Power needed
12–120 W
per channel, into 8 ohms
To hit 95 dB peaks at 3 m from a pair of B&W 706 S2, you need at least 12 W a channel. More than 120 W is wasted here - that is all Bowers Wilkins rates the speaker to take.
Show the working
- 95 dB target at the seat
- +4.8 dB for 3.0 m of distance
- -3 dB for a stereo pair
- -86.0 dB effective sensitivity
- 2 dB allowed for optimistic published sensitivity
- Published sensitivity 88 dB, used as 86.0 dB per watt.
Onkyo Icon A-50 with the B&W 706 S2
Good match
10 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker that dips to 3.7.
Power rises usefully into 4 ohms (110 W to 180 W).
Full Onkyo Icon A-50 specs
·
Clear this amp
224 integrated amplifiers suit the B&W 706 S2
Also show the 2 we do not recommend
1
Excellent match
10 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker that dips to 3.7.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (125 W to 250 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
2
Excellent match
11 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker that dips to 3.7.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (135 W to 250 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
3
Excellent match
9 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker that dips to 3.7.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (100 W to 200 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
4
Excellent match
11 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker that dips to 3.7.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (150 W to 300 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
5
Excellent match
8 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker that dips to 3.7.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (80 W to 150 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
6
Good match
10 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker that dips to 3.7.
Power rises usefully into 4 ohms (110 W to 180 W).
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
7
Good match
11 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker that dips to 3.7.
Power rises usefully into 4 ohms (150 W to 260 W).
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
8
Good match
9 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker that dips to 3.7.
Power rises usefully into 4 ohms (100 W to 165 W).
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
9
Good match
10 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker that dips to 3.7.
Power rises usefully into 4 ohms (120 W to 200 W).
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
10
Excellent match
8 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker that dips to 3.7.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (76 W to 135 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
11
Good match
11 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker that dips to 3.7.
Power rises usefully into 4 ohms (150 W to 250 W).
Sensible value pick against these speakers.
12
Good match
9 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker that dips to 3.7.
Power rises usefully into 4 ohms (90 W to 150 W).
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
13
Excellent match
9 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker that dips to 3.7.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (100 W to 200 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Sensible value pick against these speakers.
14
Excellent match
9 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker that dips to 3.7.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (100 W to 200 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Sensible value pick against these speakers.
15
Good match
9 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker that dips to 3.7.
Power rises usefully into 4 ohms (100 W to 155 W).
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
16
Good match
9 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker that dips to 3.7.
Power rises usefully into 4 ohms (90 W to 150 W).
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
17
Excellent match
9 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker that dips to 3.7.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (100 W to 200 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Costs more than the speakers - worth it only if you plan to upgrade them later.
18
Good match
10 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker that dips to 3.7.
Power rises usefully into 4 ohms (115 W to 180 W).
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
19
Excellent match
8 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker that dips to 3.7.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (80 W to 150 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
20
Workable with care
14 dB of headroom, far more than needed. No harm in it. Well above the 120 W the maker rates the speaker for, so keep an eye on the volume knob.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker that dips to 3.7.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (300 W to 580 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
Showing the best 20 of 224. Narrow it with the price range below, or a different budget split.
67 power amplifiers that would also drive them
Listed separately because they are not a complete system: a power amplifier has no volume control and no inputs to speak of, so you need a preamplifier or a streaming preamp as well. Worth it if you already own one, or if you want to buy the two halves separately.
1
Good match
11 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker that dips to 3.7.
Power rises usefully into 4 ohms (150 W to 225 W).
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
2
Good match
11 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 2 ohms - stable into anything this speaker will throw at it.
Power rises usefully into 4 ohms (160 W to 240 W).
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
3
Workable with care
12 dB of headroom, far more than needed. No harm in it. Well above the 120 W the maker rates the speaker for, so keep an eye on the volume knob.
Rated down to 2 ohms - stable into anything this speaker will throw at it.
Power rises usefully into 4 ohms (200 W to 320 W).
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
4
Good match
10 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker that dips to 3.7.
No 4 ohm power rating on file. On a 8 ohm speaker dipping to 3.7 that is the figure that matters, so this one is unproven on the load.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
5
Good match
9 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker that dips to 3.7.
No 4 ohm power rating on file. On a 8 ohm speaker dipping to 3.7 that is the figure that matters, so this one is unproven on the load.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
6
Good match
10 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker that dips to 3.7.
No 4 ohm power rating on file. On a 8 ohm speaker dipping to 3.7 that is the figure that matters, so this one is unproven on the load.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
7
Excellent match
10 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker that dips to 3.7.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (125 W to 250 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Costs more than the speakers - worth it only if you plan to upgrade them later.
8
Good match
11 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker that dips to 3.7.
No 4 ohm power rating on file. On a 8 ohm speaker dipping to 3.7 that is the figure that matters, so this one is unproven on the load.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
Were these amplifier recommendations useful?
It helps us tune the matching, and we read every comment.
Thanks. Anything you would add?
Optional, and it goes straight to the person who maintains this page.
Thanks - noted.
Sensitivity and impedance figures are the manufacturer's own. We read sensitivity as dB at 2.83 V/1 m and take 2 dB off it, because published figures run high. Treat the result as a well-founded starting point, not a measurement. Full B&W 706 S2 specs.
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