Напольная акустика — B&W (Bowers & Wilkins) 703 S3

The 703 S3 belongs to the 700 Series from Bowers & Wilkins as a three-way vented-box floorstander whose tweeter rides in its own enclosure above the main box. Bowers & Wilkins lists it at USD 6,700 per pair for buyers in the US.

Key specs that matter

The 703 S3 uses four drivers. A 25 mm Decoupled Carbon Dome tweeter covers the top, a 150 mm Continuum cone FST midrange handles the middle band, and two 165 mm Aerofoil Profile bass units cover the low end. Its stated frequency range is 30 Hz to 33 kHz and a response of 46 Hz to 28 kHz within +/-3 dB of the reference axis. Sensitivity is 90 dB on axis at 2.83 Vrms and 1 m. Nominal impedance is 8 ohm with a minimum of 3.1 ohm, and amplifiers are advised at 30 W to 200 W into 8 ohm on unclipped programme. With 90 dB at 1 m, the second and third harmonics stay under 1 percent from 90 Hz to 22 kHz and under 0.5 percent from 120 Hz to 20 kHz. Net weight per speaker is 28.8 kg.

Engineering and use context

The cabinet alone is 1010 mm tall, 192 mm wide and 316 mm deep. With the tweeter and plinth fitted the height grows to 1117 mm and the width to 290 mm, while depth reaches 353 mm with grille and terminals and 372 mm at the plinth. The aluminium Solid Body Tweeter-on-Top shell is milled from one solid aluminium block, and it adds a longer tube-loading system. According to Bowers & Wilkins, the carbon dome pushes its breakup point to 47 kHz. The midrange is decoupled from the cabinet and relies on Biomimetic Suspension rather than a conventional fabric spider, and its Continuum cone is meant to avoid the sudden shifts in behaviour typical of a conventional driver. The Aerofoil Profile bass cones were shaped with computer modelling and vary in thickness, adding stiffness where the cone needs it most. The reflex port is a Flowport design. Finish options are Mocha, Satin White and Gloss Black, with Rosenut offered only in the Asia Pacific region. Grilles come in black, and a grey grille is offered only with the Satin White version.

Pairing

Because the impedance curve dips far under its nominal value, the amplifier chosen should remain stable into that dip while its output falls inside the suggested range. Bowers & Wilkins sets 0.1 ohm as the highest speaker cable impedance it recommends for this model.

Alternatives

The Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 is the larger three-way floorstander of the same 700 Series range, fitted with three bass units.