In this review, we will be comparing HTM71 S2 and HTM72 S2, two Passive Center Channel speakers by Bowers Wilkins.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of BW HTM71 S2 and BW HTM72 S2 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | BW HTM71 S2 | BW HTM72 S2 |
|---|
| Brand | Bowers Wilkins
United Kingdom · founded 1966 | Bowers Wilkins
United Kingdom · founded 1966 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Decoupled Carbon Dome | 1" Decoupled Carbon Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 4" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Aerofoil Profile | 2 x 5" Continuum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 50-28k Hz | 70-28k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 87 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-200 watts | 30-120 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 18.05kg / 39.7lbs | 9.14kg / 20.1lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 8-15/16" x 23-1/4" x 11-7/8"
228.0 x 591.0 x 302.0mm | 6-5/8" x 18-15/16" x 10-15/16"
169.0 x 482.0 x 278.0mm |
|---|
HTM71 S2 and HTM72 S2 are members of Bowers Wilkins's 700 S2 Anniversary Edition series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
What size room are the BW HTM71 S2 and BW HTM72 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* |
BW HTM71 S2 |
BW HTM72 S2 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Average |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
Average |
| 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 HTM71 S2 is a 3-way design whereas the HTM72 S2 is a 2-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.
BW HTM71 S2BW HTM72 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 |
BW HTM71 S2 |
BW HTM72 S2 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 5-inch
|
HTM71 S2 features a 1" Decoupled Carbon Dome Tweeter, a 4" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Aerofoil Profile Woofer. On the other hand, the HTM72 S2 features a 1" Decoupled Carbon Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5" Continuum Woofer.
Frequency Response
HTM71 S2 has a frequency range of 50-28k Hz whereas HTM72 S2 has a frequency range of 70-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 50Hz, the HTM71 S2 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the HTM72 S2's min frequency of 70Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Center Channel class in our database.
Low Frequency
Center Channel 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
HTM71 S2 and HTM72 S2 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. HTM71 S2 sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the HTM72 S2's is at 87 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the BW HTM71 S2 a more sensitive speaker compared to BW HTM72 S2, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Center Channel 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 S2 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas HTM72 S2 has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 80 watts less than the HTM71 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 HTM71 S2 and HTM72 S2 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both HTM71 S2 and HTM72 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 BW HTM71 S2's and BW HTM72 S2's external dimensions. BW HTM71 S2 has external dimensions of 228.0 x 591.0 x 302.0mm (8-15/16 x 23-1/4 x 11-7/8inch) whereas BW HTM72 S2 has external dimensions of 169.0 x 482.0 x 278.0mm (6-5/8 x 18-15/16 x 10-15/16inch).
BW HTM71 S2 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 109mm wider, 59mm taller and 24mm deeper than BW HTM72 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 BW HTM71 S2 is approximately 1784.8cm2 / 276.6inch2 and base area of the BW HTM72 S2 is approximately 1340.0cm2 / 207.7inch2. The HTM71 S2 requires 33% more surface area than the HTM72 S2 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 BW HTM71 S2 weighs 18.05kg / 39.7lbs and the BW HTM72 S2 weighs 9.14kg / 20.1lbs. This makes the HTM71 S2 97% heavier than the HTM72 S2.
Here is a comparison of how HTM71 S2 and HTM72 S2's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Center Channel class.
Weight
All Center Channel Speakers
What's in the Box of BW HTM71 S2?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of HTM71 S2:
- Center-channel loudspeaker
- Grille
- 2 Two-piece foam port plugs
- 4 Self-adhesive rubber feet
- 4 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)
- Manual
- Bowers Wilkins brochure
- Warranty Information
What's in the Box of BW HTM72 S2?
Here are the items that come with the HTM72 S2:
- Center-channel loudspeaker
- Grille
- Two-piece foam port plug
- 4 Self-adhesive rubber feet
- 4 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)
- Manual
- Bowers Wilkins brochure
- Warranty Information
 Max Input Power |
200 watts
vs
120 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
89 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
50 Hz
vs
70 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Minimum Impedance |
4.3 ohms
vs
3.0 ohms
|
Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier |
 Height |
169mm
vs
228mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1340cm2
vs
1784cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1199USD
vs
1999USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Bowers & Wilkins HTM71 S2 |
Bowers & Wilkins HTM72 S2 |
| Brand |
Bowers Wilkins |
Bowers Wilkins |
| Speaker Type |
Center channel speaker |
Center channel speaker |
| Power Range |
30-200 watts |
30-120 watts |
| Sensitivity |
89 dB |
87 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.0 ohms |
4.3 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
50-28k Hz |
70-28k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aerofoil Profile |
Continuum |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Decoupled Carbon Dome |
Decoupled Carbon Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
4" |
No |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
228.0mm (9") |
169.0mm (6.7") |
| Width |
591.0mm (23.3") |
482.0mm (19") |
| Depth |
302.0mm (11.9") |
278.0mm (10.9") |
| Weight |
18.05kg (39.7lbs) |
9.14kg (20.1lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Available Colors |
Gloss Black, Satin White, Rosenut |
Gloss Black, Satin White, Rosenut |
| 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 |
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 | A | BW HTM71 S2 digs deeper - 50Hz against 70Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | A | BW HTM71 S2 is more sensitive (89dB vs 87dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | A | BW HTM71 S2 takes more power (200W vs 120W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | BW HTM72 S2 is easier to place; BW HTM71 S2 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | BW HTM71 S2: bi-amping; BW HTM72 S2: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | BW HTM72 S2 is cheaper - $1,199 against $1,999, about 40% less; arguably a different class. |
A BW HTM71 S2 B BW HTM72 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: BW HTM71 S2 measures better, BW HTM72 S2 costs about about 67% 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. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 70Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper BW HTM72 S2 much easier to justify. In a large or open-plan room, BW HTM71 S2 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, BW HTM72 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.