Bowers & Wilkins 603 S2 Anniversary 200W Tower Speaker - Single - Black

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Bowers and Wilikins is one of the oldest UK speaker companies out there (since 1966, now owned by Sound United) so they do have a lot of experience. Their speakers are known for a their true unbiased sound, excellent characteristics and minimalistic design. 600 Series Anniversary Edition towers are not an exception! Built in a compact 40x13.5x7.5 enclosure they do pack a serios punch! 3 channel design (1" aluminium twitter, 6" Continuum cone mid range and two 6" paper bass drivers) with an upgraded crossover - they do sound bigger then they look! High frequency is extremely clear and true to the record, mid range is loud and crisp, bass is remarkably powerful! I did my tests using 2 setups - music room, as a pure 2 channel setup + 12" 500W subwoofer and my home theater room - a complete 7.2.2 Atmos setup. B&W 600 S2 shined in both, especially in a high and mid range - sound clarity was just outstanding. You will need a subwoofer if you are using these in a home theater setup. Speaker connections - there are 4 terminals on the back of the towers (for bi-amping) that allow for either spade connectors or banana plugs (just remove the plastic cap before inserting banana connector). Measurements using Room EQ Wizard did confirm speaker performance in 28Hz-22kHz range (web site claim up to 33kHz but I can't measure nor possibly hear this :)). Speakers do come with optional pedestals to improve stability, all necessarily hardware to attach to the pedestals as well as carpet spikes and hardwood floor rubber legs, plus an optional foam plug for a port on the back. Recommended amplifier power - up to 200W at 8 Ohms. Overall - it's a solid performing tower in it's range, outstanding clarity of highs and sufficient bass makes it a great choice for a 2 channel music or home theater application.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) has released their 600 Anniversary series speakers and what an impressive set of speakers they are. Contents of this package is the 603 S2 speaker (1 per box), base mounting hardware, base, magnetic mesh screen, 2-size foam plug for bass port, and installation/build instructions. They come with a 5-year warranty on parts & labor. Disclaimer: I have 2 of these 603 S2 floor speakers and the B&W HTM6 center channel for this anniversary series hooked up with a Klipsch subwoofer, rear Infinity surround speakers, and a Yamaha RX-V685 7.2 channel receiver. I am replacing a 20-yr old set of great-sounding and vintage BOSE 701 floor speakers and BOSE VCS-10 center channel. PROS: ----------- * Great look, well built, solid chassis, construction materials used are of high quality. * I set up my speaker sound using the given Yamaha receiver YPAO microphone. This should be done whenever speaker sets are changed out. After going through that sequence of events, I ended up increasing the center channel volume along with rear speaker volume in order to hear the surround items better and especially the talking in movies better. Once adjusted, these floor speakers really brought out the sound of some blockbuster hits including Wonder Woman 84 on Christmas Day, Gladiator, and Soul (Pixar movie). I played a few other hits on HBOmax and the sound was phenomenal. * Sound was very crisp on left/right scenes as surround sound dictated. You can tell that the crossovers are doing their job because specific sounds are coming out loud and clear on each individual woofer. The highs from the tweeters really couldn't be better. * I listened to some digital music including piano, R&B, classic rock, special effects, and country. With each genre, I felt like I was in the middle of a concert. This was done without the use of the surround sound speakers. It was that good. * The magnetic speaker grills are easily removable and look good on OR off. Be careful though, because these grills are extremely thin and made of plastic and could possibly break easily. * Attaching the base was quick and easy. Hook-up was easy as it's only 2 wires in most applications. * These speakers do allow for 2 separate amplifier connections (2 red posts and 2 black posts) if needed. CONS: ----------- * This is a first - I cannot think of a single "con" for this product. They are THAT good and THAT impressive. OTHER OBSERVATIONS: ----------------------------------- * Make sure you allow for about a week for the sound of your speakers to fall into place with the "breaking-in" period. The speakers need to operate at softer/normal levels before sending them a great deal of power. This includes getting the speakers acclimated to the temperature of your home. * The speakers themselves will be more dependent on which receiver you use rather than the speaker itself for incredible/great sound. If you use a subpar receiver/amplifier, your sound will be that as well, regardless of speaker