There are very few names in the premium loudspeaker industry that can be as respected as Bowers and Wilkins. The brand has a long history of engineering genius and global quality craftsmanship that continues to impress audiophiles and music enthusiasts with every new product.
The 702 S3 has not been an exception- it occupies the top spot in the 700 Series at B&W, continuing the tradition of high-quality sound in a more upscale and luxurious form.
This is not a speaker who plays music, but feels it. All the notes, all the instruments, all the voices are realistic; you get the sense that you are either in a concert hall or a recording studio.
Its revised design, sophisticated driver technology, and painstakingly detailed finish all suggest that the 702 S3 does not simply hand out the mantle to its predecessor, but also to other market rivals in the high-fidelity arena.
Is it really as good as it is hyped to be? We will discuss all of that in this review, including design and build quality, sound levels, installation, and worth, to help you determine whether Bowers and Wilkins 702 S3 should be included in your home audio system.
Design and Build Quality – A Luxury Speaker That Stands Out
The very first thing that captures your attention about the Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 is its striking design. Standing tall at nearly four feet, these floor-standing speakers immediately give off an aura of sophistication and elegance. Available in finishes like Gloss Black, Satin White, and Mocha, they can blend seamlessly into a modern living room or make a bold statement in a dedicated music space.
B&W has always taken pride in craftsmanship, and the 702 S3 is no different. The cabinet is beautifully engineered with a curved front profile that reduces unwanted vibrations and resonances. This not only improves sound clarity but also adds a touch of sculpted luxury to its appearance.
The solid construction ensures durability, while the attention to detail—from the aluminum tweeter-on-top housing to the carefully designed grilles—shows just how much thought went into its creation.
Another standout feature is the tweeter-on-top design, a signature look for B&W’s higher-end models. By isolating the tweeter in its own housing above the main cabinet, Bowers & Wilkins reduces distortion and delivers more precise, open high frequencies.
This design choice is not only functional but also visually striking, giving the 702 S3 a unique and premium identity compared to other speakers in its price range.
The overall build quality leaves no doubt that this is a speaker meant for serious audiophiles. It’s sturdy, heavy, and built to last—yet still elegant enough to sit proudly in a stylish home environment.
Technical Features – The Engineering Behind the Sound
Behind the elegant design of the 702 S3 lies a wealth of cutting-edge engineering. Bowers & Wilkins is known for borrowing technology from its flagship 800 Series, and many of those innovations have trickled down into this model, making it one of the most advanced speakers in its class.
At its core, the 702 S3 is a three-way floorstanding speaker featuring:
- One Carbon Dome Tweeter mounted on top, designed to deliver crystal-clear highs without harshness.
- One Continuum Cone FST Midrange Driver, which ensures smooth and natural reproduction of vocals and instruments.
- Three Aerofoil Bass Cones, built to provide deep, punchy, and controlled low frequencies.
The Continuum cone technology, first seen in the 800 Series Diamond, is particularly impressive. It eliminates the sudden transitions in sound that often cause coloration, allowing for a more transparent and accurate midrange. This means you can hear the finer details in a singer’s voice or the texture of a guitar string with remarkable precision.
Meanwhile, the Aerofoil Profile bass cones are specially shaped to maintain rigidity where it’s needed most. The result is bass that feels tight and authoritative, without being overwhelming or muddy. Combine that with the Flowport technology at the back of the cabinet, and you get deep, room-filling bass that feels balanced rather than bloated.
In short, every component inside the 702 S3 has been designed with a singular purpose: to bring music to life in the most faithful way possible.
Sound Performance – Clarity, Depth, and Realism
All the engineering in the world wouldn’t matter if the speaker didn’t sound exceptional—and this is where the 702 S3 truly shines. The moment you press play, you’re greeted with a sound that is immersive, balanced, and breathtakingly detailed.
The high frequencies sparkle with clarity, yet never cross into sharpness or listener fatigue. Thanks to the tweeter-on-top design, instruments like violins, cymbals, and pianos feel airy and expansive, as though they’re floating in the room.
The midrange is where Bowers & Wilkins has always excelled, and the Continuum cone ensures vocals come through with lifelike warmth and accuracy. Whether it’s the raw emotion in a singer’s voice or the subtle tones of acoustic instruments, the 702 S3 makes sure nothing is lost.
Then comes the bass—powerful yet controlled. The triple Aerofoil bass cones provide depth that you can feel in your chest, but they never overwhelm the rest of the frequency range. Instead, it complements the mids and highs perfectly, creating a seamless sonic balance.
What stands out most is the soundstage. The 702 S3 doesn’t just play music; it creates an atmosphere. Close your eyes, and you can almost pinpoint the exact location of each instrument in the mix. This level of precision makes it equally enjoyable for both critical listening sessions and casual background music.
Whether you’re listening to jazz, rock, electronic, or even movie soundtracks, the 702 S3 adapts beautifully, delivering a sound that feels natural, dynamic, and deeply engaging.
Setup and Placement – Getting the Best from the 702 S3
While the Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 is designed to impress right out of the box, proper setup and placement can make a huge difference in unlocking its full potential.
First, it’s important to note that these are large floorstanding speakers, and they perform best in medium-to-large rooms where they have space to breathe. Positioning them too close to a wall may result in bass that feels a bit too heavy, so giving them at least 1–2 feet of clearance from the back fence is recommended.
B&W also provides adjustable spikes and rubber feet, allowing you to stabilize the speakers on different floor types. This isn’t just for aesthetics—it helps reduce unwanted vibrations and ensures that the sound remains clear and precise.
