In this review, we will be comparing S60 and BW 603, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Polk Audio and Bowers Wilkins.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Polk S60 and B&W 603 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Polk S60 | B&W 603 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Dome | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 6" |
|---|
| Woofer | 3 x 6.5" Mica-reinforced polypropylene | 2 x 6.5" Paper |
|---|
| Frequency response | 26-40k Hz | 48-28k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 88.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-300 watts | 30-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 23.60kg / 51.9lbs | 24.14kg / 53.1lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 44-1/2" x 11-3/4" x 15-3/4"
1131.0 x 299.0 x 401.0mm | 38.7" x 7.4" x 13.3"
985.0 x 190.0 x 340.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Polk S60 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* |
Polk S60 |
B&W 603 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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 S60 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.
Polk S60B&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 |
Polk S60 |
B&W 603 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
S60 features a 1" Terylene Dome Tweeter and 3 x 6.5" Mica-reinforced polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz. On the other hand, the BW 603 features a 1" Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Paper Woofer.
Frequency Response
S60 has a frequency range of 26-40k Hz whereas BW 603 has a frequency range of 48-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 26Hz, the S60 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
S60 and BW 603 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. S60 sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the BW 603's is at 88.5 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Polk S60 a more sensitive speaker compared to B&W 603, 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.
S60 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas BW 603 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the S60.
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 S60 and BW 603 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Polk S60's 5-way post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
S60 has a bottom firing port whereas BW 603 has a rear firing ports. Polk S60's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to B&W 603 with its rear-firing port.
Polk S60 Port
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 Polk S60's and B&W 603's external dimensions. Polk S60 has external dimensions of 1131.0 x 299.0 x 401.0mm (44-1/2 x 11-3/4 x 15-3/4inch) whereas B&W 603 has external dimensions of 985.0 x 190.0 x 340.0mm (38.7 x 7.4 x 13.3inch).
Polk S60 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 109mm wider, 146mm taller and 61mm deeper than B&W 603.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Polk S60 and B&W 603 in scale.
Comparison image of Polk S60 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 Polk S60 is approximately 1199.0cm2 / 185.8inch2 and base area of the B&W 603 is approximately 646.0cm2 / 100.1inch2. The S60 requires 86% more surface area than the BW 603 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 Polk S60 weighs 23.60kg / 51.9lbs and the B&W 603 weighs 24.14kg / 53.1lbs. This makes the BW 603 2% heavier than the S60.
Here is a comparison of how S60 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 Polk S60?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of S60:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille (attached)
- 4 Feet (pre-installed)
- Owners Manual
- Online Product Registration
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
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
26 Hz
vs
48 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
28k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Height |
985mm
vs
1131mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
646cm2
vs
1199cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
Polk Audio Signature S60 |
Bowers & Wilkins 603 |
| Brand |
Polk Audio |
Bowers Wilkins |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-300 watts |
30-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
88.5 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
26-40k Hz |
48-28k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
3 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Mica-reinforced polypropylene |
Paper |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Butyl rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
6" |
| Crossover Frequency |
2500Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
bottom |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1131.0mm (44.5") |
985.0mm (38.8") |
| Width |
299.0mm (11.8") |
190.0mm (7.5") |
| Depth |
401.0mm (15.8") |
340.0mm (13.4") |
| Weight |
23.60kg (51.9lbs) |
24.14kg (53.1lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
Meddite MDF |
MDF/Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Black |
Black, White, Oak |
| 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 |
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 |
Polk S60 digs deeper - 26Hz against 48Hz. |
| Amplifier needs |
evenly matched |
Similar sensitivity (90dB vs 89dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom |
A |
Polk S60 takes more power (300W vs 200W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size |
depends |
B&W 603 is easier to place; Polk S60 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability |
depends |
Polk S60: bi-amping; B&W 603: bi-amping. Polk S60 sits in a wider range (6 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
A Polk S60
B B&W 603
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?
Polk S60 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. Match it to your room: we rate Polk S60 the better fit for a very large room, and B&W 603 for a mid-size room.
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.