Bowers & Wilkins 607 S3 Bookshelf Speakers - White - Pair

B&W’s Smallest Standmount, Built From the Same Parts

The 607 S3 is a two-way vented-box design. A 5-inch Continuum cone covers bass and midrange, with a 1-inch Decoupled Double Dome Titanium tweeter above it. Both come from the same engineering as B&W’s larger ranges.

Each cabinet is 11.8 inches tall, 6.5 wide and 9.3 deep with the grille and terminals fitted, and each weighs 10.3 pounds. This is the compact end of the range, and it fits places a bigger standmount cannot.

Continuum, and Why the Cone Matters

Continuum is the composite cone B&W spent eight years in development for the 800 Series Diamond. It is built to behave consistently as it moves rather than changing character partway, which is what your ear notices most on voices.

The Numbers, and What They Ask of You

B&W quotes a frequency range of 40 Hz to 33 kHz at minus 6 dB, and a response of 52 Hz to 28 kHz within 3 dB. Sensitivity is 84 dB. Nominal impedance is 8 ohms with a minimum of 3.0 ohms.

Harmonic distortion stays under 1 percent from 100 Hz to 22 kHz, and under 0.5 percent between 500 Hz and 10 kHz. B&W recommends 30 to 100 watts into 8 ohms on unclipped programme, and speaker cable under 0.1 ohms.

Two Foam Inserts Change the Bass

A rear Flowport vents each cabinet, and B&W supplies two ways to tame it. Foam plugs cut the bass most, while foam rings do the same thing more gently, and both matter when a speaker ends up closer to a wall than you would like.

What Reviewers Are Saying

What Hi-Fi? made the 607 S3 an Awards 2024 winner: "There’s clarity and refinement in the mix here – to a really admirable level – but we’re struck by just how entertaining, zippy and musical this new pair sounds."

Simon Lucas reviewed them for TechRadar on August 18, 2024. On the balance B&W struck: "There’s plenty of refinement here, but there’s even more brio." His summary was that "These speakers prove that small can sound beautiful".

Both flag the same caveat. What Hi-Fi? notes the 607 S3’s "enthusiastic character leads to a rather forward presentation, and any similarly top-heavy kit can exacerbate that quality", advising "a more balanced amplifier".

Who Are These Bookshelf Speakers Best For?

• Your room is small and your shelf is smaller — under 12 inches tall and just over 10 pounds each, so they go where a larger standmount will not, and they still use the same drivers B&W puts in bigger cabinets
• You listen close — a compact two-way with the tweeter right above the mid keeps the drivers close together, which is what makes a nearfield seat sound coherent rather than split in two
• They will sit near a wall — B&W supplies both foam plugs and gentler foam rings for the port, so you can dial the bass back by degrees instead of moving furniture
• You want a starting point, not a compromise — the Continuum cone and Titanium Dome tweeter are the same ideas as further up the range, so the character is consistent if you build outward later
• Check your amplifier first — 84 dB sensitivity is on the low side and the load dips to 3.0 ohms, so B&W asks for 30 to 100 watts into 8 ohms; a small streaming amp will run out of room, and one of our integrated amplifiers in that window will not

How Do They Connect to Your System?

Speaker cable runs from your amplifier to the single pair of binding posts on each cabinet, and both runs should be the same length. B&W asks that the cable stay under 0.1 ohms, which is a question of gauge and distance rather than brand.

B&W designed these primarily for its FS-600 S3 floor stand, and says a shelf works but gives less room to optimize. On a shelf, fit the four self-adhesive rubber feet supplied, and keep the cabinets at least half a meter from the back and side walls.

Pairs Well With

What finishes the setup. These are the categories most 607 S3 owners shop next.

• Speaker stands — what B&W designed these for, and not included
• Integrated amplifiers — 30 to 100 watts into 8 ohms is the window
• Speaker cables — under 0.1 ohms total, so gauge and length matter
• Subwoofers — for the bottom octave a 5-inch driver cannot reach

Frequently Asked Questions

What amplifier do these need?

B&W recommends 30 to 100 watts into 8 ohms on unclipped programme. Sensitivity is 84 dB and the impedance dips to 3.0 ohms, so give them a little more power than the size suggests.

Do they come with stands?

Stands are separate. B&W built these around its FS-600 S3 stand, though a shelf is perfectly workable if you use the supplied rubber feet.

What are the foam plugs for?

They fit the rear port and reduce bass when a speaker sits close to a wall. Foam rings are also supplied and do the same thing more gently.

How far from the wall should they sit?

B&W asks for at least half a meter from the back and side walls. Closer than that, reach for the foam inserts.

What if I want more scale than this?

Step up to the Bowers & Wilkins 606 S3. It uses a 6.5-inch Continuum cone, reads 88 dB sensitivity, and takes up to 120 watts.

How big and heavy are they?

Each cabinet is 11.8 inches tall, 6.5 wide and 9.3 deep with grille and terminals, and weighs 10.3 pounds. They ship as a pair.

See It in Action

Our own walkthrough of the 607 S3:

Taps Das reviews them for Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity:

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