Famous British brand Bowers & Wilkins presents the third generation of its legendary B&W 700 Series. The new B&W 700 S3 floorstanding, bookshelf and center speakers borrow some of the brand’s best technologies. Nautilus tweeter with carbon dome, Continuum drivers and Flowport vent: the company has put huge effort into offering a high quality reproduction.
B&W 700 Series: a long legacy
The B&W 700 Series is one of the British manufacturer’s most iconic and longest-running lines. Launched in the early 2000s, the first generation of B&W 700 speakers quickly gained popularity by making technologies inherited from the very high-end B&W 800 Series Diamond models accessible. In 2017, B&W launched the second generation of the 700 series, with Continuum drivers instead of Kevlar for the first time. Three years later, select models in the B&W 700 S2 series gained new Continuum and Nautilus drivers, an optimized crossover system, and an even more luxurious cabinet finish with the B&W 700 Series Signature speakers. With the new B&W 700 S3 series, the British manufacturer has made further sonic and aesthetic improvements to its most popular range. It is now composed of the following speakers:
- three floor-standing speakers: B&W 702 S3 (€6,490), B&W 703 S3 (€4,990) and B&W 704 S3 (€3,490)
- three bookshelf speakers: B&W 705 S3 (€2,990), B&W 706 S3 (€1,990) and B&W 707 S3 (€1,490)
- two center speakers: B&W HTM71 S3 (€1,990) and B&W HTM72 S3 (€1,190)
B&W 700 Series: decoupled tweeter
The B&W 700 Series speakers all have a carbon dome tweeter. This material is used for its rigidity, giving the tweeter great stability and limiting distortion to a minimum. The dome is decoupled from the speaker chassis to limit interference and to maximize the transparency and depth of the soundstage. In addition, the B&W 702 S3, B&W 703 S3, B&W 705 S3 and B&W HTM71 S3 speakers mount the tweeter in a Nautilus enclosure. Exclusive to the brand, this technology consists of placing the tweeter in a progressively tapered tube filled with absorbent wadding, in order to gradually attenuate the energy of the rear wave. Any unwanted resonance is eliminated as a result.
B&W 700 Series: Continuum Speaker
All B&W 700 Series speakers also feature FST Continuum technology for the midrange or midbass drivers. This technology, borrowed from the 800 Series, uses braided composite materials to create a particularly rigid cone to maximize control. The cone is more responisive while reducing the distortion of the emitted signal. Continuum drivers are known for their open and transparent performance, especially in the midrange.
B&W 700 Series: Aerofoil Technology
The Aerofoil cone in the woofers of the B&W 702 S3, B&W 703 S3, B&W 704 S3, B&W 705 S3 and B&W HTM71 S3 is another innovation from the prestigious B&W 800 series. This technology uses a composite cone of variable thickness to optimize the rigidity at specific areas of the driver while keeping a low mass with the help of its carbon fiber structure. On the B&W 702 S3, the port is located under the speaker, while it is located at the back of the other models in the range. Thanks to this design, the B&W 700 Series speakers deliver even more accurate bass.
B&W 700 Series: FlowPort
The bass-reflex port on Bowers & Wilkins 700 Series S3 speakers is powered by FlowPort technology. In order to avoid any stagnation of the sound wave in the port, it is covered with golf ball-like dimples and has a flared aperture. This ensures that the air flows quietly, even at high volume. Depending on the model, the port is placed on the back or under the speaker, between the cabinet and the decoupled base.
B&W 700 Series: refined design
For this third generation, the British manufacturer makes some subtle changes to the design of the speakers. The grille is more elegant with a rounded edge and now covers the entire baffle. Once removed, the drivers are elegantly highlighted with a new silver ring. The floorstanding speakers are now mounted on a stand that provides better decoupling from the cabinet to limit unwanted vibration. In addition, the rear panel of each speaker has a metal plate with the name of the speaker and the range. There is also a double set of terminals. This means that all speakers in the B&W 700 Series S3 are compatible with bi-wiring and bi-amping, including the B&W HTM71 S3 and B&W HTM72 S3 center speakers.
With the third generation of the B&W 700 Series, the British manufacturer has perfected and refined its most popular models to offer ever more accomplished speakers, both for hi-fi and home theater. They are an excellent midrange solution, situated between the entry-level B&W 600 Series and the high-end B&W 800 Series Diamond models.
