In this review, we will be comparing 703 S3 and S60, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Bowers Wilkins and Polk Audio. Let's have a brief look at the main features
of B&W 703 S3 and Polk S60 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
What size room are the B&W 703 S3 and Polk S60 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:
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the B&W 703 S3 and Polk S60 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that 703 S3 is a 3-way design whereas the S60 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.
Driver |
B&W 703 S3 |
Polk S60 |
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6-inch |
- |
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
703 S3 features a 1" Tweeter , a 6" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Aerofoil Woofer . On the other hand, the S60 features a 1" Terylene Dome Tweeter and 3 x 6.5" Mica-reinforced polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz.
Frequency Response
703 S3 has a frequency range of 46-28k Hz whereas S60 has a frequency range of 26-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 26Hz, the S60 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the 703 S3's min frequency of 46Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
High Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
703 S3 and S60 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. While using an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
703 S3 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS from the amp the whereas 703 S3 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS , 100 watts less than the S60.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both 703 S3 and S60 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
703 S3 has a rear firing port whereas S60 has a bottom firing ports. Polk S60's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to B&W 703 S3 with its rear-firing port.
Physical Specs
Size of a speaker can sometimes become 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 S3's and Polk S60's external dimensions. B&W 703 S3 has external dimensions of 1117.0 x 192.0 x 353.0mm ( 44-inch x 7.6-inch x 13.9-inch) whereas Polk S60 has external dimensions of 1131.0 x 299.0 x 401.0mm ( 44-1/2 x 11-3/4 x 15-3/4inch) .
Polk S60 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 107mm wider, 14mm taller and 48mm deeper than B&W 703 S3.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of B&W 703 S3 and Polk S60 in scale.
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 S3 is approximately 677.8cm2 / 105.1inch2 and base area of the Polk S60 is approximately 1199.0cm2 / 185.8inch2. The 703 S3 requires 43% less surface area than the S60 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 S3 weighs 28.81kg / 63.4lbs and the Polk S60 weighs 23.60kg / 51.9lbs. This makes the 703 S3 22% heavier than the S60.
Here is a comparison of how 703 S3 and S60'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 S3?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of 703 S3:
Floorstanding loudspeakerGrillePlinth (base)2 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)Two-piece foam port plug4 Rubber feet4 Spike feet4 Lock-nuts4 Screws4 Washers4 Lock washersHex-keyManualBowers & Wilkins brochureWarranty Information
What's in the Box of Polk S60?
Here are the items that come with the S60:
Floorstanding loudspeakerGrille (attached)4 Feet (pre-installed)Owners ManualOnline Product Registration
Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
Height |
1117mm
vs
1131mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
Base Surface Area |
677cm2 (192x353mm)
vs
1199cm2 (299x401mm)
|
Takes less floor space |
Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
Low Frequency Response |
26 Hz
vs
46 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
28k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
Price per pair* |
898USD
vs
5998USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
General |
Bowers & Wilkins 703 S3 |
Polk Audio Signature S60 |
Brand |
Bowers Wilkins |
Polk Audio |
Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
Power Range |
30-200 watts |
20-300 watts |
Sensitivity |
90 dB |
90 dB |
Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
Impedance |
3.1 ohms |
n/a |
Frequency Response |
46-28k Hz |
26-40k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
Woofer Quantity |
2 |
3 |
Woofer Size |
6.5" |
6.5" |
Woofer Composition |
Aerofoil |
Mica-reinforced polypropylene |
Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Butyl rubber |
Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
Tweeter Type |
n/a |
Dome |
Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
Midrange Driver |
6" |
No |
Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
2500Hz |
Firing Direction |
rear |
bottom |
Physical Specs |
|
|
Height |
1117.0mm (44") |
1131.0mm (44.5") |
Width |
192.0mm (7.6") |
299.0mm (11.8") |
Depth |
353.0mm (13.9") |
401.0mm (15.8") |
Weight |
28.81kg (63.4lbs) |
23.60kg (51.9lbs) |
Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
Finish |
MDF/Lacquer |
Meddite MDF |
Available Colors |
Gloss Black,Satin White,Mocha,Rosenut |
Black |
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 |