Полочная акустика — B&W (Bowers & Wilkins) 607 S3

The 607 S3 is the smaller bookshelf speaker of the third-generation 600 Series from Bowers & Wilkins, the British maker based in Worthing, built as a passive 2-way vented-box design intended for shelves, desks and stands where space is limited. The US price was USD 1,000 per pair. Cabinets are finished in Black, White or Oak, with a black grille for the black version and grey for the lighter ones.

Key specs that matter

A 25 mm Titanium Dome tweeter works with a 130 mm Continuum cone bass/midrange driver. The rated response is 52 Hz to 28 kHz within 3 dB of the reference axis, and the -6 dB frequency range extends from 40 Hz to 33 kHz. Sensitivity is 84 dB on axis at 2.83 V and 1 m. Nominal impedance is 8 ohm and the minimum is 3.0 ohm. At 90 dB and 1 m on axis, harmonic distortion stays below 1 percent from 100 Hz to 22 kHz and below 0.5 percent from 500 Hz to 10 kHz. The cabinet measures 300 mm high, 165 mm wide and 207 mm deep, which grows to 235 mm with grille and terminals, and it weighs 4.65 kg.

Engineering and use context

Its Decoupled Double Dome tweeter now comes with a titanium dome for the S3 generation, a first in the 600 Series. The bass/midrange driver uses the Continuum cone, a composite diaphragm that Bowers & Wilkins designs to avoid abrupt transitions in behaviour through its working range. Low frequency loading comes from a Flowport, the dimpled reflex port found across the range. Because its cone is smaller than the unit in the 606 S3, the 607 S3 trades some sensitivity and cabinet volume for a footprint that is 24 mm narrower and 93 mm shallower than its larger sibling. Its low-distortion window is also narrower than that of the 606 S3, and its impedance minimum is lower. Both speakers use the same cabinet finishes and grille colours.

Pairing

Bowers & Wilkins suggests 30 W to 100 W for unclipped programme. Its modest sensitivity and low impedance dip point toward an amplifier able to maintain its rated output into low impedance rather than a very small low-power design. The maker also sets a maximum recommended cable impedance of 0.1 ohm, so thin speaker wire over long runs should be avoided.

Alternatives

The Bowers & Wilkins 606 S3 is the bigger 2-way bookshelf model of the S3 range, using a larger Continuum cone with higher sensitivity in a heavier cabinet.