By When I was offered the opportunity to review Bowers & Wilkins Signature version of their third-generation 705 stand-mount speakers, I jumped at the chance. I have previously reviewed the 702 S2, 702 S2 Signature and the 702 S3 floorstanding models. In fact, I was so impressed with those speakers that I purchased the 702 S2 Signatures and then subsequently replaced them with the 702 S3 floorstanders. The reason for the replacement was in large part because Bowers & Wilkins also offered a matching center channel speaker with the third generation, something that was absent from their 700 S2 Signature lineup. I still use the 702 S3 floorstanders as my everyday speakers in our family room setup for music, television and home theater playback. While I had listened to the 705 S3 stand-mounted speakers at an audio show, I never had the opportunity for an extended audition. For this review, I received a pair of the 705 S3 Signatures priced at $5,200, in the beautiful Datuk Gloss finish option (also available in Midnight Blue Metallic), along with a pair of Bowers & Wilkins FS-700 S3 stands in gloss black (also available in silver), priced at $820 (buy at Crutchfield). I would characterize the 705 S3 Signature speakers, like all of the Signature versions of the comparable standard third-generation 700 series speakers, as a fine-tuning of those standard versions, rather than a complete redesign. So, let’s dive straight into my impressions of the Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 speakers in terms of technology, aesthetics and performance.
What Makes the Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature Loudspeakers So Special?
- The 705 S3 Signatures stay true to that Bowers & Wilkins legacy sound the company is known for, which is articulate, detailed and energetic, in my opinion a very good thing indeed. You might also refer to it as a studio sound. Indeed, Bowers & Wilkins speakers are utilized in many recording studios around the world.
- The Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signatures deliver a soundstage that is notably wide and deep. The resulting well-defined, three-dimensional space provides a greater sense of realism for performances than do most other stand-mount designs.
- While the mid/bass driver of the 705 S3 Signature speaker appears to be the same as that found in the 705 S2, it does incorporate a revised spider, the same as that used for the bass units of the 702 S3 Signature floorstander. The revised spider has a lower resin content, intended to reduce noise and said to result in a cleaner midrange and extended bass.
- Inside, the Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature speaker features a significantly redesigned crossover network, utilizing upgraded Mundorf main capacitors and double the number of bypass capacitors in a new arrangement.
- The Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signatures offer precise imaging, with natural-sounding vocals and instruments that are locked into their respective positions within an expansive soundstage for a greater sense of realism.
- The solid body “tweeter on top” design of the 705 S3 Signatures is similar to that of the 800 series speakers. But the 705 S3 Signature employs a carbon dome tweeter, housed in the decoupled tube-shaped enclosure mounted on top of the cabinet, while the flagship 805 D4 stand-mount model employs Bowers & Wilkins’ diamond tweeter in a similarly-designed enclosure. The tweeter enclosure of the 705 S3 Signature has the same mesh grille as the flagship 805 Signature series speaker, but with a gold trim ring. It’s a more open mesh design than that found on the standard 705 S3. It isn’t the same tweeter as the 800 Series but it has a lot of the technology trickling down from Bowers & Wilkins best design.
- The bass response of the ported two-way Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature speakers is rated down to 50 Hertz (+/- 3dB). Listening sessions without a subwoofer time and again substantiated that claim and often left me wondering if that rating is actually a bit conservative.
- The Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature, like the other models in the 700 series Signature lineup, is available in two finishes, including Datuk Gloss and Midnight Blue Metallic, as opposed to the Piano Black, Satin White and Mocha finishes available in the non-signature 705 S3 speaker. Both Signature edition finishes are absolutely gorgeous and definitely a significant step above the standard finishes. Drivers also have a gold trim ring, versus the silver trim of the standard Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 speakers. For this review, Bowers & Wilkins sent me the Datuk Gloss finish option. For more details about this beautiful, sustainable wood veneer finish, you should read my Bowers & Wilkins 702 S2 Signature speaker review here.
- Bowers & Wilkins offers the matching HTM71 S3 Signature series center channel for those wanting their speakers to serve both two-channel and home theater duties. This welcome option was not available in the previous generation of 700 Signature series but has now been introduced with this latest edition.
