In this review, we will be comparing Emit M30 and BW 603, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Dynaudio and Bowers Wilkins.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Dynaudio Emit M30 and B&W 603 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Dynaudio Emit M30 | B&W 603 |
|---|
| Brand | Dynaudio
Denmark · founded 1977 | Bowers Wilkins
United Kingdom · founded 1966 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 6" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.6875" Magnesium Silicate Polymer | 2 x 6.5" Paper |
|---|
| Frequency response | 40-23k Hz | 48-28k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 86 dB | 88.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 200 watts | 30-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 18.18kg / 40lbs | 24.14kg / 53.1lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 37-13/16" x 8-1/16" x 11-5/8"
961.0 x 205.0 x 296.0mm | 38.7" x 7.4" x 13.3"
985.0 x 190.0 x 340.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Dynaudio Emit M30 and B&W 603 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* |
Dynaudio Emit M30 |
B&W 603 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
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 Emit M30 is a 2-way design whereas the BW 603 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.
Dynaudio Emit M30B&W 603
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Dynaudio Emit M30 |
B&W 603 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.6875-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
Emit M30 features a 1.1" Tweeter and 2 x 6.6875" Magnesium Silicate Polymer Woofer. On the other hand, the BW 603 features a 1" Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Paper Woofer.
Frequency Response
Emit M30 has a frequency range of 40-23k Hz whereas BW 603 has a frequency range of 48-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 40Hz, the Emit M30 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the BW 603's min frequency of 48Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing 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
Emit M30 is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the BW 603 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Emit M30 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Emit M30 sensitivity is rated at 86 dB and the BW 603's is rated at 88.5 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the B&W 603 a more sensitive speaker compared to Dynaudio Emit M30, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing 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 Emit M30 is rated up to 200 watts and BW 603 30-200 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
BW 603 features Post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Emit M30 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Dynaudio Emit M30's Binding post terminals
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 Dynaudio Emit M30's and B&W 603's external dimensions. Dynaudio Emit M30 has external dimensions of 961.0 x 205.0 x 296.0mm (37-13/16 x 8-1/16 x 11-5/8inch) whereas B&W 603 has external dimensions of 985.0 x 190.0 x 340.0mm (38.7 x 7.4 x 13.3inch).
Dynaudio Emit M30 is 24mm shorter and 44mm less deeper than B&W 603 but it is also 15mm wider.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Dynaudio Emit M30 and B&W 603 in scale.
Comparison image of Dynaudio Emit M30 and B&W 603 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 Dynaudio Emit M30 is approximately 606.8cm2 / 94.1inch2 and base area of the B&W 603 is approximately 646.0cm2 / 100.1inch2. The Emit M30 requires 6% less surface area than the BW 603 which gives it a small advantage 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 Dynaudio Emit M30 weighs 18.18kg / 40lbs and the B&W 603 weighs 24.14kg / 53.1lbs. This makes the BW 603 33% heavier than the Emit M30.
Here is a comparison of how Emit M30 and BW 603's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of Dynaudio Emit M30?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Emit M30:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- Foam port plug
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Hex nuts
- 4 Protective discs
- Owners Manual
- Quick Start Guide
- Warranty Extension Card
What's in the Box of B&W 603?
Here are the items that come with the BW 603:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- Plinith (base)
- 2 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Hex-nuts
- 4 Screws
- 4 Washers
- 4 Lock-washers
- Two-piece foam port plug
- Hex-key
- Manual
- Bowers & Wilkins brochure
- Warranty Information
 Woofer Size |
6.6875 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
40 Hz
vs
48 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
961mm
vs
985mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
606cm2
vs
646cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
89 dB
vs
86 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 High Frequency Response |
28k Hz
vs
23k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
| General |
Dynaudio Emit M30 |
Bowers & Wilkins 603 |
| Brand |
Dynaudio |
Bowers Wilkins |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 200 watts |
30-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
86 dB |
88.5 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
40-23k Hz |
48-28k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.6875" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Magnesium Silicate Polymer |
Paper |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.1" |
1" |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
6" |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
961.0mm (37.8") |
985.0mm (38.8") |
| Width |
205.0mm (8.1") |
190.0mm (7.5") |
| Depth |
296.0mm (11.7") |
340.0mm (13.4") |
| Weight |
18.18kg (40lbs) |
24.14kg (53.1lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Lacquer |
MDF/Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Black |
Black, White, Oak |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years (8 Years registered) |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years (8 Years registered) |
5 Years |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | Dynaudio Emit M30 digs deeper - 40Hz against 48Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | B | B&W 603 is more sensitive (89dB vs 86dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | B&W 603 is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (200W vs 200W). |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | depends | B&W 603: bi-amping. Dynaudio Emit M30 sits in a wider range (6 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
A Dynaudio Emit M30 B B&W 603
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 603 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 48Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, B&W 603 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.