Features
Warranty length | 5 Years |
---|---|
Brand | Audio Affair |
Tech Specs
- Specifications
- Size & weight
- Dimensions
- Height: 165 mm cabinet only
- Height: 233 mm including tweeter
- Width: 628 mm cabinet only
- Depth: 318 mm cabinet only
- Depth: 356 mm including grille and terminals
- Net weight - 17.45kg
- Technical details
- Technical features
- Decoupled Carbon Dome tweeter
- Solid Body Tweeter-on-Top
- Continuum™ cone FST™ 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 - 45Hz - 33kHz
- Frequency response - 50Hz - 28kHz ±3dB
- Sensitivity - 89dB spl (2.83Vrms, 1m)
- Harmonic distortion - 2nd and 3rd harmonics (90dB, 1m on axis) - <1% 90Hz - 22kHz - <0.5% 120Hz - 20kHz
- Nominal impedance - 8Ω (minimum 3.1Ω)
- Recommended amplifier power - 30W - 200W 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 HTM71 S3 Centre Speaker is the flagship centre speaker in the 700 range and features a top-mounted tweeter pod. The pod contains a carbon-coned 25mm tweeter. Additionally, there is a Continuum coned, centre-mounted, 130mm midrange unit and two 130mm aerofoil bass units.
This centre speaker is voiced to match the rest of the 700 series and includes floor-standing and stand-mounted speakers. All can be used to make home cinema systems.
Carbon coned premium tweeter in a pod
The top-mounted tweeter pod, used by the Bowers & Wilkins HTM71 S3 Centre Speaker, is the latest generation of this iconic feature. The pod is made of a solid milled block of aluminium that resists resonances. Moreover, it now has a longer tube loading system that creates a free and open sound.
Additionally, the housing is isolated from the rest of the cabinet to prevent interference. The tweeter itself features a carbon cone that is far superior to previous versions. It provides pinpoint accuracy and great detail. Notably, the breakup frequency has been pushed to a frequency well beyond human hearing.
Curved cabinet baffle
The Bowers & Wilkins HTM71 S3 Centre Speaker includes a slightly curved front baffle. This is designed to break up standing waves. Standing waves can lead to phase errors due to reflected signals. Additionally, each speaker driver has its own enclosure to prevent mutual interference.
Composite coned bass/midrange unit
The composite coned, Continuum, midrange units used in the Bowers & Wilkins HTM72 S3 Centre Speaker have a structure that resits any abrupt transitions in the response characteristic. As a result, the sound is less distorted with no colouration. Vocals and instruments have great precision and transparency.
Why a centre speaker?
Home cinema systems usually have a centre speaker to enhance dialogue and some effects. Most modern films are mixed with a centre track that is meant to make dialogue more audible and to anchor some effects. Notably, there are also some surround-encoded music tracks.
Centre channel speakers such as the Bowers & Wilkins HTM72 S3 Centre Speaker were first used By Walt Disney in 1940 for the Fantasia film.