Bookshelf Speakers

B&W 302 or the new 303. $250 brand new list price; some dealers may discount 10%. $150 to $175 used for the 302. Not much else comes close for so little money.

How does the B&W 303 compare to the Mission 700. I am just now starting to get into high end home audio. I have been into high end car audio for years, but never had the $$$ for the same kind of sound in my livingroom.

I am going to start off with an old Carver Receiver, for the moment, and I am just looking for accurate sounding bookshelf speakers. I am interested in frequency response, and I would like the bookshelf speakers to at least produce some bass.

So, so far it has been suggest to me the B&W 300 series. How does the Mission stack up?

Thanks,

Lundo

I have not compared the two myself. I have 2 pairs of 302s I use for movies in a surround setup with the CC3 center. I have read the new 303 has slightly smoother treble with the new tweeter, which results in a slightly more refined sound. The older 302 throws up a slightly bigger and more complex soundstage.

Listener Magazine had a writeup on 5 or 6 small bookshelf speakers that you should read. I have never purchased any of their recomendations but their reviews are a lot more user friendly then the other audio rags and my impression is that they are straight shooters. In any case, this is a good starting point. A personal favorite of mine is Coincident Speaker Tech. Triumph or Triumph Sigs. If you can find a decent pair in the used market I can't see how you could go wrong.

If you have the chance, listen to the KEF Q15.2, it is worth your time to include this in your search. Best of luck.