In this review, we will be comparing HTM71 S3 and Kanta Center, two Passive Center Channel speakers from Bowers Wilkins and Focal.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of B&W HTM71 S3 and Focal Kanta Center first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | B&W HTM71 S3 | Focal Kanta Center |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Solid Body Soft-Dome | 1.1" Hard-Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 4" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 4 x 5" Aerofoil Profile | 2 x 6.5" flax cone with TMD (Tuned Mass Damping) suspension |
|---|
| Frequency response | 50-28k Hz | 55-44k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-200 watts | 40-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 17.50kg / 38.5lbs | 18.00kg / 39.6lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 9-1/4" x 24-3/4" x 14"
235.0 x 629.0 x 356.0mm | 9-11/16" x 22-1/8" x 15-1/2"
247.0 x 562.0 x 394.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the B&W HTM71 S3 and Focal Kanta Center 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 HTM71 S3 |
Focal Kanta Center |
| 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.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that HTM71 S3 is a 3-way design whereas the Kanta Center 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.
B&W HTM71 S3Focal Kanta Center
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 HTM71 S3 |
Focal Kanta Center |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1.1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
4 x 5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
HTM71 S3 features a 1" Decoupled Carbon Solid Body Soft-Dome Tweeter, a 4" Midrange and 4 x 5" Aerofoil Profile Woofer. On the other hand, the Kanta Center features a 1.1" IAL3 Beryllium Hard-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" flax cone with TMD (Tuned Mass Damping) suspension Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2400 Hz.
Frequency Response
HTM71 S3 has a frequency range of 50-28k Hz whereas Kanta Center has a frequency range of 55-44k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 50Hz, the HTM71 S3 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Kanta Center's min frequency of 55Hz.
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 S3 and Kanta Center have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. HTM71 S3 sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the Kanta Center's is at 92 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Focal Kanta Center a more sensitive speaker compared to B&W HTM71 S3, 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.
Both handle the same maximum of 200 watts RMS, though HTM71 S3 is rated 30-200 watts and Kanta Center 40-200 watts.
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
HTM71 S3 features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Kanta Center has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
B&W HTM71 S3's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Focal Kanta Center's Binding post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both HTM71 S3 and Kanta Center 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 HTM71 S3's and Focal Kanta Center's external dimensions. B&W HTM71 S3 has external dimensions of 235.0 x 629.0 x 356.0mm (9-1/4inch x 24-3/4inch x 14inch) whereas Focal Kanta Center has external dimensions of 247.0 x 562.0 x 394.0mm (9-11/16inch x 22-1/8inch x 15-1/2inch).
B&W HTM71 S3 is 12mm shorter and 38mm less deeper than Focal Kanta Center but it is also 67mm wider.
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 HTM71 S3 is approximately 2239.2cm2 / 347.1inch2 and base area of the Focal Kanta Center is approximately 2214.3cm2 / 343.2inch2. The HTM71 S3 requires 1% more surface area than the Kanta Center 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 B&W HTM71 S3 weighs 17.50kg / 38.5lbs and the Focal Kanta Center weighs 18.00kg / 39.6lbs. This makes the Kanta Center 3% heavier than the HTM71 S3.
Here is a comparison of how HTM71 S3 and Kanta Center'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 B&W HTM71 S3?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of HTM71 S3:
- 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
- Online Registration Card
What's in the Box of Focal Kanta Center?
Here are the items that come with the Kanta Center:
- Center-channel loudspeaker
- 2 Grilles
- 4 Slicone pads
- User Manual
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Number of Woofers |
4
vs
2
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
50 Hz
vs
55 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Height |
235mm
vs
247mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
2499USD
vs
3999USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
|
Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 High Frequency Response |
44k Hz
vs
28k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Base Surface Area |
2214cm2
vs
2239cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
Bowers & Wilkins HTM71 S3 |
Focal Kanta Center |
| Brand |
Bowers Wilkins |
Focal |
| Speaker Type |
Center channel speaker |
Center channel speaker |
| Power Range |
30-200 watts |
40-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
89 dB |
92 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
n/a |
3.5 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
50-28k Hz |
55-44k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
4 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aerofoil Profile |
flax cone with TMD (Tuned Mass Damping) suspension |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1.1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Solid Body Soft-Dome |
Hard-Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
4" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
2400 Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
235.0mm (9.3") |
247.0mm (9.7") |
| Width |
629.0mm (24.8") |
562.0mm (22.1") |
| Depth |
356.0mm (14") |
394.0mm (15.5") |
| Weight |
17.50kg (38.5lbs) |
18.00kg (39.6lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
Multi-ply/Polymer/Veneer |
| Available Colors |
Gloss Black |
High-Gloss Carrara White,High-Gloss Black/Deep Black,Matte Walnut/Dark Grey,Matte Walnut/Ivory |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| 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 - Focal Kanta Center costs roughly 1.6x what B&W HTM71 S3 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 |
B&W HTM71 S3 digs deeper - 50Hz against 55Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs |
B |
Focal Kanta Center is more sensitive (92dB vs 89dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom |
evenly matched |
Similar power handling (200W vs 200W). |
| Size |
depends |
Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability |
A |
B&W HTM71 S3: bi-amping. B&W HTM71 S3 sits in a wider range (8 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price |
A |
B&W HTM71 S3 is cheaper - $2,499 against $3,999, about 38% less; arguably a different class. |
A B&W HTM71 S3
B Focal Kanta Center
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, placement 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 HTM71 S3 has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 55Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Focal Kanta Center 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.