B&W 704 S2 vs B&W 702 S2 Comparison

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B&W 704 S2

Passive Floor-standing | 48-28k Hz

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B&W 702 S2

Passive Floor-standing | 46-28k Hz

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B&W 704 S2

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B&W 702 S2

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B&W 704 S2

See at AMAZON

B&W 702 S2

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B&W 704 S2 vs B&W 702 S2 Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing 704 S2 and 702 S2, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Bowers Wilkins

Let's have a brief look at the main features of B&W 704 S2 and B&W 702 S2 first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

B&W 704 S2 Key Specs

3-way Design

1" Tweeter

5" Midrange

2 x 5" Aerofoil Woofer

48-28k Hz Frequency Response

88 dB Sensitivity

Impedance: 8ohms

Power Range:30-150watts

Weight:18.50kg

Dimensions (H x W x D): 959.0" x 6.5" x 10.9"( 959.0 x 165.0 x 277.0mm )

B&W 702 S2 Key Specs

3-way Design

1" Tweeter

6" Midrange

3 x 6.5" Aerofoil Woofer

6" Midrange

46-28k Hz Frequency Response

90 dB Sensitivity

Impedance: 8ohms

Power Range:30-300watts

Weight:29.50kg

Dimensions (H x W x D): 1087.0" x 14-7/16" x 14.3"( 1087.0 x 200.0 x 364.0mm )

704 S2 and 702 S2 are members of Bowers Wilkins's 700 S2 Anniversary Edition series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.

Bowers Wilkins 700 S2 Anniversary Edition Series History

Model	Body	Frequency	Sensitivity	Impedance	Woofer
B&W 706 S2	Bookshelf	50-28k Hz	88 dB	8Ω	1 x 6.5"
B&W 703 S2	Floor-standing	46-28k Hz	89 dB	8Ω	2 x 6.5"
B&W 704 S2	Floor-standing	48-28k Hz	88 dB	8Ω	2 x 5"
B&W 707 S2	Bookshelf	50-28k Hz	84 dB	8Ω	1 x 5"
B&W 705 S2	Bookshelf	50-28k Hz	88 dB	8Ω	1 x 6.5"
B&W 702 S2	Floor-standing	46-28k Hz	90 dB	8Ω	3 x 6.5"
BW HTM71 S2	Center Channel	50-28k Hz	89 dB	8Ω	2 x 6.5"
BW HTM72 S2	Center Channel	70-28k Hz	87 dB	8Ω	2 x 5"

What size room are the B&W 704 S2 and B&W 702 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 704 S2	B&W 702 S2
Near-field	Bad	Bad
Small Room	Poor	Poor
Mid-size Room	Good	Average
Large Room	Good	Good
Very Large Room	Poor	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.)

In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the B&W 704 S2 and B&W 702 S2 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.

**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Drivers

Both 704 S2 and 702 S2 are 3-way speakers.

Driver	B&W 704 S2	B&W 702 S2
Driver Setup	3-way	3-way
Tweeter	1-inch	1-inch
Midrange	1 x 5-inch	1 x 6-inch
Woofer	2 x 5-inch	3 x 6.5-inch

704 S2 features a 1" Tweeter , a 5" Midrange and 2 x 5" Aerofoil Woofer . On the other hand, the 702 S2 features a 1" Tweeter , a 6" Midrange and 3 x 6.5" Aerofoil Woofer .

Frequency Response

704 S2 has a frequency range of 48-28k Hz whereas 702 S2 has a frequency range of 46-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 46Hz, the 702 S2 can go slightly deeper then the 704 S2's min frequency of 48Hz.

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

704 S2

702 S2

Min

Average

Max

High Frequency

Floor-standing Speakers

B&W 704 S2

B&W 702 S2

Min

Average

Max

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

704 S2 and 702 S2 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. 704 S2 sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the 702 S2's is at 90 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the B&W 702 S2 a more sensitive speaker compared to B&W 704 S2, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

Floor-standing Speakers

704 S2

702 S2

Min

Average

Max

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.

704 S2 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS from the amp the whereas 704 S2 has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS , 150 watts less than the 702 S2.

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 704 S2 and 702 S2 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.

B&W 702 S2's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring

Cabinet Type and Port Position

Both 704 S2 and 702 S2 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

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 704 S2's and B&W 702 S2's external dimensions. B&W 704 S2 has external dimensions of 959.0 x 165.0 x 277.0mm ( 37.8-inch x 6.5-inch x 10.9-inch) whereas B&W 702 S2 has external dimensions of 1087.0 x 200.0 x 364.0mm ( 42.8-inch x 14-7/16-inch x 14.3-inch) .

B&W 702 S2 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 35mm wider, 128mm taller and 87mm deeper than B&W 704 S2.

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 704 S2 is approximately 457.1cm² / 70.9inch² and base area of the B&W 702 S2 is approximately 728.0cm² / 112.8inch². The 704 S2 requires 37% less surface area than the 702 S2 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 704 S2 weighs 18.50kg / 40.7lbs and the B&W 702 S2 weighs 29.50kg / 64.9lbs. This makes the 702 S2 59% heavier than the 704 S2.

Here is a comparison of how 704 S2 and 702 S2's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.

Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers

B&W 704 S2

B&W 702 S2

Min

Average

Max

What's in the Box of B&W 704 S2?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of 704 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 702 S2?

Here are the items that come with the 702 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

Reasons to choose Bowers & Wilkins 704 S2 over Bowers & Wilkins 702 S2

Height	959mm vs 1087mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces
Base Surface Area	457cm² vs 728cm²	Takes less floor space
Price per pair*	3500USD vs 6000USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

Reasons to choose Bowers & Wilkins 702 S2 over Bowers & Wilkins 704 S2

Max Input Power	300 watts vs 150 watts	Handle more power from your amplifier
Sensitivity	90 dB vs 88 dB	Play louder with same amount of amplification power
Woofer Size	6.5 inches vs 5 inches	Larger woofer
Number of Woofers	3 vs 2	More woofers
Low Frequency Response	46 Hz vs 48 Hz	Generates deeper bass

B&W 704 S2 vs B&W 702 S2 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Bowers & Wilkins 704 S2	Bowers & Wilkins 702 S2
Brand	Bowers Wilkins	Bowers Wilkins
Speaker Type	Floor-standing speaker	Floor-standing speaker
Power Range	30-150 watts	30-300 watts
Sensitivity	88 dB	90 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	8 ohms
Impedance	3.1 ohms	3.1 ohms
Frequency Response	48-28k Hz	46-28k Hz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	2	3
Woofer Size	5"	6.5"
Woofer Composition	Aerofoil	Aerofoil
Woofer Surround Material	Rubber	Rubber
Tweeter Size	1"	1"
Aimable Tweeter	No	No
Midrange Driver	5"	6"
Firing Direction	rear	rear
Physical Specs
Height	959.0mm (37.8")	1087.0mm (42.8")
Width	165.0mm (6.5")	200.0mm (7.9")
Depth	277.0mm (10.9")	364.0mm (14.3")
Weight	18.50kg (40.7lbs)	29.50kg (64.9lbs)
Enclosure	Bass Reflex	Bass Reflex
Finish	MDF/Lacquer	MDF/Lacquer
Available Colors	Rosewood, Gloss Black, Satin White	Rosewood, Gloss Black, Satin White
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