When it comes to pairing, the 702 S3 thrives with a powerful and high-quality amplifier. With an impedance of 8 ohms and sensitivity of 90 dB, they aren’t extremely difficult to drive, but to truly hear them at their best, an amplifier with at least 30–300 watts per channel is ideal. Brands like Rotel, McIntosh, or Marantz often pair beautifully with B&W speakers.
Finally, speaker placement can be fine-tuned by slight toe-in angles, pointing the speakers slightly towards the listening position. This enhances imaging and creates that immersive “sweet spot” where the soundstage comes alive.
Everyday Listening Experience – Music, Movies, and More
Where Bowers and Wilkins 702 S3 are really at home is in living with them. The 702 S3 offers the optimal balance between performance and pleasure compared to other high-end speakers that may be too critical or too in-studio-like. This implies that you will not feel tired after listening to a long session.
The music lovers can be described as having a magical experience. Play a live jazz recording and you can feel the instruments coming to life in the room with each speaking in its own space.
Switch to classical and the orchestral layers open up with amazing richness, and you can hear the smaller details, such as the sound of a violin string resonating or the air passing through a flute. On rock or pop, the bass has a satisfying impact without obscuring the vocals in the center.
The 702 S3 can be used in a home theater configuration to turn movies into an experience. Bangs are thunderous, the dialogue is clear, and the sound effects move about the room with precision. Combining them with a similar B&W center channel and subwoofer can result in a movie theater experience that is comparable to the big screen.
Their versatility is what makes them so enjoyable to use daily. The 702 S3 sounds great, whether you are critically listening to an album or have just put a blockbuster on, or are just letting Spotify stream in the background as you relax and unwind. It does not feel out of place when working with a fragile acoustic recording or when working with heavy bass electronic recordings.
Comparisons – How Does It Stack Up Against Rivals?
The premium floorstanding speaker market is packed with strong contenders, so how does the Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 hold its ground?
Compared to its predecessor, the 702 S2, the improvements are immediately noticeable. The S3 has a refined cabinet design with a curved front, the upgraded Continuum cone midrange, and improved crossover components. The sound is cleaner, more open, and offers greater depth, making the upgrade worthwhile for serious listeners.
Against rivals like the KEF R11 Meta, the 702 S3 delivers a warmer and more natural sound signature, while KEF leans towards a slightly more analytical, precise presentation. It comes down to preference—KEF may appeal to those who want extreme detail, while B&W will attract those who crave emotional engagement.
When compared to the Focal Aria 936, the 702 S3 feels more refined in the upper frequencies, thanks to its tweeter-on-top design. The Focal, however, offers slightly more bass energy at a lower price point, making it attractive for bass enthusiasts.
Within B&W’s own lineup, the 702 S3 sits just below the 800 Series Diamond, which is significantly more expensive. While the 800 Series offers unmatched performance, the 702 S3 gives you a taste of that flagship technology at a far more approachable price—making it one of the best values in the B&W family.
Overall, the 702 S3 may not be the absolute cheapest option in its category, but it delivers a sound that feels more premium, refined, and emotionally engaging than many of its competitors.
Price and Value – Is the 702 S3 Worth It?
High-end audio often comes with a hefty price tag, and the Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 is no exception. Priced at around $7,000 USD per pair, it’s clearly aimed at serious enthusiasts rather than casual listeners. But the real question is—does it justify that investment?
It is a question of what you value the most in a speaker. The 702 S3 will not be the option you want to consider when you want something cheaper or smaller. However, when you are looking at having a pair of speakers that are luxurious in design, but still cutting-edge in technology, and breathtaking in sound quality, then the 702 S3 is simply unbelievable in terms of value in the high-fidelity audio industry.
You add it up, and the price includes not just the high-quality materials and technology but also the trickle-down technology of the 800 Series that is regarded as one of the best in the world. You are basically receiving flagship-level performance at a fraction of the cost.
Also, such speakers have been designed in order to be decades old. Not a single electronic device or gadget that you may certainly find in your home goes as fast as a pair of 702 S3s and can serve as the center of your audio system over the course of some years, with both performance and value.
The 702 S3 is worth the money to any audiophile, music lover, and even home theater enthusiast who insists on no-compromise performance. It will be an investment in both the equipment and in the manner in which you listen to sound in your daily life.
Final Verdict – Should You Buy the B&W 702 S3?
The Bowers and Wilkins 702 S3 is a real case study of how design, engineering and sound may converge to produce something different. Its sleek appearance, high-quality construction, and high-tech make it look and feel like a luxury speaker. It sounds so well-balanced, strong and detailed, which makes perfect sense in all types of music and is also very effective in home theater systems.
It does not come without demands-it needs the proper amplifier, it needs to be placed well, and it requires a bigger room to shine. It is also firmly positioned in the premium category by its price, which some may not be able to afford. Nonetheless, to those who appreciate musical perfection, spatial sound, and old-fashioned craftsmanship, the 702 S3 is a great investment.
The B&W 702 S3 is worth the price and reputation, not just because it plays audio but also makes the process of listening to music an experience.
FAQs
What is the frequency response of the B&W 702 S3?
The Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 offers a frequency response of 46Hz – 28kHz. This wide range ensures deep bass, clear mids, and crisp highs for balanced sound.
Why is B&W so expensive?
B&W is expensive because of its premium materials, advanced engineering, and high-end craftsmanship. The brand focuses on delivering accurate, lifelike sound with long-lasting quality.
Are Bowers and Wilkins better than B&O?
B&W speakers are often praised for accuracy and natural sound, while B&O focuses more on design and lifestyle appeal. The “better” choice depends on whether you value sound precision or stylish integration.
Are Bowers and Wilkins earbuds any good?
Yes, B&W earbuds are known for premium build quality and rich, detailed sound. They may cost more, but they deliver excellent audio performance for serious listeners.