In this review, we will be comparing 702 S3 and R11, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Bowers Wilkins and KEF.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of B&W 702 S3 and KEF R11 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | B&W 702 S3 | KEF R11 |
|---|
| Brand | Bowers Wilkins
United Kingdom · founded 1966 | KEF
United Kingdom · founded 1961 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Uni-Q driver | — | 12th Generation Uni-Q |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" | 1" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 6" | 5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 3 x 6.5" Aerofoil | 4 x 6.5" Hybrid Aluminum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 46-28k Hz | 46-28k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-300 watts | 15-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 33.46kg / 73.6lbs | 37.70kg / 82.9lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 44.8" x 7.6" x 15.4"
1138.0 x 192.0 x 391.0mm | 51-3/16" x 12-1/4" x 15-5/16"
1301.0 x 312.0 x 389.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the B&W 702 S3 and KEF R11 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 702 S3 |
KEF R11 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
Average |
(* 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 702 S3 and R11 are 3-way speakers.
B&W 702 S3KEF R11
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 702 S3 |
KEF R11 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6-inch |
1 x 5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
4 x 6.5-inch
|
702 S3 features a 1" Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 3 x 6.5" Aerofoil Woofer. On the other hand, the R11 features a 1" aluminum Dome Tweeter, a 5" Midrange and 4 x 6.5" Hybrid Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 400Hz and 2900Hz.
Frequency Response
702 S3 and R11 has exactly the same frequency range of 46-28k Hz.
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
702 S3 and R11 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 88 dB.
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 300 watts RMS, though 702 S3 is rated 30-300 watts and R11 15-300 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
Both 702 S3 and R11 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
B&W 702 S3's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
KEF R11's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both 702 S3 and R11 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 702 S3's and KEF R11's external dimensions. B&W 702 S3 has external dimensions of 1138.0 x 192.0 x 391.0mm (44.8-inch x 7.6-inch x 15.4-inch) whereas KEF R11 has external dimensions of 1301.0 x 312.0 x 389.0mm (51-3/16 x 12-1/4 x 15-5/16inch).
B&W 702 S3 is 120mm narrower and 163mm shorter than KEF R11 but it is also 2mm deeper.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of B&W 702 S3 and KEF R11 in scale.
Comparison image of B&W 702 S3 and KEF R11 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 702 S3 is approximately 750.7cm2 / 116.4inch2 and base area of the KEF R11 is approximately 1213.7cm2 / 188.1inch2. The 702 S3 requires 38% less surface area than the R11 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 702 S3 weighs 33.46kg / 73.6lbs and the KEF R11 weighs 37.70kg / 82.9lbs. This makes the R11 13% heavier than the 702 S3.
Here is a comparison of how 702 S3 and R11'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 702 S3?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of 702 S3:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- Plinth (base)
- 2 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)
- Two-piece foam port plug
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Lock-nuts
- 4 Screws
- 4 Washers
- 4 Lock washers
- Hex-key
- Manual
- Bowers & Wilkins brochure
- Warranty Information
What's in the Box of KEF R11?
Here are the items that come with the R11:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 2 Foam port plugs
- 4 Outrigger feet
- 4 Spikes
- 4 Protective discs
- 4 Screws
- 4 Washers
- Wrench
- Hex-key
- User Manual
- Warranty Information
 Height |
1138mm
vs
1301mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
750cm2
vs
1213cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Minimum Impedance |
3.2 ohms
vs
3.1 ohms
|
Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier |
 Number of Woofers |
4
vs
3
|
More woofers |
 Price per pair* |
6000USD
vs
6998USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 |
KEF R11 |
| Brand |
Bowers Wilkins |
KEF |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
30-300 watts |
15-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.1 ohms |
3.2 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
46-28k Hz |
46-28k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
3 |
4 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aerofoil |
Hybrid Aluminum |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
n/a |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6" |
5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
400Hz and 2900Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1138.0mm (44.8") |
1301.0mm (51.2") |
| Width |
192.0mm (7.6") |
312.0mm (12.3") |
| Depth |
391.0mm (15.4") |
389.0mm (15.3") |
| Weight |
33.46kg (73.6lbs) |
37.70kg (82.9lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Lacquer |
MDF/Lacquer |
| Available Colors |
Gloss Black,Satin White,Mocha,Rosenut |
Black Gloss, White Gloss, Walnut |
| 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 702 S3 is the newer design, against a 2018 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | evenly matched | Much the same reach (46Hz vs 46Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | B | KEF R11 is more sensitive (90dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (300W vs 300W). |
| Size | depends | B&W 702 S3 is easier to place; KEF R11 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | B&W 702 S3: bi-amping; KEF R11: bi-amping. B&W 702 S3 sits in a wider range (8 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | B | KEF R11 is cheaper - $6,000 against $6,998, about 14% less. |
A B&W 702 S3 B KEF R11
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?
KEF R11 has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. In a large or open-plan room, KEF R11 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, B&W 702 S3 is the easier speaker to get right. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, KEF R11 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.