quality. If you want these speakers to cry out to you in a good way, invest in a good receiver with ample power. Even though these speakers provide a great balance of sound, including bass, it is still, in my opinion, better to have a separate bass subwoofer (or two for some rooms) to aid with sound quality in the extreme low-band frequencies. * These speakers come with both carpet spikes (to hold in place) or rubber feet if used on hardwoods/tile. Personally, I like the rubber feet even on carpet. They are so heavy (each is ~60 lbs), that they are not moving anywhere. If they need to be moved or adjusted with rubber feet used, it can be done easily without having to pick up (if using the spikes). * These speakers are installed onto a wooden base. This base is static and does NOT swivel. * I did not have a need for using the foam bass woofer plug provided. CONCLUSION: =================== Unlike other products like TVs, receivers, computers, cars, and appliances, SPEAKERS are a very simple thing to actually "use". You literally hook them up with 2 wires, and the way they sound is really more dependent on the receiver you have driving them. They might sound good or bad depending on your receiver and sound setup characteristics. Please use a quality receiver to make these things sing! If you don't, then you are losing a ton of specific sounds these speakers can provide at high quality. After 20 years of my vintage BOSE 701's, this upgrade was well worth it and I highly recommend these incredible-sounding speakers.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] The thing I am most impressed about with these speakers is their ability to provide complete sound at relatively low volume levels. I love watching my movies with very loud sound, but during those times when loud audio isn’t appropriate, the speakers do an excellent job bringing out all the sounds of the movie in lower volumes. Essentially, the sound reproduction coming from these speakers is excellent when cranked up, and equally excellent when played at lower listening levels. They manage to have a fullness that includes excellent mid-range, clear highs, and dynamic and tight bass. Speakers with similar capabilities cost two to three times as much. And you do not need a high-end amp to get excellent sound from these speakers. If you continue reading below, you will see that they produce great sound when powered by a modest home theater receiver. Overall, this pair of speakers perform well above other speakers at this price range. Additional details about my home theater setup include a matching Bowers & Wilkins HTM6 Anniversary Edition center channel speaker, an entry level 7.2 receiver (Onkyo TX-NR696), a MartinLogan Dynamo 600X 10-inch subwoofer, and two rear Sony surround satellite speakers, all connected by 14-gauge speaker wire. This is definitely not a high-end setup. However, the speakers do a excellent job delivering a faithful reproduction of the audio signal. The main reason is because they are pretty efficient at 88.5 db. Meaning, they do an above average job of converting power (sent to it by the amp) into sound. The speakers themselves are rated between 30 and 200 watts at 8 ohms. My receiver/amp is pushing roughly 45 watts per channel, which is on the low end of what these speakers can handle. I can only imagine what they would sound like with a more powerful amp. And since I live in a small house with a living room roughly 12 by 18 feet, the supplied power of my current amp is more than enough. In summary, here are some pros and cons I found while using these speakers. Pros: -Excellent mid-range -Dynamic and tight bass -Clarity of highs -Large soundstage, meaning the speakers allow you to hear sounds coming from different areas (e.g. location of instruments in music, sound effects in movies, etc.) Cons: -The highs can be a little strong or bright. These speakers have a premium tweeter mounted on top. They produce highs with great accuracy. To adjust this, it’s very easy to lower the highs by decreasing the treble or by adjusting the equivalent frequencies within the amp’s equalizer. -These speakers produce great bass by themselves, but it doesn’t hurt to add a subwoofer to your system if you’re looking for the really low-end frequencies only a separate subwoofer can provide. For those interested on how I estimated the watts per channel of my receiver. I used the general rule of taking the total watts of the receiver’s power supply, dividing it by 2, then dividing that number by the total number of channels the amp supports. So, in my case, my receiver’s power supply is rated at 635 watts. I divide that number by two to account for the watts needed to power other functions of the unit. That leaves 317.5 watts remaining to power the 7 channels. By dividing the 317.5 by 7, I get roughly 45 watts per channel. And one final note, the speakers come with a stand (plinth) that is optional. They’re meant to help stabilize them. I was leaning towards not attaching them because I could have saved a little space, plus I prefer the look with them off. However, since I have an active little one, I decided to attach them. I am so glad I did because while I was setting them up, I accidently bump into them pretty hard while backing out from behind my TV. The stands saved them from toppling over. That would have not been the case otherwise. Lesson to self. I’m more likely to cause damage to them versus my kid.