Why Should You Care About the Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature Loudspeakers?
- The 705 S3 Signature speakers stay true to that characteristic Bowers & Wilkins studio sound, delivering superb midrange and treble resolution and musically satisfying bass performance beyond what it should be capable of for its size. In fact, the Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature speakers deliver a significant percentage of the performance of the flagship 805 D4 Signature at a fraction of the price.
- The Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signatures will perform terrifically in almost any small to medium-sized listening space while being less obtrusive than a floorstanding speaker.
- The Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature speakers are aesthetically pleasing to the eye, with the gorgeous Datuk Gloss finish capable of blending in with almost any décor, while the Midnight Blue Metallic finish best complements a modern design.
Some Things You Might Not Like About the Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature Loudspeakers
- For those who are limited to placing their speakers closer than 18 inches from the front wall of their room, bass output may be overly emphasized due to boundary issues. While this can be tamed by inserting the included two-piece foam bung into the rear flowport, bass output may be overly limited.
- Those with a large listening room may need to add a subwoofer to the Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature speakers to achieve sufficient output to fill the space.
Listening to the Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature Loudspeakers
I assembled the 26-inch Bowers & Wilkins FS-700 S3 stands and positioned them where my reference Aerial Acoustics 7T speakers normally reside in my listening room. I then placed the 705 S3 Signature speakers atop the stands and connected them with WireWorld speaker cabling. After adjusting to a slight toe-in for optimal imaging, the speakers’ final positioning was four feet from the front wall and two feet from the side walls. Bowers & Wilkins recommends a minimum distance of 18 inches from the front wall. However, for those who need to place their speakers closer, there is a two-piece foam bung included that can be placed in the rear flowport to control bass emphasis. My reference Classé Delta series electronics, used to drive the speakers and sources, included an Esoteric CD/SACD player and a dedicated Mac Mini music server, with Roon installed for streaming from Qobuz and Tidal. With a rated 88dB sensitivity and eight-ohm impedance, the Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature speakers are not overly difficult to drive. However, because their impedance can dip down to near three ohms, the speakers benefit from use of a quality amplifier that outputs at least 30 watts per channel.
During my evaluation sessions, I listened to several male and female vocal tracks familiar to me to delve into the Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature’s upper and midrange frequencies performance capability. For example, listening to Australian folk/pop singer Hazlett’s track “I Don’t Want Your Garden” from his album Last Night You Said You Missed Me (Nettwerk Music Group), the Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signatures revealed an upper midrange that was lush, full and possessing timbral accuracy. I attended Hazlett’s concert in Los Angeles last October, so I have a good grasp of how his vocals should sound live, and the 705 S3 Signatures did not disappoint on his live recordings, as well as his studio recordings. In the beginning of the aforementioned track, there is just the intimacy of acoustic guitar and Hazlett’s textured and slightly reverbed vocals. The soundstage extended from speaker to speaker at this point but, at the 1:12 mark, when electric guitar and drums joined in, the soundstage width and depth increased beyond the speakers, finally culminating in a full wall-to-wall presentation when backup vocals joined in as the song began to crescendo later in the track. The bass drum had believable tonal depth and attack throughout, sounding full and energetic.
Upon switching the focus to female vocals, the Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signatures truly exceled with vocalists such as Alison Krauss, Sara Bareilles, and Sarah McLachlan. On McLachlan’s song “Gravity” from her album Better Broken (Concord Records), the Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signatures revealed every detail, texture and emotion of her vocals, all while locking her voice dead center within the wide soundstage presented. Every nuance of her vocals were revealed, with the tweeter presenting itself as energetic and detailed, but never approaching the point of being harsh or fatiguing. I know some enthusiasts are of the opinion that Bowers & Wilkins speakers are bright-sounding, but I didn’t experience that at all. I would characterize them as detailed and accurate, but not bright. Bass and midbass piano notes were reproduced with natural levels of attack and decay, while sounding tonally accurate. These traits contributed to the believable presentation. Listening to selections from these artists and most others never left me wanting to add a subwoofer to the 705 S3 Signatures.
