John Pickford auditions the largest floorstander in the British speaker specialist's new mid-price range…
Bowers & Wilkins
702 S3 Floor Standing Loudspeakers
£5,500 RRP
What's the difference between a studio monitor and a domestic hi-fi loudspeaker? As a studio engineer, it's a question I've been asked several times over the years. There are various answers, none of which I'm going to bore you with here, except to say that while the beautifully finished 702 S3 is aimed squarely at aficionados of hi-fidelity sound at home, B&Ws top-of-the-range models are the monitors of choice at Abbey Road Studios, arguably the most famous recording facility in the world. And as the new 700 series now incorporates technology cascaded from the flagship 800 Series Diamond range, the 702 S3 really is, as the company says, “inspired by recording studios and made for living rooms…”
IN DEPTH
The 702 S3 is the largest model in the new 700 Series and boasts the most trickle-down tech from the 800 Diamond Series. Retailing at £5,500, it is the most expensive 700 S3 product and certainly looks impressive with its array of three 165mm bass drivers, a dedicated 150mm midrange unit and 25mm decoupled 'Tweeter-on-Top' high-frequency unit.
The latter is a thing of beauty in itself, the housing milled from a single solid block of aluminium with a sleeker design incorporating a longer tube-loading system. The decoupling is said to improve the S2 design to better resist resonance, while the new carbon dome has a break-up threshold of 47kHz, far higher than the previous aluminium dome, taking its performance closer to the diamond-equipped tweeter found in the 800 Series.
The dedicated, decoupled midrange driver is the same unit used in the flagship series, utilising proprietary B&W technology such as the Continuum cone and so-called Biomimetic suspension, the latter only introduced on the 800 Series Diamond just eighteen months ago. For the trio of bass drivers, a 'value engineered' paper-skinned version of the more costly carbon-skinned Aerofoil bass cone has been designed; its variable thickness is to provide the stiffness and rigidity required for deep and dynamic bass, the company says.
This 3-way vented design sports a downward firing port that fires into a dedicated plinth which aids the 702 S3's bass response. The plinth connects to the cabinet via 30mm metal legs, while sturdy stainless steel spikes are used to isolate the speaker from floor-bound vibrations. The plinth raises the height of the speaker to 1,138mm, which brings the tweeter well above ear level in most seated situations. You may feel initially (as I did) that a booster seat is required; however, once you stop listening with your eyes, the whole system integrates impeccably once optimally positioned.
Aesthetically, the S3 has a slimmer, more elegant profile than the S2, constructed with a narrower cabinet and curved baffle to soften the edges and lose the rather boxy look of the old model. The midrange and bass drivers now protrude from the front baffle, which also contributes to the more attractive appearance of the speaker as well as improving overall performance. Our review sample came in Gloss Black, while Satin White and Mocha finishes are also available.
Other improvements to the 702 S3 include upgraded motor chassis and crossovers, along with a refined terminal tray. There are four chunky terminals on the rear baffle of each loudspeaker to enable bi-wiring or bi-amping, and for those who use a single length of cable, metal jumpers are provided. For an in-depth look at how the new 700 Series 3 benefits from technology trickled down from B&W's flagship 800 D4 range, check out our Feature here.
The 702 S3's full frequency range is quoted as 28Hz to 33kHz, while B&W's measured +/- 3dB response is 46Hz to 28kHz. Stated nominal impedance is 8 ohms, and sensitivity is 90dB; recommended amplifier power is 30W to 300W. Like many speakers with studio monitor-like attributes, a pair of these should be toed-in to the listening position rather than fire straight down into the room; they perform best in free space, well clear of rear and side walls.
My review pair arrived just as I was coming to the end of my time with the excellent 50W Audio Research I/50 valve integrated amplifier, so I spent a few hours listening, having become accustomed to the sound of I/50 powering my regular Tannoy Berkeleys. I soon discovered that using solid-state amps with a higher power rating was a more synergistic match. Even my Naim NAIT XS3 transistor integrated provided a more controlled sound, which leads me to believe that despite the 702 S3's amp-friendly specs, it hasn't been designed as a dreamboat for valves. Indeed, I can imagine enthusiasts finessing the performance of this speaker with solid-state amps the size of a small bungalow!
