Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 Signature Floorstanding Speaker - Datuk Brown - Each

The 700 Series Signature Tower, With 800 Series Refinements Built In

The Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 Signature is the Signature edition of the 702 S3. It is the same three-way, Tweeter-on-Top tower with three 6.5-inch Aerofoil Profile bass cones, built with upgraded motor systems, capacitors, terminals and tweeter grille carried down from B&W's 800 Series Signature models. It is sold each, so a stereo pair is two.

The cabinet is 7.6 inches wide and 44.8 inches tall with the tweeter housing and plinth, and weighs 77.7 pounds, a touch more than the standard 702 S3. Sensitivity is 90 dB into 8 ohms, and B&W recommends 30 to 300 watts. It ships only in Datuk Gloss or Midnight Blue Metallic.

B&W's Signature program takes an existing model and refines the parts that shape the sound most directly, rather than redesigning the cabinet. On the 702 S3 Signature that means the motor systems driving the midrange and bass, the capacitors in the crossover, and the terminals carrying the signal to the drivers.

Where the Signature Upgrades Go

Motor Systems and Capacitors Before Cabinet Changes

The 6-inch Continuum FST midrange and the three Aerofoil Profile bass cones keep the same cone geometry as the standard 702 S3. Their motor systems are upgraded, the same approach B&W used developing its 800 Series Signature towers. Improved capacitors in the crossover and revised terminals carry the benefit through to the drivers.

The Carbon Dome tweeter sits in the same decoupled Tweeter-on-Top housing as the 702 S3, now with a more open grille mesh that reduces the mesh's effect on the top octave.

The Numbers, and What They Ask of Your Amplifier

B&W quotes a frequency range of 28 Hz to 33 kHz at −6 dB, and a response of 46 Hz to 28 kHz within 3 dB. Nominal impedance is 8 ohms with a 3.1-ohm minimum. Recommended amplifier power is 30 to 300 watts. Keep total speaker cable impedance under 0.1 ohms.

The plinth is not optional. B&W says it must always be fitted, with the supplied spikes for carpet or rubber feet for a hard floor, so the cabinet stands firm and free of buzzes.

What Reviewers Are Saying

Ed Selley, AVForums, June 11, 2024, scored the 702 S3 Signature 9 out of 10. He called it "one of the best sub £10k speaker options on the market," adding that the detail tweaks make an already good speaker better.

Brian Kahn, Future Audiophile, February 24, 2025: "The 702 S3 Signatures are very easy to recommend. They sound great, looks great, and do so without breaking the bank."

B&W features an EISA quote on its own 702 S3 Signature page: "For stereo music or 5.1 movies, this series delivers!"

Who Is This Floorstanding Speaker Best For?

• You want 800 Series thinking without the 800 Series price — upgraded motor systems, capacitors and terminals developed for B&W's flagship Signature towers, applied to the 702 S3
• A Signature-only finish matters to you — Datuk Gloss and Midnight Blue Metallic are exclusive to this model
• Your amplifier can drive a demanding load — 90 dB sensitivity and a 30 to 300 watt window mean the 702 S3 Signature rewards a genuinely capable amplifier
• You may bi-wire or bi-amplify later — two linked pairs of terminals on each cabinet let you start with one cable and split the links whenever you are ready
• You want cinema-depth bass from the towers alone — the 702 S3 Signature is rated to 28 Hz, which covers music and most movies comfortably. For the deepest home-theater effects, add one of our subwoofers and let the towers do what they do best

How Does It Connect to Your System?

Fit the plinth and feet first. Then stand the pair 5 to 10 feet apart and at least 20 inches from the back and side walls. Each cabinet has two linked pairs of binding posts for banana plugs, spades or bare wire. For a normal hookup leave the links in and connect one pair to your amplifier, red to red and black to black.

Remove the links to bi-wire or bi-amplify. Either way, screw the caps down fully so nothing rattles. Give the drivers about 15 hours of play before you judge the bass.

Two cables, two speakers, and you are listening.

Pairs Well With

What finishes the system around a pair of 702 S3 Signature:

• Integrated amplifiers — 30 to 300 watts into 8 ohms is the window B&W gives
• Stereo amplifiers — a separate power amp if you plan to bi-amplify, or if your integrated amplifier can't reach 300 watts
• Speaker cables — low inductance, under 0.1 ohms total, in matched lengths
• Speaker isolation feet — an alternative to spikes on a wood or tile floor

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the price for one speaker or a pair?

One. The 702 S3 Signature is sold each, so order two for a stereo pair, or one to match an existing speaker.

What's different from the standard 702 S3?

The motor systems in the midrange and bass drivers, the crossover capacitors, the speaker terminals and the tweeter grille mesh are all upgraded. These are the same changes B&W made on its 800 Series Signature towers. The cone sizes and cabinet size are unchanged.

What finishes does it come in?

Datuk Gloss and Midnight Blue Metallic, both exclusive to the Signature line and not offered on the standard 702 S3.

What amplifier do I need?

B&W recommends 30 to 300 watts into 8 ohms. Sensitivity is 90 dB and the impedance dips to 3.1 ohms, so choose an amplifier that stays composed into a 4-ohm load and can supply real current.

Can I bi-wire or bi-amplify?

Yes. Remove the links between the two pairs of terminals and run a separate cable, or a separate amplifier channel, to each pair.

Do I have to use the spikes?

Use the plinth always, but choose your feet. Spikes for carpet, the supplied rubber feet for wood or tile. Adjust them until the cabinet stands without rocking.

See It in Action

AVForums explains what the Signature upgrades change and why the 702 S3 Signature scored a 9:

Andrew Robinson reviews the Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 Signature.

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