A few months after presenting two very high-end models as part of the 800 Signature series, English manufacturer Bowers & Wilkins shows its continued interest in the entry-level with the renewal of the 600 series, now called S3, like last year’s updated 700 series, from which the new models borrow certain components.
Proof of the change in consumption in this price range, the British company is now presenting just four models, including a single floorstanding speaker numbered 603 S3, and a HTM6 S3 center speaker. Easier to integrate into a room, the other two models are compacts, designated 606 S3 and 607 S3, with the Sussex-based brand declining to say whether or not it intends to expand the range in the future.
Among the benchmark elements of this new range, first and foremost stands out the 25mm (1″) Titanium Dome™ tweeter, whose optimized grille taken directly from the 800 Signature models improves diffraction and makes listening more immersive. Midrange/bass continues to be handled by a patented Continuum™ cone FST™ aramid fiber driver, while the binding posts and rear port come directly from the 700 S3 series. To develop the bass, the 603 S3 adds two 165mm (6.5”) paper-cone boomers, which take the low end up to 46Hz (measured at ±3dB) for a sensitivity of 90 dB at 8-ohm impedance.
The larger of the two compacts, the 606 S3 offers a frequency response of 52Hz to 28kHz (±3dB) for a sensitivity of 88dB, its midrange driver measuring 165mm (6.5”), compared with 150 (6”) on the 603 S3 and 130mm (5”) on the 607 S3. At 30cm (11.8”) tall, the latter is 4cm shorter than the 606 S3, which measures 34cm (13.6”). The HTM6 S3 features two 130mm (5″) mid/bass drivers placed horizontally around the tweeter.
Launched in Europe at prices of €2,300, €1,000, €800 and €750 respectively, the 603 S3, 606 S3, 607 S3 and HTM6 S3 are all very competitively priced, particularly with a view to pairing them in sets of five or more for home theater use.
