In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Bowers Wilkins. Bowers & Wilkins HTM72 S3 is a Center Channel speaker whereas the 702 S3 is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of B&W HTM72 S3 and B&W 702 S3 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | B&W HTM72 S3 | B&W 702 S3 |
|---|
| 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 | — | 6" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5" Continuum cone | 3 x 6.5" Aerofoil |
|---|
| Frequency response | 70-28k Hz | 46-28k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-120 watts | 30-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 9.70kg / 21.3lbs | 33.46kg / 73.6lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 6-1/2" x 18-13/16" x 11-15/16"
166.0 x 478.0 x 304.0mm | 44.8" x 7.6" x 15.4"
1138.0 x 192.0 x 391.0mm |
|---|
HTM72 S3 and 702 S3 are members of Bowers Wilkins's 700 S3 series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
What size room are the B&W HTM72 S3 and B&W 702 S3 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 HTM72 S3 |
B&W 702 S3 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Average |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Average |
(* 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 HTM72 S3 is a 2-way design whereas the 702 S3 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 HTM72 S3B&W 702 S3
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 HTM72 S3 |
B&W 702 S3 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5-inch
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
HTM72 S3 features a 1" Decoupled Carbon Decoupled Soft-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5" Continuum cone Woofer. On the other hand, the 702 S3 features a 1" Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 3 x 6.5" Aerofoil Woofer.
Frequency Response
HTM72 S3 has a frequency range of 70-28k Hz whereas 702 S3 has a frequency range of 46-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 46Hz, the 702 S3 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the HTM72 S3'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
HTM72 S3 and 702 S3 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. HTM72 S3 sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the 702 S3's is at 90 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the B&W 702 S3 a more sensitive speaker compared to B&W HTM72 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.
702 S3 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas HTM72 S3 has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 180 watts less than the 702 S3.
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 HTM72 S3 and 702 S3 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
B&W HTM72 S3's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
B&W 702 S3's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both HTM72 S3 and 702 S3 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 HTM72 S3's and B&W 702 S3's external dimensions. B&W HTM72 S3 has external dimensions of 166.0 x 478.0 x 304.0mm (6-1/2inch x 18-13/16inch x 11-15/16inch) whereas B&W 702 S3 has external dimensions of 1138.0 x 192.0 x 391.0mm (44.8-inch x 7.6-inch x 15.4-inch).
B&W HTM72 S3 is 972mm shorter and 87mm less deeper than B&W 702 S3 but it is also 286mm 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.
B&W HTM72 S3 needs about 94% more floor or shelf area. B&W 702 S3 is 87mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. B&W 702 S3 is 972mm 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 B&W HTM72 S3 is approximately 1453.1cm2 / 225.2inch2 and base area of the B&W 702 S3 is approximately 750.7cm2 / 116.4inch2. The HTM72 S3 requires 94% more surface area than the 702 S3 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of B&W HTM72 S3?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of HTM72 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 B&W 702 S3?
Here are the items that come with the 702 S3:
- 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