In this review, we will be comparing A2s Surround Sound and 606 S3, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from Perlisten and Bowers Wilkins.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Perlisten A2s Surround Sound and B&W 606 S3 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Perlisten A2s Surround Sound | B&W 606 S3 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | — | 1" Decoupled Double Dome Titanium |
|---|
| Woofer | — | 6.5" Continuum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 59-30k Hz | 52-28k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 86.8 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50 – 200W watts | 30-120 watts |
|---|
| Weight | — | 7.05kg / 15.5lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 17.72" x 11.02" x 8.7"
450.1 x 279.9 x 221.0mm | 13.6" x 7.4" x 12.9"
344.0 x 189.0 x 328.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Perlisten A2s Surround Sound and B&W 606 S3 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* |
Perlisten A2s Surround Sound |
B&W 606 S3 |
| Near-field |
Good |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Good |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
No way |
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.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that A2s Surround Sound is a 3-way design whereas the 606 S3 is a 2-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
| Driver |
Perlisten A2s Surround Sound |
B&W 606 S3 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
x -inch
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
A2s Surround Sound features a " Tweeter and x " Woofer. On the other hand, the 606 S3 features a 1" Titanium Decoupled Double Dome Titanium Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Continuum Woofer.
Frequency Response
A2s Surround Sound has a frequency range of 59-30k Hz whereas 606 S3 has a frequency range of 52-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 52Hz, the 606 S3 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the A2s Surround Sound's min frequency of 59Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
A2s Surround Sound is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the 606 S3 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. A2s Surround Sound sensitivity is rated at 86.8 dB and the 606 S3's is rated at 88 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the B&W 606 S3 a more sensitive speaker compared to Perlisten A2s Surround Sound, 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. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
606 S3 can handle a max power of 120 watts RMS, whereas A2s Surround Sound has a max power handling value of watts RMS, 120 watts less than the 606 S3.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier — change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Perlisten A2s Surround Sound
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
606 S3 features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. A2s Surround Sound has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
B&W 606 S3's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Perlisten A2s Surround Sound's and B&W 606 S3's external dimensions. Perlisten A2s Surround Sound has external dimensions of 450.1 x 279.9 x 221.0mm (17.72 x 11.02 x 8.7inch) whereas B&W 606 S3 has external dimensions of 344.0 x 189.0 x 328.0mm (13.6 x 7.4 x 12.9inch).
B&W 606 S3 is 90.9mm narrower and 106.1mm shorter than Perlisten A2s Surround Sound but it is also 107mm deeper.
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 Perlisten A2s Surround Sound is approximately 618.6cm2 / 95.9inch2 and base area of the B&W 606 S3 is approximately 619.9cm2 / 96.1inch2. The A2s Surround Sound requires 0% less surface area than the 606 S3 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of B&W 606 S3?
Here are the items that come with the 606 S3:
- 2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles
- 2 Two-piece foam port plugs
- 8 Self-adhesive rubber feet
- 4 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)
- Manual
- Bowers & Wilkins brochure
- Warranty Information