In this review, we will be comparing 703 S2 and 603 S2 AE, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Bowers Wilkins.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of B&W 703 S2 and B&W 603 S2 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | B&W 703 S2 | B&W 603 S2 |
|---|
| Brand | Bowers Wilkins
United Kingdom · founded 1966 | Bowers Wilkins
United Kingdom · founded 1966 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | 6" | 6" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Aerofoil | 2 x 6.5" Paper |
|---|
| Frequency response | 46-28k Hz | 48-28k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 88.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-200 watts | 30-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 25.00kg / 55lbs | 24.10kg / 53lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 40.4" x 7-7/8" x 12.6"
1025 x 200 x 321 mm | 41-1/2" x 7-1/2" x 14-5/8"
1055.0 x 190.0 x 372.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the B&W 703 S2 and B&W 603 S2 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 703 S2 |
B&W 603 S2 |
| 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
Both 703 S2 and 603 S2 AE are 3-way speakers.
B&W 703 S2B&W 603 S2
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 703 S2 |
B&W 603 S2 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6-inch |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
703 S2 features a 1" Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Aerofoil Woofer. On the other hand, the 603 S2 AE features a 1" Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Paper Woofer.
Frequency Response
703 S2 has a frequency range of 46-28k Hz whereas 603 S2 AE has a frequency range of 48-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 46Hz, the 703 S2 can go slightly deeper then the 603 S2 AE'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
703 S2 and 603 S2 AE have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. 703 S2 sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the 603 S2 AE's is at 88.5 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.
703 S2 and 603 S2 AE have the same power range of 30-200 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
Both 703 S2 and 603 S2 AE features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
B&W 703 S2's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
B&W 603 S2's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both 703 S2 and 603 S2 AE 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 703 S2's and B&W 603 S2's external dimensions. B&W 703 S2 has external dimensions of 1025 x 200 x 321 mm (40.4 x 7-7/8 x 12.6 inch) whereas B&W 603 S2 has external dimensions of 1055.0 x 190.0 x 372.0mm (41-1/2 x 12-5/8 x 14-5/8inch).
B&W 703 S2 is 30mm shorter and 51mm less deeper than B&W 603 S2 but it is also 10mm wider.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of B&W 703 S2 and B&W 603 S2 in scale.
Comparison image of B&W 703 S2 and B&W 603 S2 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 703 S2 is approximately 642.0cm2 / 99.5inch2 and base area of the B&W 603 S2 is approximately 706.8cm2 / 109.6inch2. The 703 S2 requires 9% less surface area than the 603 S2 AE 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 703 S2 weighs 25.00kg / 55lbs and the B&W 603 S2 weighs 24.10kg / 53lbs. This makes the 703 S2 4% heavier than the 603 S2 AE.
Here is a comparison of how 703 S2 and 603 S2 AE'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 703 S2?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of 703 S2:
- 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 B&W 603 S2?
Here are the items that come with the 603 S2 AE:
- 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
 Minimum Impedance |
3.1 ohms
vs
3 ohms
|
Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier |
 Low Frequency Response |
46 Hz
vs
48 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
1025mm
vs
1055mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
642cm2
vs
706cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
2300USD
vs
5000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Bowers & Wilkins 703 S2 |
Bowers & Wilkins 603 S2 Anniversary Edition |
| Brand |
Bowers Wilkins |
Bowers Wilkins |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
30-200 watts |
30-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
89 dB |
88.5 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.1 ohms |
3 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
46-28k Hz |
48-28k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aerofoil |
Paper |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6" |
6" |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1025.0mm (40.4") |
1055.0mm (41.5") |
| Width |
200.0mm (7.9") |
190.0mm (7.5") |
| Depth |
321.0mm (12.6") |
372.0mm (14.6") |
| Weight |
25.00kg (55lbs) |
24.10kg (53lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Lacquer |
MDF/Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Rosewood, Gloss Black, Satin White |
Matte Black, Matte White, Oak, Red 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 |
These sit in different price classes - B&W 703 S2 costs roughly 2.2x what B&W 603 S2 does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | evenly matched | Much the same reach (46Hz vs 48Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (89dB vs 89dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (200W vs 200W). |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | depends | B&W 703 S2: bi-amping; B&W 603 S2: bi-amping. B&W 703 S2 sits in a wider range (8 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | B | B&W 603 S2 is cheaper - $2,300 against $5,000, about 54% less; arguably a different class. |
A B&W 703 S2 B B&W 603 S2
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. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $2,700 saved by taking the cheaper pair would buy a subwoofer or a better amplifier, and either usually does more for the sound than the difference between these two.
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.