B&W 706 S2 vs B&W 704 S2 Comparison

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B&W 706 S2

Passive Bookshelf | 50-28k Hz

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B&W 704 S2

Passive Floor-standing | 48-28k Hz

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B&W 706 S2

Check price atAmazon›

B&W 704 S2

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B&W 706 S2

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B&W 704 S2

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B&W 706 S2 vs B&W 704 S2 Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Bowers Wilkins. Bowers & Wilkins 706 S2 is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the 704 S2 is a Floor-standing speaker.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of B&W 706 S2 and B&W 704 S2 first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	B&W 706 S2	B&W 704 S2
Brand	Bowers Wilkins United Kingdom · founded 1966	Bowers Wilkins United Kingdom · founded 1966
Design	2-way	3-way
Tweeter	1" Decoupled Soft-Dome	1"
Midrange	—	5"
Woofer	6.5" Continuum	2 x 5" Aerofoil
Frequency response	50-28k Hz	48-28k Hz
Sensitivity	88 dB	88 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	8 ohms
Power range	30-120 watts	30-150 watts
Weight	8.05kg / 17.7lbs	18.50kg / 40.7lbs
Dimensions (H x W x D)	13.5" x 7.8" x 11.9" 340.0 x 200.0 x 301.0mm	37.8" x 6.5" x 10.9" 959.0 x 165.0 x 277.0mm

706 S2 and 704 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 702 S2	Floor-standing	46-28k Hz	90 dB	8Ω	3 x 6.5"
B&W 705 S2	Bookshelf	50-28k Hz	88 dB	8Ω	1 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 706 S2 and B&W 704 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 706 S2	B&W 704 S2
Near-field	Poor	Bad
Small Room	Average	Poor
Mid-size Room	Good	Good
Large Room	Average	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

One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that 706 S2 is a 2-way design whereas the 704 S2 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.

B&W 706 S2

B&W 704 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 706 S2	B&W 704 S2
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

706 S2 features a 1" Decoupled Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Continuum Woofer. On the other hand, the 704 S2 features a 1" Tweeter, a 5" Midrange and 2 x 5" Aerofoil Woofer.

Frequency Response

706 S2 has a frequency range of 50-28k Hz whereas 704 S2 has a frequency range of 48-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 48Hz, the 704 S2 can go slightly deeper then the 706 S2's min frequency of 50Hz.

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

706 S2

704 S2

Min

Average

Median

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

706 S2 and 704 S2 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 88 dB.

Sensitivity

Bookshelf Speakers

706 S2

704 S2

Min

Average

Median

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.

704 S2 can handle a max power of 150 watts RMS, whereas 706 S2 has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 30 watts less than the 704 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.

Amplifier - change this

Distance

Playing as

B&W 706 S2

B&W 704 S2

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

Both 706 S2 and 704 S2 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.

Cabinet Type and Port Position

Both 706 S2 and 704 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 706 S2's and B&W 704 S2's external dimensions. B&W 706 S2 has external dimensions of 340.0 x 200.0 x 301.0mm (13.5-inch x 7.8-inch x 11.-inch) whereas 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).

B&W 704 S2 is 35mm narrower and 24mm less deeper than B&W 706 S2 but it is also 619mm taller.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of B&W 706 S2 and B&W 704 S2 in scale.

Comparison image of B&W 706 S2 and B&W 704 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 706 S2 is approximately 602.0cm² / 93.3inch² and base area of the B&W 704 S2 is approximately 457.1cm² / 70.9inch². The 706 S2 requires 32% more surface area than the 704 S2 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.

What's in the Box of B&W 706 S2?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of 706 S2:

2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
2 Grilles
2 Two-piece foam port plugs
8 Self-adhesive rubber feet
4 Jumper-straps
Manual
Bowers & Wilkins brochure
Warranty Information

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

Here are the items that come with the 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

Reasons to choose Bowers & Wilkins 706 S2 over Bowers & Wilkins 704 S2

Minimum Impedance	3.7 ohms vs 3.1 ohms	Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier
Woofer Size	6.5 inches vs 5 inches	Larger woofer
Height	340mm vs 959mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces
Price per pair*	1999USD vs 3500USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

Reasons to choose Bowers & Wilkins 704 S2 over Bowers & Wilkins 706 S2

Max Input Power	150 watts vs 120 watts	Handle more power from your amplifier
Driver Setup	3-way vs 2-way	Have a dedicated mid-range driver
Number of Woofers	2 vs 1	More woofers
Low Frequency Response	48 Hz vs 50 Hz	Generates deeper bass
Base Surface Area	457cm² vs 602cm²	Takes less floor space

B&W 706 S2 vs B&W 704 S2 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Bowers & Wilkins 706 S2	Bowers & Wilkins 704 S2
Brand	Bowers Wilkins	Bowers Wilkins
Speaker Type	Bookshelf speakers	Floor-standing speaker
Power Range	30-120 watts	30-150 watts
Sensitivity	88 dB	88 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	8 ohms
Impedance	3.7 ohms	3.1 ohms
Frequency Response	50-28k Hz	48-28k Hz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	1	2
Woofer Size	6.5"	5"
Woofer Composition	Continuum	Aerofoil
Woofer Surround Material	Rubber	Rubber
Tweeter Size	1"	1"
Tweeter Type	Decoupled Soft-Dome	n/a
Aimable Tweeter	No	No
Midrange Driver	No	5"
Firing Direction	rear	rear
Physical Specs
Height	340.0mm (13.4")	959.0mm (37.8")
Width	200.0mm (7.9")	165.0mm (6.5")
Depth	301.0mm (11.9")	277.0mm (10.9")
Weight	8.05kg (17.7lbs)	18.50kg (40.7lbs)
Enclosure	Bass Reflex	Bass Reflex
Finish	MDF/Wood Veneer	MDF/Lacquer
Available Colors	Rosewood, Gloss Black, Satin White	Rosewood, Gloss Black, Satin White
Mounting Bracket	No	No
Recommended Stand Height	24-26"	n/a
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

Verdict

Siblings in Bowers Wilkins's 700 S2 Anniversary Edition series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.

Area	Better	Why
Bass	evenly matched	Much the same reach (50Hz vs 48Hz).
Amplifier needs	evenly matched	Similar sensitivity (88dB vs 88dB) - both want much the same power.
Headroom	B	B&W 704 S2 takes more power (150W vs 120W) - more in hand in a big room.
Size	depends	B&W 706 S2 is easier to place; B&W 704 S2 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides.
Type	depends	A Passive Bookshelf against a Passive Floor-standing - a different job rather than a better one.
Expandability	depends	B&W 706 S2: bi-amping; B&W 704 S2: bi-amping.
Price	A	B&W 706 S2 is cheaper - $1,999 against $3,500, about 43% less; arguably a different class.

A B&W 706 S2 B B&W 704 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?

B&W 704 S2 is ahead, but only on 1 of the measured areas, and it costs about 75% more. That is a lot of money for a narrow margin on paper - B&W 706 S2 looks like the sensible buy unless something else about the B&W 704 S2 appeals to you. Match it to your room: we rate B&W 706 S2 the better fit for a small room, and B&W 704 S2 for a large room. In a large or open-plan room, B&W 704 S2 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, B&W 706 S2 is the easier speaker to get right.

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.