in Worthing, England, in 1966, founded by John Bowers. The name comes from the Worthing electrical shop he ran with Roy Wilkins. Its 800 Series monitors have been used at Abbey Road Studios since 1980, Abbey Road says. We carry B&W towers, bookshelf speakers, centre channels and stands. We've had more than 200 B&W listings so far. Every used B&W here is inspected, tested and serviced as required, then photographed in-house and covered by our Bumper-to-Bumper Warranty and Perpetual Trade-Back Program. Don't see the model you want? Tell us on First Dibs and we'll email you when one arrives.

The Bowers & Wilkins story, 1966 to today

John Bowers founded B&W in Worthing, England, in 1966, after hand-assembling speakers at the electrical shop he ran with Roy Wilkins. Its first speaker, the P1, used B&W's own cabinet and crossover with bought-in drivers, and the DM1 and DM3 "Domestic Monitors" followed in 1968.

Kevlar and the 801. B&W identified Kevlar as a cone material in 1974, and the DM6 of the mid-1970s used Kevlar cones. The original 801 monitor of 1979 to 1980 made its name in recording studios: Abbey Road says it was the first studio to use it, in 1980, and has used the 800 Series ever since.

Matrix and Nautilus. The Matrix cabinet bracing arrived in the mid-to-late 1980s. John Bowers started the project that became the Nautilus, the spiral-shell flagship, before he died in 1987, and it launched in 1993. The first 600 Series followed in 1995, and diamond-dome tweeters arrived in 2005.

New owners. EVA Automation bought B&W in 2016, Sound United in 2020 and Masimo in 2022, and in September 2025 HARMAN, a Samsung company, completed its purchase of Sound United. The 800 Series Diamond D5, unveiled in June 2026, is built in Worthing.

A Canadian connection. Classé Audio of Montreal was part of the B&W Group from 2001 until B&W closed its Montreal headquarters in 2017.

Which B&W is which?

DM (Domestic Monitor), 1968 onward: from the DM1 and DM3 to models such as the DM6 and DM7. The DM prefix carried into early 600 Series names.

600 Series (1995 to today): B&W's entry hi-fi line; the 2020 Anniversary Edition was its seventh generation. The 606 belongs here.

CDM (mid-1990s to about 2003): such as the CDM 1, with a metal-dome tweeter and a Kevlar cone.

700 Series (about 2003 to 2006): Nautilus technology at mainstream prices, such as the 703 and 705.

CM Series (2006 to 2017): such as the CM1 and the CM4 towers, replaced by the 700 Series S2 in 2017.

800 Series (from 1979 to 1980): from the original 801 through the Matrix, Nautilus 800, Diamond, D3, D4 and D5 generations.

Nautilus (1993): the spiral-shell flagship, still made in small numbers.

Buying used B&W: what to check

Tweeter domes. B&W used metal-dome tweeters in the CDM, 600 and CM lines, and owners report squashed domes. Inspect each dome closely.

Original tweeters. Some CDM-era tweeters are discontinued, and rebuilt or substitute tweeters change the sound. Ask whether the originals are fitted.

Woofer surrounds. Owners report rubber surrounds that have hardened with age. Press each surround gently: it should feel supple.

1970s DM models. Expect crossover capacitors in a 40-year-old DM to need replacing.

Where it was made. The 800 Series is built in Worthing; the 600 and 700 Series are made in China. Check the label before calling a B&W "made in England".

Everything we list is inspected, tested and serviced as required here, and comes with our warranty.