Bowers & Wilkins 603 S3 - Floorstanding Speaker System
The Bowers & Wilkins 603 S3 is the flagship model in the 600 series, ideal for large rooms and home theaters. It features a new tweeter with a titanium dome and a mid-range driver with Continuum diaphragm and FST suspension, providing transparent and accurate sound.
Features:
- Type: Floorstanding Speaker System
- Speaker type: Dynamic
- Frequency response: 29 Hz - 33 kHz
- Sensitivity: 90 dB
- Tweeter: 25 mm titanium dome
- Woofer: 165 mm
- Mid-range driver: 150 mm with Continuum diaphragm
Bowers & Wilkins has introduced a new generation of the popular 600 S3 series, drawing on three decades of experience in creating a reference standard for affordable, high-quality speaker systems. This eighth generation of one of the most well-known Hi-Fi lines has received the most significant update in the history of the Series 600.
The new titanium dome tweeter adds resolution and refinement to the sound. Bowers & Wilkins designs and manufactures all key components of their speaker systems and gradually implements innovative technologies. This approach is continued in the new models of the 600 S3 series, which feature numerous improvements in all aspects of their acoustic characteristics. Many of the new components are borrowed from the 700 S3 series and integrated into the redesigned and enhanced cabinet construction.
The most significant innovation in the 600 S3 series is the titanium dome tweeter technology. Its design consists of two parts, with an extremely thin, lightweight, but rigid main dome 25 microns thick, reinforced by a second titanium ring 30 microns thick. This double dome is housed in a significantly elongated load-bearing tube system, the design of which is inspired by the recently introduced 700 S3 series.
The longer load-bearing tube lowers the resonance frequency of the cavity behind the dome and leads to a more open sound, less affected by the tweeter housing. Additionally, the new titanium dome is surrounded by a mounting plate, similar to the tweeter of the 700 S3 series, to improve sound dispersion, and has a more open design for the tweeter grille, borrowed from the recently introduced 800 Signature series. This combination of new technologies ensures that the tweeter provides smoother and more refined sound without sacrificing resolution or detail.
The signature Continuum diaphragms from Bowers & Wilkins are still present in the design of the mid-range and woofer drivers of the new 600 S3 series, with the addition of more powerful magnetic systems from the 700 S3 series with low distortion levels. The low-frequency drivers with paper diaphragms in the floorstanding 603 S3 model are now also equipped with drivers from the 703 S3. The crossovers are also updated by including high-quality, modernized bypass capacitors like the 700 S3 series, providing higher resolution and transparency of sound.
The speaker cabinets of the 600 S3 series have also received significant improvements. The tweeter and main driver are now installed closer to each other, using intersecting overhung rings for improved integration and stereo imaging. On the rear panel, a new terminal block borrowed from the 700 S3 series is connected to a bass port from the 700 series, enhancing sound quality and increasing cabinet rigidity. Cabinet rigidity is also improved by upgrading internal braces with higher quality wood. Lastly, the bottom of the 606 S3 and 607 S3 now feature metal threaded inserts, allowing more secure attachment to the top plate of the new FS-600 S3 stands.
By developing all these key technologies in-house, Bowers & Wilkins has been able to offer significant sound quality improvements across their new range, while maintaining an excellent price-to-quality ratio. In simple terms, the 600 S3 series continues to offer components and technologies of higher quality than any comparable competitor, intending to continue the legacy of the 600 series as a benchmark standard for affordable, high-quality speaker systems. This is the perfect first step into the world of Bowers & Wilkins sound for music lovers worldwide.
Package includes:
- Speaker system: 2 units
- Documentation