Bowers & Wilkins 603 is a 3-way Passive Bass Reflex Floor-standing speaker by Bowers Wilkins. It was released in 2018. It features a 1" Tweeter, 1 x 6" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Paper Woofer. The speaker has a frequency range of 48-28k Hz and a sensitivity of 88.5 dB.
Room Size Suitability
The size of the room where you plan to use the B&W 603 is a crucial factor in your decision. We have assessed its suitability for various room sizes based on its dimensions and maximum power output:
| Listening Environment* |
Suitability |
| Near-field | Bad |
| Small Room | Poor |
| Mid-size Room | Good |
| Large Room | Good |
| Very Large Room | 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.)
Bowers Wilkins later replaced BW 603 with 603 S2 AE. Follow the link to read our in-depth comparison of these speakers:
Compare B&W 603 vs B&W 603 S2
Bowers Wilkins's 600 Series of Loudspeakers
BW 603 is a member of Bowers Wilkins's 600 series of Passive speakers. The 600 Series is Bowers & Wilkins' entry point, bringing trickle-down Continuum-cone technology to affordable bookshelf and floorstanding speakers. Below you can see the main specs of these speakers.
Bowers Wilkins 600 Series Speakers
Frequency Response of the B&W 603 Speaker
B&W 603 has a Frequency response range of 48-28k Hz and Power Range of 30-200 watts. With a minimum frequency of 48 Hz, BW 603 delivers moderate bass depth so depending on your use case, you might want to consider adding a subwoofer to your system.
Here we have a comparison of how BW 603's Low frequency value compares with the average, max and min Low frequency values in its class.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Thinking about a subwoofer for the B&W 603?
Impedance and Sensitivity
B&W 603's nominal impedance level is
8 ohms and has a sensitivity of
88.5 dB.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
8 Ohms is pretty much the standard nominal impedance amongst stereo speakers and amplifiers so Bowers & Wilkins 603 is not considered a difficult to drive speaker from nominal Impedance perspective.
Sensitivity
89dB of the Bowers & Wilkins 603 is an average sensitivity for stereo speaker so it is neither easy nor difficult to drive Sensitivity wise. Work out how loud the B&W 603 plays in your room →
What amplifier does the B&W 603 need?
At normal listening levels in a medium room, about
9.5–150 W
per channel into 8 ohms.
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Input Type
BW 603 has Post type connectors and lets bi-amping/bi-wiring. Bi-wiring can enhance the overall transparency of your loudspeakers by using separate speaker wires for the low and high-frequency drivers from a single amplifier. Bi-amping, on the other hand, involves using separate amplifiers for the high and low-frequency drivers, potentially resulting in a greater dynamic range and reduced distortion.
Work out what gauge speaker cable this run needs →
B&W 603 External Dimensions and Weight
B&W 603 has external dimensions of (Height x Width x Depth) 38.7 x 7.4 x 13.3inch (985.0 x 190.0 x 340.0mm ).
Base Surface Area
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base area of B&W 603 is approximately 646.0cm2 / 100.1inch2.
To get a better perspective on the real life size of B&W 603, let's compare it with a standard size Compact Disc which has a diameter of 4.7inch (120mm).
B&W 603 Speaker Size Compared to a Compact Disc
Here we place the B&W 603 virtually next to a standard width amplifier and turntable on a media center to get a better idea about the size.
B&W 603 Floor-standing Speaker next to a Media Stand
Find speakers that fit your shelf or alcove → · Work out where they should sit in the room →
WeightThe B&W 603 weighs 24.14kg / 53.1lbs per piece. Here is a comparison of how BW 603's weight compares with the average, max and min weights in its class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
Cabinet type and Materials
B&W 603 has a
Bass Reflex type cabinet and a MDF/Vinyl finish. Bass Reflex type loudspeakers (aka Ported, Vented or Reflex Port) have enclosures that uses a port, hole or vent cut into the cabinet. Ported designs are generally more efficient than the Sealed designs.
Speaker Feet
B&W 603 comes with the parts below which you can use to secure your loudspeaker on the surface that you are putting on:
- Plinth (base)
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Spike feet
It is always recommended to use some kind of feet under all types of speakers. Besides limiting the movement of the speakers, it also compensates for non-flat surfaces and limits the contact surface area of the speaker. Rubber based feet also help isolating the vibrations within certain frequency ranges.
Port Position
B&W 603 is a rear-firing port speaker so you have to make sure you leave enough space between the back of the speaker and wall or bookshelf so that it has room to breathe. BW 603 comes with
2 Two-piece foam port plugs so if you don't have any choice but place the speakers too close to the walls or other surfaces, you can use these plugs in order to avoid boomy or too much bass.
Available colors
B&W 603 is available in Black, White and Oak.
Does the B&W 603 come with a Grille?
BW 603 comes with grilles. The purpose of the grille is to protect the delicate driver elements from external impacts while still allowing the sound to pass as clearly as possible.
What's in the Box of B&W 603?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of 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
Recommended Accessories
Here is a list of accessories that we think you may need for the Bowers & Wilkins 603.
User's Manual
For more information about how to setup, use and maintain the Bowers & Wilkins 603, use the direct link below to download the official manual document:
Download User Manual for B&W 603
Official Product Page
Official manufacturer's product page for the Bowers & Wilkins 603 speaker can be found below:
Official Product Page for B&W 603
Warranty
5 Years of parts warranty and 5 Years of labor warranty is generally provided by the manufacturer.