In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Bowers Wilkins. Bowers & Wilkins 603 S3 is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the 606 S3 is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of B&W 603 S3 and B&W 606 S3 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | B&W 603 S3 | B&W 606 S3 |
|---|
| Brand | Bowers Wilkins
United Kingdom · founded 1966 | Bowers Wilkins
United Kingdom · founded 1966 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Decoupled Double Dome | 1" Decoupled Double Dome Titanium |
|---|
| Midrange | 6" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Paper | 6.5" Continuum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 46-28k Hz | 52-28k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-200 watts | 30-120 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 27.50kg / 60.5lbs | 7.05kg / 15.5lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 38.8" x 7.5" x 14.5"
985.0 x 190.0 x 368.0mm | 13.6" x 7.4" x 12.9"
344.0 x 189.0 x 328.0mm |
|---|
603 S3 and 606 S3 are members of Bowers Wilkins's 600 S3 series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
What size room are the B&W 603 S3 and B&W 606 S3 speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
B&W 603 S3 |
B&W 606 S3 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Poor |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that 603 S3 is a 3-way design whereas the 606 S3 is a 2-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
B&W 603 S3B&W 606 S3
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
B&W 603 S3 |
B&W 606 S3 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
603 S3 features a 1" Titanium Decoupled Double Dome Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Paper Woofer. On the other hand, the 606 S3 features a 1" Titanium Decoupled Double Dome Titanium Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Continuum Woofer.
Frequency Response
603 S3 has a frequency range of 46-28k Hz whereas 606 S3 has a frequency range of 52-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 46Hz, the 603 S3 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the 606 S3's min frequency of 52Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
603 S3 and 606 S3 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. 603 S3 sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the 606 S3's is at 88 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the B&W 603 S3 a more sensitive speaker compared to B&W 606 S3, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
603 S3 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas 606 S3 has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 80 watts less than the 603 S3.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both 603 S3 and 606 S3 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
B&W 603 S3's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
B&W 606 S3's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both 603 S3 and 606 S3 have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.
If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare B&W 603 S3's and B&W 606 S3's external dimensions. B&W 603 S3 has external dimensions of 985.0 x 190.0 x 368.0mm (38.8 x 7.5 x 14.5inch) whereas B&W 606 S3 has external dimensions of 344.0 x 189.0 x 328.0mm (13.6 x 7.4 x 12.9inch).
B&W 603 S3 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 1mm wider, 641mm taller and 40mm deeper than B&W 606 S3.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of B&W 603 S3 and B&W 606 S3 in scale.
Comparison image of B&W 603 S3 and B&W 606 S3 Size and External Dimensions
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the B&W 603 S3 is approximately 699.2cm2 / 108.4inch2 and base area of the B&W 606 S3 is approximately 619.9cm2 / 96.1inch2. The 603 S3 requires 13% more surface area than the 606 S3 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of B&W 603 S3?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of 603 S3:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- Plinith (base)
- 2 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Hex-nuts
- 4 Screws
- 4 Washers
- 4 Lock-washers
- Two-piece foam port plug
- Hex-key
- Manual
- Bowers & Wilkins brochure
- Warranty Information
What's in the Box of B&W 606 S3?
Here are the items that come with the 606 S3:
- 2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles
- 2 Two-piece foam port plugs
- 8 Self-adhesive rubber feet
- 4 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)
- Manual
- Bowers & Wilkins brochure
- Warranty Information