In this review, we will be comparing 705 S3 Signature and LS50 Meta, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from Bowers Wilkins and KEF.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature and KEF LS50 Meta first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature | KEF LS50 Meta |
|---|
| Brand | Bowers Wilkins
United Kingdom · founded 1966 | KEF
United Kingdom · founded 1961 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Uni-Q driver | — | 12th Generation Uni-Q |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Decoupled Carbon Dome | 1" Hard-Dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 6.5" Continuum | 5.25" Aluminum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 50-28k Hz | 79-28k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 85 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-120 watts | 40-100 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 10.35kg / 22.8lbs | 7.82kg / 17.2lbs |
|---|
| 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 | 11-15/16" x 7.875" x 11-1/16"
303.0 x 201.0 x 281.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature and KEF LS50 Meta 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 |
KEF LS50 Meta |
| Near-field |
Average |
Average |
| Small Room |
Good |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
Bad |
Bad |
(* 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 705 S3 Signature and LS50 Meta are 2-way speakers.
Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 SignatureKEF LS50 Meta
TweeterWoofer
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 |
KEF LS50 Meta |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
1 x 5.25-inch
|
705 S3 Signature features a 1" Carbon Decoupled Carbon Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Continuum Woofer. On the other hand, the LS50 Meta features a 1" Aluminum Hard-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5.25" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2100Hz.
Frequency Response
705 S3 Signature has a frequency range of 50-28k Hz whereas LS50 Meta has a frequency range of 79-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 50Hz, the 705 S3 Signature can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the LS50 Meta's min frequency of 79Hz.
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 LS50 Meta 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 LS50 Meta's is at 85 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature a more sensitive speaker compared to KEF LS50 Meta, 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.
705 S3 Signature can handle a max power of 120 watts RMS, whereas LS50 Meta has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 20 watts less than the 705 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
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
705 S3 Signature features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. LS50 Meta has a Post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
KEF LS50 Meta's Post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both 705 S3 Signature and LS50 Meta 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 KEF LS50 Meta'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 KEF LS50 Meta has external dimensions of 303.0 x 201.0 x 281.0mm (11-15/16 x 7.875 x 11-1/16inch).
KEF LS50 Meta is 110mm shorter and 16mm less deeper than Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature but it is also 9mm wider.
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.
Near-identical footprints. Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature is 16mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature is 110mm 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 KEF LS50 Meta is approximately 564.8cm2 / 87.5inch2. The 705 S3 Signature requires 1% more surface area than the LS50 Meta which gives it a small disadvantage 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 Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature weighs 10.35kg / 22.8lbs and the KEF LS50 Meta weighs 7.82kg / 17.2lbs. This makes the 705 S3 Signature 32% heavier than the LS50 Meta.
Here is a comparison of how 705 S3 Signature and LS50 Meta's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Bookshelf class.
Weight
All Bookshelf Speakers
Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature
What's in the Box of KEF LS50 Meta?
Here are the items that come with the LS50 Meta:
- 2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
- 2 Foam port plugs
- 8 Self-adhesive rubber feet
- Owners Manual
- Warranty Registration Card
 Max Input Power |
120 watts
vs
100 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
88 dB
vs
85 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Minimum Impedance |
3.7 ohms
vs
3.5 ohms
|
Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5.25 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
50 Hz
vs
79 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Height |
303mm
vs
413mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
564cm2
vs
570cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1600USD
vs
5200USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature |
KEF LS50 Meta |
| Brand |
Bowers Wilkins |
KEF |
| Speaker Type |
Bookshelf speakers |
Bookshelf speakers |
| Power Range |
30-120 watts |
40-100 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
85 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.7 ohms |
3.5 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
50-28k Hz |
79-28k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
5.25" |
| Woofer Composition |
Continuum |
Aluminum |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Decoupled Carbon Dome |
Hard-Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
2100Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
413.0mm (16.3") |
303.0mm (11.9") |
| Width |
192.0mm (7.6") |
201.0mm (7.9") |
| Depth |
297.0mm (11.7") |
281.0mm (11.1") |
| Weight |
10.35kg (22.8lbs) |
7.82kg (17.2lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Polymer |
| Available Colors |
n/a |
Carbon Black,Titanium Grey,Royal Blue,Mineral White |
| Mounting Bracket |
|
No |
| Recommended Stand Height |
n/a |
25-30" |
| Grille |
Yes |
n/a |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature costs roughly 3.3x what KEF LS50 Meta 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 | A | Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature digs deeper - 50Hz against 79Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | A | Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature is more sensitive (88dB vs 85dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (120W vs 100W). |
| Size | depends | KEF LS50 Meta is easier to place; Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature: bi-amping. KEF LS50 Meta sits in a wider range (10 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | B | KEF LS50 Meta is cheaper - $1,600 against $5,200, about 69% less; arguably a different class. |
A Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature B KEF LS50 Meta
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: Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature measures better, KEF LS50 Meta costs about about 3.3x the price% 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. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 79Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper KEF LS50 Meta much easier to justify. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.
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.