To test the lower limits of the Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature speakers, I listened to several tracks I routinely use for this purpose, from artists as diverse as The Weeknd, Billie Eilish, Pink Floyd and composer Hans Zimmer. When listening to Zimmer’s track “Time” from the Inception movie soundtrack (WaterTower Music), there is a slow-building, deep, atmospheric bass rumble that is evident throughout the track, which really challenges a speaker’s ability to handle sustained low frequencies. This track can be a challenge even for large floorstanders to deliver all the low bass weight the track has to offer. So, it might be unfair to expect a stand-mount speaker like the Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature to do the job. But hey, I was looking for the speakers’ low-end limit. And while the Signatures did an admirable job at delivering all the bass they were capable of, they did fall a bit short in terms of delivering that bass rumble you can feel in your chest with a full-range floorstanding speaker. However, when I added my Bowers & Wilkins DB4S subwoofer to the 705 S3 Signatures (crossed over at 60 Hertz), I once again felt that rumble hitting me. That’s not a knock on the Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature speaker. Almost every stand-mount speaker falls a bit short on tracks with similar deep bass. In fact, the only stand-mount speaker of a similar size I’ve heard that is capable of delivering a generous amount of the bass impact of this track is the Alta Audio Alyssa (read review here). The Alta Audio Alyssa uses a combination of transmission line and tuned port technologies to achieve clear and impactful bass down to 30 Hertz. While the Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature speaker is phenomenal at delivering the full range of most music tracks, it definitely benefited from the addition of a subwoofer for music with truly deep bass dipping well below 50 Hertz.
Will the Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature Loudspeakers Hold Their Value?
In a word, yes! The Bowers & Wilkins brand is both widely-known and well-respected within the audiophile community. The engineering-driven company has been delivering high-quality speakers for decades and will likely be a mainstay in the industry for decades to come. Their speakers’ natural, detailed and energetic sound has a wide appeal among most enthusiasts. Past Bowers & Wilkins Signature models are still in demand on the resale market, fetching a better than average return on initial investment, so I would expect the same to hold true for the 705 S3 Signature speaker.
What is the Competition for the Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature Loudspeakers?
There are many great-performing stand-mount loudspeaker options in the price range of the Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature with which to compare. Another great stand-mount speaker is the Studio Electric M4 (read review here). It features a two-way sealed cabinet design (rather than ported like the Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signatures), incorporating a one-inch soft dome tweeter with a proprietary 6.5-inch bass driver. These speakers offer terrific imaging capability and deliver more-than-expected low end, especially from a sealed cabinet design.
If extracting the most bass possible without employing a subwoofer is important to you, then another worthy competitor to the Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature speakers I recommend you take a listen to is the Alta Audio Alyssa speaker (read review here). It’s a stand-mount speaker of similar size, but employs a combination of transmission line and tuned port technologies that result in the clearest, deepest bass we’ve heard from a speaker of its size. This speaker can really reach down to 30 Hertz, delivering clean, clear base with impact, which is almost unheard-of from a stand-mount speaker of similar size to the Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature speakers.
If the Signature’s price point compared to that of the standard 705 S3 stand-mounts ($3,800 per pair) has you wondering whether the performance and aesthetic improvements justify the price difference, then I recommend looking for a high-end audio dealer that carries both for a side-by-side listening comparison of the Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signatures with the standard edition (non-signature) Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 stand mount speaker (read review here) that Jerry Del Colliano favorable reviewed. The physical size of the two speakers is identical with internal crossover components and design, as well as cabinet finishes being the main differences between the two rear-ported two-way designs. While it’s my opinion that the price difference of the 705 S3 Signature is worth the improvement in aesthetics and performance, that decision may be different for some enthusiasts.
Final Thoughts on the Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature Loudspeakers …
In the Signature version of the Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 stand-mount speaker, Bowers & Wilkins’ engineering team has bumped up the build quality, finish materials and audio performance of the speaker to a higher level than previously achieved. The speaker delivers wonderful midrange and treble accuracy with energy, while bass performance provides satisfying levels of extension on all but the most bass-heavy tracks. Its ability to image so precisely while also producing a wide soundstage is a musically satisfying combination. I suspect the Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature speaker would be a welcome addition to most audiophiles’ listening spaces.
