Trickle down economics may not be perfect, but trickle down technology is definitely a thing. Design a ground-breaking new cost-no-object piece of audio gear, then bring those design techniques and technologies into a more affordable line that more consumers can actually afford to buy. That's what British loudspeaker manufacturer Bowers & Wilkins has done with their newly updated 700 series speakers. The first generation 700 series speakers debuted in the early 2000s. The second generation S2 was introduced in 2017 and last week the third generation S3 models were unveiled to the world.
Using technology and designs developed for the uber-expensive 800 Series Diamond line speakers, the new third generation 700 series (S3) incorporates many aspects of the 800 series at a fraction of the price. The new 700 series starts with bookshelf speakers priced at $1,800 a pair (Model 707 S3), all the way up to the 702 S3 floorstanding tower speakers at $7,000/pair. Compare this to the 800 Diamond Series Model 801 D4 which sells for $35,000/pair and the revised 700 series speakers sound like a bargain.
The new 700 speaker lineup is comprised of eight models, plus a matching floor stand for the smaller speakers:
While I haven't heard these S3 versions yet, I did travel to Bowers & Wilkins's US headquarters for the 700 Series S2 launch and found those to be fine-sounding speakers indeed. If the 700 Series S3 line improves upon those, then they are sure to be quite special.
The third generation 700 series speakers are housed in slimmer cabinets than their predecessors and feature a curved front baffle. Drivers are housed in self-contained "pods" that form a direct visual and technical link to the 800 Series Diamond range. By isolating the drivers from the cabinet, resonance and diffraction is greatly minimized. As a result, the speakers are said to be better than ever at disappearing acoustically so you can listen to the music (or movies), not to the sound of the speaker cabinets.
Four models take this driver isolation a step further with Bowers & Wilkins iconic "Tweeter-on-Top" design. This houses the tweeter in its own sleek module on top of the cabinet. The tweeter-on-top module itself has been comprehensively reengineered for the S3 speakers. It's still machined from a single solid block of aluminum, but that block has been lengthened to reduce distortion. Its attachment to the main cabinet includes improved two-point decoupling to better isolate the tweeter assembly from the main loudspeaker cabinet. This is said to ensure a more free and open soundstage.
An all-new Mocha finish is available globally, in addition to the gloss black and satin white finishes of the previous generation. The Rosenut finish is also still being offered, but now exclusively for the Asian and Pacific markets. For the mocha and black versions, the tweeter-on-top module is anodized in a black finish. For the white version, the tweeter module comes in a silver finish.
Sounding like something out of "Terminator 2," the three-way models in the new 700 series all feature Bowers & Wilkins "Biomimetic Suspension." Introduced last year in the flagship 800 Series Diamond speakers, the biomimetic suspension uses a flexible polymer basket on the midrange driver instead of a traditional spider assembly. The new design is said to improve driver linearity and reduce distortion.
The upgraded 700 series uses improved versions of the company's Continuum cone material on midrange drivers along with carbon fiber tweeters. Models with mid/bass drive units (the 707 S3, 706 S3, 705 S3 and HTM72 S3) have been upgraded too, with new motor systems and improved chassis for cleaner output. Bass drivers use the latest generation of Bowers & Wilkins Aerofoil Profile bass cone technology. This is based on a composite sandwich of materials with a variable profile aimed at delivering cleaner, lower distortion bass.
The new 700 Series range even includes upgraded speaker terminals, inspired by the 800 Series Diamond line. These feature more substantial contact connections and are better laid out for use with spade-terminated speaker cable. These terminals feed carefully upgraded crossovers that continue to use Mundorf capacitors as before, enhanced with multiple bypass capacitors and improved heatsinking for even cleaner performance.
Low frequency response is enhanced in all 700 series models thanks to larger diameter Flowports for greater air flow. The top of the line 702 S3 speaker borrows a trick from its 800 Series Diamond brothers reorienting the Flowport to be downward-firing. This mazimizes bass output while also making speaker placement slightly less critical.
Commenting on the new 700 series, Andy Kerr, Director of Product Marketing and Communications for Bowers & Wilkins said, "We're hugely proud of our new range. By introducing some of the reference-quality technologies of our 800 Series Diamond range into the latest generation of 700 Series, we've made studio-quality sound more accessible than ever."
The new 700 series S3 speakers are available to order now from authorized Bowers and Wilkins dealers and will begin shipping soon. More information is available at BowersWilkins.com
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