In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Bowers Wilkins. Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the HTM71 S3 Signature is a Center Channel speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature and Bowers & Wilkins HTM71 S3 Signature first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature | Bowers & Wilkins HTM71 S3 Signature |
|---|
| Brand | Bowers Wilkins
United Kingdom · founded 1966 | Bowers Wilkins
United Kingdom · founded 1966 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Decoupled Carbon Dome | 1" Decoupled Carbon Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 6.5" Continuum | 2 x 5" Aerofoil |
|---|
| Frequency response | 50-28k Hz | 50-28k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-120 watts | 30-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 10.35kg / 22.8lbs | 18.50kg / 40.7lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 16-1/4" x 7-9/16" x 11-11/16"
413.0 x 192.0 x 297.0mm | 9-3/16" x 24-3/4" x 12-1/2"
233.0 x 628.0 x 318.0mm |
|---|
705 S3 Signature and HTM71 S3 Signature are members of Bowers Wilkins's 700 S3 Signature series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Bowers Wilkins 700 S3 Signature Series
History
What size room are the Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature and Bowers & Wilkins HTM71 S3 Signature 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* |
Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature |
Bowers & Wilkins HTM71 S3 Signature |
| Near-field |
Average |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Good |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Bad |
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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that 705 S3 Signature is a 2-way design whereas the HTM71 S3 Signature is a 3-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.
Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 SignatureBowers & Wilkins HTM71 S3 Signature
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature |
Bowers & Wilkins HTM71 S3 Signature |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 5-inch
|
705 S3 Signature features a 1" Carbon Decoupled Carbon Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Continuum Woofer. On the other hand, the HTM71 S3 Signature features a 1" Carbon Decoupled Carbon Dome Tweeter, a 5" Midrange and 2 x 5" Aerofoil Woofer.
Frequency Response
705 S3 Signature and HTM71 S3 Signature has exactly the same frequency range of 50-28k Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf 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
705 S3 Signature and HTM71 S3 Signature have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. 705 S3 Signature sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the HTM71 S3 Signature's is at 89 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Bowers & Wilkins HTM71 S3 Signature a more sensitive speaker compared to Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf 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.
HTM71 S3 Signature can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas 705 S3 Signature has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 80 watts less than the HTM71 S3 Signature.
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.
Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature
Bowers & Wilkins HTM71 S3 Signature
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both 705 S3 Signature and HTM71 S3 Signature features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both 705 S3 Signature and HTM71 S3 Signature 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 Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature's and Bowers & Wilkins HTM71 S3 Signature's external dimensions. Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature has external dimensions of 413.0 x 192.0 x 297.0mm (16-1/4 x 7-9/16 x 11-11/16inch) whereas Bowers & Wilkins HTM71 S3 Signature has external dimensions of 233.0 x 628.0 x 318.0mm (9-3/16 x 24-3/4 x 12-1/2inch).
Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature is 436mm narrower and 21mm less deeper than Bowers & Wilkins HTM71 S3 Signature but it is also 180mm taller.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
Bowers & Wilkins HTM71 S3 Signature needs about 250% more floor or shelf area. Bowers & Wilkins HTM71 S3 Signature is 21mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature is 180mm taller.
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 Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature is approximately 570.2cm2 / 88.4inch2 and base area of the Bowers & Wilkins HTM71 S3 Signature is approximately 1997.0cm2 / 309.5inch2. The 705 S3 Signature requires 71% less surface area than the HTM71 S3 Signature which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.