Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 Signature
Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
95/100
Build Quality
95/100
Value for Money
89/100
The 702 S3 Signature turns large-scale music into a three-dimensional soundstage, pairing finely resolved vocals with deep, controlled bass and exhilarating dynamic grip. hi-fi+ found its sense of scale addictive, while The Ear praised its fast, expansive poise. Premium crossover refinements and luxurious finishes complete a floorstander built for immersive, high-energy listening.
Pros
Delivers deep, punchy bass with impressive control, scale and articulation, even at moderate listening levels.
Creates a broad, immersive and convincingly three-dimensional soundstage while keeping complex recordings composed.
Exceptionally cohesive midrange and treble presentation gives vocals and instrumental detail clarity without obvious driver handover.
Luxurious exclusive finishes and excellent cabinet workmanship reinforce its premium appeal.
Cons
Its revealing, energetic nature benefits from careful amplifier and source matching; less sympathetic electronics can sound forward or edgy.
The 3.1-ohm minimum impedance may challenge lower-powered or less stable amplifiers.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 95/100
Reviews consistently describe a large-scale, highly resolving and emotionally involving presentation with exceptional coherence across the drivers. Its defining traits are powerful yet controlled bass, finely resolved vocals and treble, expansive imaging, and an effortless ability to play loudly; careful amplifier matching helps it sound its most natural.
Bass
96/100
The three bass drivers earn repeated praise for deep extension, physical scale, punch and unusually strong control. Sound Advice and hi-fi+ found the low end weighty and addictive even at modest levels, while The Ear praised its tight, clean, air-moving authority; one reviewer notes dedicated bass enthusiasts in a large room may still want a little more.
Mid
95/100
Vocals are repeatedly described as believable, clear and finely resolved, with strong texture and presence. Reviewers particularly praise the seamless relationship between the midrange and tweeter, which makes the upper range feel unusually unified rather than obviously divided between drivers.
Treble
93/100
The carbon-dome tweeter is widely admired for detail, air and freedom from sibilance, while retaining a clean and refined character. It is revealing enough that The Ear recommends sympathetic electronics, however, and notes that a poor pairing can make the presentation seem a little forward or edgy.
Soundstage Imaging
95/100
Reviewers hear a broad, layered and convincingly three-dimensional stage, with the speakers disappearing effectively from the presentation. Large recordings retain scale without congestion, while smaller performances preserve their recorded ambience; HiFi News notes that careful toe-in is worthwhile for the strongest imaging.
Dynamics
96/100
This speaker is repeatedly praised for combining speed and articulation with substantial macro-dynamic impact. It stays composed on demanding material and at high levels, yet reviewers also highlight its ability to track low-level shifts in attack and note volume.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
95/100
The cabinet workmanship and exclusive finishes receive near-unanimous praise, described as immaculate, luxurious and flawlessly assembled. Reviewers also highlight the upgraded terminals and crossover parts, though the glossy surfaces can show fingerprints and the gold driver trim is a matter of taste.
Value for Money
89/100
At $9,000 / £7,000 per pair, this is an expensive speaker, but several reviewers consider it competitive against its direct rivals and a meaningful route toward much of the 800 Series experience for less money. The price premium over the standard 702 S3 remains substantial, and it will reward investment in capable source components and amplification.
Reviews & Sources
Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
Online Reviews & Mentions
YouTube Reviews
Forum Mentions
No forum mentions found yet
Specifications
- Net weight
- 35.26 kg (77.7 lbs)
- Dimensions
- Height: 1010mm (39.8in) cabinet only 1138mm (44.8in) including tweeter and plinth Width: 192mm (7.6in) cabinet only 290mm (11.4in) including plinth Depth: 354mm (13.9in) cabinet only 391mm (15.4in) including grille and terminals 410mm (16.1in) including plinth
- Drive units
- 1x ø25mm (1 in) Decoupled Carbon Dome high-frequency 1x ø150mm (6 in) Continuum cone FST midrange 3x ø165mm (6.5 in) Aerofoil Profile bass
- Frequency range
- -6dB 28Hz - 33kHz
- Frequency response
- 46Hz - 28kHz ±3dB
- Harmonic distortion
- 2nd and 3rd harmonics (90dB, 1m on axis) <1% 86Hz - 28kHz <0.5% 110Hz - 20kHz
- Nominal impedance
- 8Ω (minimum 3.1Ω)
- Recommended amplifier power
- 30W - 300W into 8Ω on unclipped programme
- Sensitivity
- 90dB
- Technical features
- Decoupled Carbon Dome tweeter Solid Body Tweeter-on-Top Continuum™ cone FST™ midrange Decoupled midrange Aerofoil™ Profile bass cones Flowport™
- Description
- 3-way vented-box system
- Max recommended cable impedance
- 0.1Ω
- Cabinet finishes
- Datuk Gloss Midnight Blue Metallic
- Grille finishes
- Black
Manufacturer's Description — Bowers & Wilkins
The 702 S3 Signature takes our state-of-the-art flagship 700 Series tower loudspeaker and evolves it to deliver unparalleled levels of performance.
Crafted. Honed. Perfected.
Engineered for pristine studio-quality sound at home, the 702 S3 Signature utilizes upgraded midrange and low-frequency motor systems, improved capacitors, revised speaker terminals, plus a more open tweeter grille mesh, as developed for our 800 Series Signature loudspeakers.
Crafted. Honed. Perfected.
Engineered for pristine studio-quality sound at home, the 702 S3 Signature utilizes upgraded midrange and low-frequency motor systems, improved capacitors, revised speaker terminals, plus a more open tweeter grille mesh, as developed for our 800 Series Signature loudspeakers.
Crafted. Honed. Perfected.
Engineered for pristine studio-quality sound at home, the 702 S3 Signature utilizes upgraded midrange and low-frequency motor systems, improved capacitors, revised speaker terminals, plus a more open tweeter grille mesh, as developed for our 800 Series Signature loudspeakers.
Crafted
We are inventors, pioneers and innovators, continuously developing technologies and products that raise the bar for audio excellence. Bowers & Wilkins engineers craft our 700 Series Signature models with the same care and precision that all our category-defining audio systems are renowned for. The results, however, are unique.
Honed
Built on the foundations of our most advanced technologies, we carefully optimize our 700 Series Signature models to reflect the latest developments in audio excellence. The small details can make the biggest difference – and these are the ones we pay close attention to fine-tuning.
Perfected
We’re passionate about providing the best, truest listening experience we can. Our 700 Series Signature models draw from this lifelong goal and offer a pinnacle in performance and design. We’ve evolved these loudspeakers to optimum heights. This is the best of our best.
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Authorized dealers for Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 Signature
- Resolution A/V — in-store — New York City, New York, United States (website)
- 3mA Audio — online and in-store — Houston, Texas, United States (website)
- Absolute Audio - Canada — in-store — Calgary, Alberta, Canada (website)
- Abt Electronics — online and in-store — Glenview, Illinois, United States (website)
- Accessories 4 less — online and in-store — Apopka, Florida, United States (website)
- Acoustic Sounds — online and in-store — Salina, Kansas, United States (website)
- Acoustica — online and in-store — Chester, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Acoustipower — online and in-store — Markham, Ontario, Canada (website)
- Acton Gate Audio — online and in-store — Cymru, United Kingdom (website)
- ADVANCE ELECTRONICS — in-store — Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (website)
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