In this review, we will be comparing 603 S3 and R600, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Bowers Wilkins and Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of B&W 603 S3 and Polk R600 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | B&W 603 S3 | Polk R600 |
|---|
| Brand | Bowers Wilkins
United Kingdom · founded 1966 | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Decoupled Double Dome | 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator |
|---|
| Midrange | 6" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Paper | 2 x 6.5" Polypropylene Turbine Cone |
|---|
| Frequency response | 46-28k Hz | 43-38k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 87.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-200 watts | 25-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 27.50kg / 60.5lbs | 21.50kg / 47.3lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 38.8" x 7.5" x 14.5"
985.0 x 190.0 x 368.0mm | 41.9" x 11" x 15"
1063.8 x 280.7 x 381.6mm |
|---|
What size room are the B&W 603 S3 and Polk R600 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 |
Polk R600 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| 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.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that 603 S3 is a 3-way design whereas the R600 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 S3Polk R600
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 |
Polk R600 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
2 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 R600 features a 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Polypropylene Turbine Cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2700Hz.
Frequency Response
603 S3 has a frequency range of 46-28k Hz whereas R600 has a frequency range of 43-38k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 43Hz, the R600 can go slightly deeper then the 603 S3's min frequency of 46Hz.
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 R600 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 R600's is at 87.5 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the B&W 603 S3 a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk R600, 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.
Both handle the same maximum of 200 watts RMS, though 603 S3 is rated 30-200 watts and R600 25-200 watts.
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
603 S3 features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. R600 has a Post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
B&W 603 S3's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Polk R600's Post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
603 S3 has a rear firing port whereas R600 has a bottom firing ports. Polk R600's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to B&W 603 S3 with its rear-firing port.
Polk R600 Port
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 Polk R600'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 Polk R600 has external dimensions of 1063.8 x 280.7 x 381.6mm (41.9 x 11 x 15inch).
Polk R600 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 90.7mm wider, 78.8mm taller and 13.6mm deeper than B&W 603 S3.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of B&W 603 S3 and Polk R600 in scale.
Comparison image of B&W 603 S3 and Polk R600 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 Polk R600 is approximately 1071.2cm2 / 166.0inch2. The 603 S3 requires 35% less surface area than the R600 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The B&W 603 S3 weighs 27.50kg / 60.5lbs and the Polk R600 weighs 21.50kg / 47.3lbs. This makes the 603 S3 28% heavier than the R600.
Here is a comparison of how 603 S3 and R600's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
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 Polk R600?
Here are the items that come with the R600:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- 4 Outrigger feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Rubber feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet (pre-installed)
- Grille
- Hex-key
- Owner's Manual
- Online Registration
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Height |
985mm
vs
1063mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
699cm2
vs
1071cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Minimum Impedance |
4 ohms
vs
3 ohms
|
Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier |
 Low Frequency Response |
43 Hz
vs
46 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
38k Hz
vs
28k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Price per pair* |
1698USD
vs
2700USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Bowers & Wilkins 603 S3 |
Polk Audio Reserve R600 |
| Brand |
Bowers Wilkins |
Polk Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
30-200 watts |
25-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
87.5 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
46-28k Hz |
43-38k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Paper |
Polypropylene Turbine Cone |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Decoupled Double Dome |
Pinnacle Ring Radiator |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
2700Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
bottom |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
985.0mm (38.8") |
1063.8mm (41.9") |
| Width |
190.0mm (7.5") |
280.7mm (11.1") |
| Depth |
368.0mm (14.5") |
381.6mm (15") |
| Weight |
27.50kg (60.5lbs) |
21.50kg (47.3lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Vinyl |
MDF/Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Matte Black, Matte White, Oak, Red Cherry |
Black, Walnut, White |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | Polk R600 digs deeper - 43Hz against 46Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | A | B&W 603 S3 is more sensitive (90dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (200W vs 200W). |
| Size | depends | B&W 603 S3 is easier to place; Polk R600 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | B&W 603 S3: bi-amping. Polk R600 sits in a wider range (10 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | B | Polk R600 is cheaper - $1,698 against $2,700, about 37% less. |
A B&W 603 S3 B Polk R600
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and your own room settle it. In a large or open-plan room, Polk R600 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, B&W 603 S3 is the easier speaker to get right. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, B&W 603 S3 is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.