THE LISTENING
Aside from the sheer scale and majesty of the sound that this speaker produces, the first thing to grab my attention was the bass performance. I'll nail my colours to the mast and say that the 702 S3 delivers the cleanest, most articulate bass I've heard from any floorstanding loudspeaker in my listening room to date. I'm convinced this is due to the downward firing port and plinth arrangement, which assists the three woofers without adding any flub, overhang or chuffing associated with more conventionally ported designs. It's a quality I associate with sealed-box (infinite baffle) designs and electrostatics that have no box at all.
Where it bests these designs, though, is in its absolute authority, ensuring a firm low-frequency foundation from which the rest of the sound spectrum can develop. Bob Dylan's Most Of The Time is a dense, swampy production that can sound both overblown and indistinct in the lower registers through looser-sounding speakers. Yet, the 702 S3 maintained control with a firm grasp, allowing the texture and depth of the bass notes to be heard without waffle. Dylan's vocals were beautifully projected without sounding forced or forward, emphasising his phrasing and the resigned emotion of his delivery.
As there is no dialled-in mid-bass boost, like you often get with smaller speakers, the bottom end integrates seamlessly with the midrange ensuring a smooth, lump-free presentation. On the downside, bass-shy recordings – most nineteen-sixties pop, for example – are not fleshed-out in any way, so in true monitor style, you do hear the recording without artificial sweetening.
That said, a play-through of the 2022 remix of The Beatles' Revolver was a joy, allowing this groundbreaking album to be heard in high-quality stereo for the first time since its release in 1966 – which incidentally is the year Bowers & Wilkins entered the loudspeaker market. While there's little in the way of deep bass going on, the dexterity of Paul McCartney's bass work was replayed with a fluidity that has yet to be bettered in my room, and I heard new-found clarity and musical separation in the group's superb vocal harmonies. Meanwhile, Ringo Starr's brilliant drumming played to this loudspeaker's many strengths.
Clarity is a word that cropped up in my listening notes consistently. The superb midrange driver from the flagship 800 Diamond series interacts brilliantly with the all-new carbon dome tweeter to offer super clean and clear reproduction. It's not just that the 702 S3 is faithfully transparent to the recording; it unveils the filigree detail often masked through less capable systems, peeling back layers to reveal subtleties even in familiar recordings.
In terms of timbre, the 702 S3 is extremely accurate and honest. Far East Suit by Duke Ellington and His Orchestra was an enthralling listen, the full-range presentation of the speaker enthusiastically expressing all the life and vitality of the performance with no bleaching of tonal colours. This recording highlighted the rock-solid soundstaging with excellent image stability, albeit not quite the pin-point precision of a point source.
There's uncanny realism to the acoustic space created, as I discovered when listening to Neil Young's Carnegie Hall 1970 live performance. No, it wasn't like he was in the room with me; however, with eyes closed, I could easily imagine myself halfway back, centrally seated in the auditorium - it was a completely convincing experience.
Character wise, the 702 S3 is difficult to pigeonhole. It's neither warm nor bright tonally, and while I wouldn't describe it as 'fast-sounding', it conveys rhythms truthfully with no exaggerated excitement. It certainly isn't sluggish and is remarkably time- and phase-coherent for a loudspeaker with multiple drive units along the front baffle. There's a slightly cool perspective to the midrange where vocals and prominent lead instruments reside, which makes music sound fresh and invigorating, like air conditioning for the ears.
THE VERDICT
The technological advancements of the latest S3 version of Bowers & Wilkins' well-respected 702 take this model into a new league, where it offers a good deal of the performance of the company's top-flight 800 Series Diamond at a much more affordable price. Its studio monitor-style presentation means you're not in for a cosy and cosseting musical ride, but it never strays into the 'brutally frank' school of over-analytical reproduction that sucks the joy out of listening. Instead, no matter what you play, it does the music proud.
