Product Video
Features
| Warranty length | 5 Years |
|---|---|
| Brand | Bowers and Wilkins |
Tech Specs
- Dimensions
- Height: 925 mm cabinet only
- Height: 964 mm including plinth
- Width: 165 mm cabinet only
- Width: 252 mm including plinth
- Depth: 263 mm cabinet only
- Depth: 300 mm including grille and terminals
- Depth: 321 mm including plinth
- Net weight - 20.53kg
- Technical details
- Technical features
- Decoupled Carbon Dome tweeter
- Continuum™ cone FST™ midrange
- Decoupled midrange
- Aerofoil™ Profile bass cones
- Flowport™
- Description - 3-way vented-box system
- Drive units - 1x ø25mm (1 in) Decoupled Carbon Dome high-frequency - 1x ø130mm (5 in) Continuum cone FST midrange - 2x ø130mm (5 in) Aerofoil profile bass
- Frequency range - 43Hz and 33kHz
- Frequency response - 48Hz - 28kHz ±3dB
- Sensitivity - 88dB spl (2.83Vrms, 1m)
- Harmonic distortion - 2nd and 3rd harmonics (90dB, 1m on axis) - <1% 100Hz - 22kHz - <0.5% 300Hz - 20kHz
- Nominal impedance - 8Ω (minimum 3.1Ω)
- Recommended amplifier power - 30W - 150W into 8Ω on unclipped programme
- Max recommended cable impedance - 0.1Ω
- Finishes
- Cabinet finishes
- Gloss Black
- Satin White
- Mocha
- Grille finishes
- Black
- Grey (Satin White only)
Product Description
The Bowers & Wilkins 704 S3 Speaker is the smallest floor stander in the 700 series but it still has a big punch. It is a three-way design with a 25mm decoupled carbon dome tweeter and a decoupled Continuum cone bass/midrange driver. Moreover, there are two 130mm aerofoil domed bass units. The bass units give plenty of scale and extension while the midrange unit delivers crystal clear voice performance.
Carbon dome tweeter
Carbon is the perfect tweeter cone material. It is used by the tweeters in the Bowers & Wilkins 704 S3 Speaker and is both light and very strong. As a result, it offers a dramatic improvement over the previous aluminium double dome tweeter. In fact, the breakup frequency has been raised to 47kHz, well above the human hearing range. The result is sweet treble with pinpoint imaging accuracy.
Composite coned bass/midrange unit
The Bowers & Wilkins 704 S3 Speaker has a curved cabinet baffle and chamfered edges. This is designed to prevent standing waves from causing phase errors. Additionally, each driver is contained in its own isolated pod. This reduces the chance of any mutual interference.
Also, the composite material of the midrange unit is designed to prevent abrupt transitions in the sound. Key Bowker & Willkins technologies give a natural and smooth sound. Voices and instruments have a live sound that is full of precision and transparency.
Bower and Wilkins technologies
The 700 series all feature Bower & Wilkins developed technologies. The first is the continuum composite cone used by the midrange driver. The second is the FST surround used by the bass drivers, thirdly the cones feature Biomimetic suspension. Finally, midrange decoupling isolates the drivers.
Aerofoil profile bass units
The Bowers & Wilkins 704 S3 Speaker has two punchy 130mm aerofoil profiled bass drivers. These were developed using advanced computer modelling techniques. The result was a variable thickness cone wall that provides both stiffness and rigidity, where it is needed the most. As a result, the bass is deep and dynamic with no colouration.
Upgraded crossover
The three-way crossover used by the Bowers & Wilkins 704 S3 Speaker is more complex than for two-way designs. Not only is there a high pass filter for the tweeter but there is also a bandpass filter for the mid-range unit. The crossover splits the audio frequency into bands. These feed each driver with the correct frequency range, for optimal performance. The crossover has to be carefully designed to provide a flat frequency response. Moreover, the capacitors have to be of the best quality, as they have to last a lifetime without going leaky or changing value.
Home cinema systems
The Bower & Wilkins 700 Series speakers are perfect for home cinema systems as there are both floor-standers and stand-mounted units available. Not to mention two centre speakers. Subwoofers are also available. A 5.1 system can easily be made up. These have a left and right front set of speakers along with two surround speakers and a centre speaker. The .1 refers to a subwoofer.
