In this review, we will be comparing BW 603 and RTi A9, 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 and Polk RTi A9 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | B&W 603 | Polk RTi A9 |
|---|
| Brand | Bowers Wilkins
United Kingdom · founded 1966 | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | 6" | 2 x 5.25" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Paper | 3 x 7" Polymer composite |
|---|
| Frequency response | 48-28k Hz | 30-26k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88.5 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-200 watts | 50-500 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 24.14kg / 53.1lbs | 34.09kg / 75lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 38.7" x 7.4" x 13.3"
985.0 x 190.0 x 340.0mm | 48-1/16" x 10-11/16" x 21-1/2"
1221.0 x 272.0 x 547.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the B&W 603 and Polk RTi A9 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 |
Polk RTi A9 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Are you nuts? |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Good |
(* 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
Both BW 603 and RTi A9 are 3-way speakers.
B&W 603Polk RTi A9
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 |
Polk RTi A9 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6-inch |
2 x 5.25-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
3 x 7-inch
|
BW 603 features a 1" Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Paper Woofer. On the other hand, the RTi A9 features a 1" Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 3 x 7" Polymer composite Woofer.
Frequency Response
BW 603 has a frequency range of 48-28k Hz whereas RTi A9 has a frequency range of 30-26k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 30Hz, the RTi A9 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the BW 603's min frequency of 48Hz.
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
BW 603 and RTi A9 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. BW 603 sensitivity is rated at 88.5 dB and the RTi A9's is at 90 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Polk RTi A9 a more sensitive speaker compared to B&W 603, 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.
RTi A9 can handle a max power of 500 watts RMS, whereas BW 603 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 300 watts less than the RTi A9.
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 BW 603 and RTi A9 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
BW 603 has a rear firing port whereas RTi A9 has a front firing ports. Polk RTi A9's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to B&W 603 with its rear-firing 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's and Polk RTi A9's external dimensions. B&W 603 has external dimensions of 985.0 x 190.0 x 340.0mm (38.7 x 7.4 x 13.3inch) whereas Polk RTi A9 has external dimensions of 1221.0 x 272.0 x 547.0mm (48-1/16 x 10-11/16 x 21-1/2inch).
Polk RTi A9 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 82mm wider, 236mm taller and 207mm deeper than B&W 603.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of B&W 603 and Polk RTi A9 in scale.
Comparison image of B&W 603 and Polk RTi A9 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 is approximately 646.0cm2 / 100.1inch2 and base area of the Polk RTi A9 is approximately 1487.8cm2 / 230.6inch2. The BW 603 requires 57% less surface area than the RTi A9 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 weighs 24.14kg / 53.1lbs and the Polk RTi A9 weighs 34.09kg / 75lbs. This makes the RTi A9 41% heavier than the BW 603.
Here is a comparison of how BW 603 and RTi A9'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?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of BW 603:
- 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 RTi A9?
Here are the items that come with the RTi A9:
- Floor-standing speaker
- Detachable black cloth grille
- 4 Screw-on spike feet
- Owners Manual
- Online registration sheet
- Polk Audio product brochure
 High Frequency Response |
28k Hz
vs
26k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
985mm
vs
1221mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
646cm2
vs
1487cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Max Input Power |
500 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
7 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
30 Hz
vs
48 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Port Position |
Front
vs
Rear
|
Gives more flexibility placing close to walls |
| General |
Bowers & Wilkins 603 |
Polk Audio RTi A9 |
| Brand |
Bowers Wilkins |
Polk Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
30-200 watts |
50-500 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88.5 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
48-28k Hz |
30-26k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
7" |
| Woofer Composition |
Paper |
Polymer composite |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Butyl Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6" |
5.25" |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
985.0mm (38.8") |
1221.0mm (48.1") |
| Width |
190.0mm (7.5") |
272.0mm (10.7") |
| Depth |
340.0mm (13.4") |
547.0mm (21.5") |
| Weight |
24.14kg (53.1lbs) |
34.09kg (75lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Vinyl |
Real wood veneer |
| Available Colors |
Black, White, Oak |
Cherry |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
A generation apart: B&W 603 is the newer design, against a 2008 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | Polk RTi A9 digs deeper - 30Hz against 48Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (89dB vs 90dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | B | Polk RTi A9 takes more power (500W vs 200W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | B&W 603 is easier to place; Polk RTi A9 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | B&W 603: bi-amping; Polk RTi A9: bi-amping. |
A B&W 603 B Polk RTi A9
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?
Polk RTi A9 has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 48Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate B&W 603 the better fit for a mid-size room, and Polk RTi A9 for a very large room.
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.