In this review, we will be comparing Sandwich 150 and BW 606, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from Leak and Bowers Wilkins.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Leak Sandwich 150 and B&W 606 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Leak Sandwich 150 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1.2" Dome Tweeter
- 6.5" Aluminium-Foamcore Sandwich cone Woofer
- 44Hz-26kHz Frequency Response
- 86.5 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:25-150watts
- Weight:12.30kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 415.0" x 9.9" x 11.4"( 415 x 250 x 290 mm )
B&W 606 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter
- 6.5" Continuum Woofer
- 52-28k Hz Frequency Response
- 88 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:30-120watts
- Weight:6.90kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 345.0" x 7-1/2" x 12-13/16"( 345.0 x 190.0 x 324.0mm )
What size room are the Leak Sandwich 150 and B&W 606 speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
Leak Sandwich 150 |
B&W 606 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Average |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Poor |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Leak Sandwich 150 and B&W 606 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
Both Sandwich 150 and BW 606 are 2-way speakers.
| Driver |
Leak Sandwich 150 |
B&W 606 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.2-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
Sandwich 150 features a 1.2" Coated Textile Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Aluminium-Foamcore Sandwich cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2400Hz. On the other hand, the BW 606 features a 1" Decoupled Carbon Hard-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Continuum Woofer .
Frequency Response
Sandwich 150 has a frequency range of 44Hz-26kHz whereas BW 606 has a frequency range of 52-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 44Hz, the Sandwich 150 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the BW 606's min frequency of 52Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
High Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Sandwich 150 is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the BW 606 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Sandwich 150 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Sandwich 150 sensitivity is rated at 86.5 dB and the BW 606's is rated at 88 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the B&W 606 a more sensitive speaker compared to Leak Sandwich 150, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. While using
an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the
max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
Sandwich 150 can handle a max power of 150 watts RMS from the amp the whereas BW 606 has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 30 watts less than the Sandwich 150.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
BW 606 features Post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Sandwich 150 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Leak Sandwich 150's Binding post terminals
B&W 606's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Sandwich 150 and BW 606 have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.
If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.
Physical Specs
Size of a speaker can sometimes become an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Leak Sandwich 150's and B&W 606's external dimensions. Leak Sandwich 150 has external dimensions of 415 x 250 x 290 mm ( 16.3 x 9.9 x 11.4 inch) whereas B&W 606 has external dimensions of 345.0 x 190.0 x 324.0mm ( 13.5 x 7.4 x 12.7inch) .
B&W 606 is 60mm narrower and 70mm shorter than Leak Sandwich 150 but it is also 34mm deeper.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Leak Sandwich 150 and B&W 606 in scale.
Comparison image of Leak Sandwich 150 and B&W 606 Size and External Dimensions
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the Leak Sandwich 150 is approximately 725.0cm2 / 112.4inch2 and base area of the B&W 606 is approximately 615.6cm2 / 95.4inch2. The Sandwich 150 requires 18% more surface area than the BW 606 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
Here is an another comparison that shows both speakers on a BDI Octave Media Cabinet, next to a standard size amplifier and turntable in scale:
Size Comparison image of Leak Sandwich 150 and B&W 606 on a Media Console