British speaker brand Bowers & Wilkins has unveiled the 700 S3 Signature range, featuring improvements to the sound and refining the aesthetics of its 700 Series.
The previous 700 series went on sale in 2022 but the new 700 S3 Signature doesn’t do away with the entirety of series, in fact the 700 Series will continue on as Bowers has only turned its eye to upgrading a couple of the previous models.
Those speakers are the 702 S3 Signature, 705 S3 Signature and HTM71 S3 Signature, a floorstanding, standmount and centre speaker respectively.
Starting with the biggest model in the series, the 702 S3 Signature features a Carbon Dome tweeter in a decoupled Tweeter-on-Top configuration, which has been enhanced with the addition of a new protective tweeter grille mesh that comes from the 800 Series Signature line. Its decoupled Continuum Cone FST midrange drive unit is said to reduce “unwanted colouration” emanating from behind the drive unit to ensure clean, efforless midrange performance with an open and spacious sound.
Further upgrades have been made to the crossover, aimed at increasing transparency, and there are new and upgraded Mundorf capacitors, improved inductors and revised bypass capacitors. The speaker terminal posts have been upgraded with high-quality brass cores to ensure a “cleaner flow of signal into the speaker.”
The 705 S3 Signature is the standmount model, and would suit those after a more compact and room-friendly form factor. Like the larger 702 S3 Signature, the standmount boasts the new tweeter grille mesh, upgraded crossover, new capacitors, resistors and rearranged bypass capacitors. It also receives the improved speaker terminals, and gets an a new drive-unite suspension for its 165mm driver unit to output a cleaner midrange and more extended bass.
And for the first time there’s a centre-channel speaker that bears the Signature mark in the HTM71 S3 Signature. Featuring a three-way design, it has the same Tweeter-on-Top assembly as the other speakers in the new Signature range to ensure the “best possible integration with the performance of its siblings”.
It also packes a 130mm Continnum Cone FST midrange drive unit, and twin 130mm Aerofoil Profile bass cones. Upgrades have been made to its crossover components and its input terminals.
The 700 S3 Signature models will only be available in two exclusive finishes: Midnight Blue Metallic, Datuk Gloss wood veneer, with a gold trims encircling the speaker houses for a more unique look.
The 700 S3 Signature series is available from March 27th onwards.
702 S3 Signature
- Price: £7000 / $9000 / €8500 (per pair)
- 1x 25mm Decoupled Carbon Dome high-frequency
- 1x 150mm Continuum cone FST midrange
- 3x 165mm Aerofoil Profile bass
705 S3 Signature
- Price: £3400 / $4500 / €4000 (per pair)
- 1x 25mm Decoupled Carbon Dome high-frequency
- 1x 165mm Continuum cone bass midrange
HTM71 S3 Signature
- Price: £2200 / $3300 / €2500
- 1x 25mm Decoupled Carbon Dome high-frequency
- 1x 130mm Continuum cone FST midrange
- 2x 130mm Aerofoil Profile bass
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
