In this review, we will be comparing 704 S3 and 703 S2, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Bowers Wilkins.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of B&W 704 S3 and B&W 703 S2 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | B&W 704 S3 | B&W 703 S2 |
|---|
| Brand | Bowers Wilkins
United Kingdom · founded 1966 | Bowers Wilkins
United Kingdom · founded 1966 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | 5" | 6" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5" Aerofoil | 2 x 6.5" Aerofoil |
|---|
| Frequency response | 46-28k Hz | 46-28k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-150 watts | 30-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 20.53kg / 45.2lbs | 25.00kg / 55lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 38" x 6.5" x 11.8"
964.0 x 165.0 x 300.0mm | 40.4" x 7-7/8" x 12.6"
1025 x 200 x 321 mm |
|---|
What size room are the B&W 704 S3 and B&W 703 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 S3 |
B&W 703 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 704 S3 and 703 S2 are 3-way speakers.
B&W 704 S3B&W 703 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 704 S3 |
B&W 703 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
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
704 S3 features a 1" Tweeter, a 5" Midrange and 2 x 5" Aerofoil Woofer. On the other hand, the 703 S2 features a 1" Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Aerofoil Woofer.
Frequency Response
704 S3 and 703 S2 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
704 S3 and 703 S2 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. 704 S3 sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the 703 S2's is at 89 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the B&W 703 S2 a more sensitive speaker compared to B&W 704 S3, 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.
703 S2 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas 704 S3 has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the 703 S2.
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 704 S3 and 703 S2 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
B&W 704 S3's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
B&W 703 S2's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both 704 S3 and 703 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
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 704 S3's and B&W 703 S2's external dimensions. B&W 704 S3 has external dimensions of 964.0 x 165.0 x 300.0mm (38-inch x 6.5-inch x 11.8-inch) whereas B&W 703 S2 has external dimensions of 1025 x 200 x 321 mm (40.4 x 7-7/8 x 12.6 inch).
B&W 703 S2 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 35mm wider, 61mm taller and 21mm deeper than B&W 704 S3.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of B&W 704 S3 and B&W 703 S2 in scale.
Comparison image of B&W 704 S3 and B&W 703 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 704 S3 is approximately 495.0cm2 / 76.7inch2 and base area of the B&W 703 S2 is approximately 642.0cm2 / 99.5inch2. The 704 S3 requires 23% less surface area than the 703 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 S3 weighs 20.53kg / 45.2lbs and the B&W 703 S2 weighs 25.00kg / 55lbs. This makes the 703 S2 22% heavier than the 704 S3.
Here is a comparison of how 704 S3 and 703 S2'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 704 S3?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of 704 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 B&W 703 S2?
Here are the items that come with the 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
 Height |
964mm
vs
1025mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
495cm2
vs
642cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
3998USD
vs
5000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
200 watts
vs
150 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
89 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
| General |
Bowers & Wilkins 704 S3 |
Bowers & Wilkins 703 S2 |
| Brand |
Bowers Wilkins |
Bowers Wilkins |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
30-150 watts |
30-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
89 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.1 ohms |
3.1 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
46-28k Hz |
46-28k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| 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 |
964.0mm (38") |
1025.0mm (40.4") |
| Width |
165.0mm (6.5") |
200.0mm (7.9") |
| Depth |
300.0mm (11.8") |
321.0mm (12.6") |
| Weight |
20.53kg (45.2lbs) |
25.00kg (55lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Lacquer |
MDF/Lacquer |
| Available Colors |
Gloss Black,Satin White,Mocha,Rosenut |
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 |
A generation apart: B&W 704 S3 is the newer design, against a 2017 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 | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (88dB vs 89dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | B | B&W 703 S2 takes more power (200W vs 150W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | B&W 704 S3 is easier to place; B&W 703 S2 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | B&W 704 S3: bi-amping; B&W 703 S2: bi-amping. |
| Price | A | B&W 704 S3 is cheaper - $3,998 against $5,000, about 20% less. |
A B&W 704 S3 B B&W 703 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?
The usual trade-off: B&W 703 S2 measures better, B&W 704 S3 costs about about 25% more% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest.
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.