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] The Bowers & Wilkens 603 S2 Anniversary Edition floor standing speakers are outstanding from every perspective. Both visually stunning as well as an immersive and fully engaging audio experience. A small warning while unpacking / setting up. These speakers are no joke and weigh in at around 75lbs per speaker. You may need to bring a friend to help you unbox and setup. The rest of the setup experience is a dream. These speakers come with a very nice base that you need to mount to the bottom of the speakers. They come equipped with either rubber feet for hard flooring (like mine) and spikes for carpeted flooring. Once installed, the speakers looks like they "float" above the stands and look fantastic. The weight of the speakers ensure no vibration is caused by any loose box. The stand is also extremely firm and connects tightly to the speaker with 4 screws. If you choose to leave the magnetic speaker covers off, you will be mesmerized from the top down. Starting at the top you will see the signature Decoupled Double Dome tweeter which has the "600 Series Anniversary Edition" text written around them. These tweeters offer sharp and clean highs which reproduce very accurate and immersive sound, whether it be music or a movie. Anything requiring a high fidelity, high octave range is reproduced with ease from this bad boy. Bowers & Wilkens has an overall warmer sound vs super sonic sharp, which I find very pleasurable. These do not make your ear "bleed" but still provides an accurate and precise sound. Moving down the speaker you're next presented with the shiny silver Continuum cone. This is one of the best distinguishing features of this speaker both visually and sonically. This speaker is used to produce the mid-range sounds from and is the most used part of the speaker. This is arguable the most important aspect of any reproduction of sound when it comes to speakers and often overlooked by lesser quality options. Here B&W produced an astonishing mid-range with a wealth of detail that will have you turning your head to question weather that sound came form the speaker, or something else in the room. Below that are two low-frequency cones that produce that low, wonderful bass response we all love to hear. These 600 series speakers product an excellent bass without the necessary need for a sub, however, a sub should be added to complete the experience. The bass produced by these floor speakers however are necessary in completing the entire sound stage package. Bass is booming yet clean. If you are able to provide these speakers the necessary wattage to get them up to their peake 200W 8ohm performance, you will notice the bass does not drop out or crackle under the pressure. Whether it be a movie, TV show, hip-hop, jazz, or rock, these speakers are up to the task of reproducing the sound the content creator had in mind. I was highly impressed with the amount of volume these speakers product when watching Disney's "The Mandelorian". When a light saber scene came up, and the saber was moving from bottom to top of the screen, you could hear the volume ad tiny detail in pitch giving the audio "height", which only a 3-way speaker can produce. It was truly a game changing moment hearing this effect for the first time after previously hearing the same scenes from different speakers. B&W also includes foam plugs that can be inserted into the rear driver hole. This is incase you cannot position the speakers far enough from the wall and get hear too much bass reverb from the rear. I did not have this issue so I left the foam insert removed. It is nice B&W include such a fine detail in their products. These speakers are truly intended for the audiophile individual who wants to tweak every last detail to maximize their experience. If you are in the market for a good set of speakers, and the price on these does not scare you away, I cannot recommend these enough. Though you can buy cheaper speakers for sure, the cost of these are an otherwise bargain given the performance and quality delivered. It is easy to hear why Bowers & Wilkens have been a household name in high end audio for so long. They've knocked it out of the park with these anniversary edition speakers.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] To begin with, my speakers were delivered by a freight company. The temperature outside at delivery was about 68 degrees F. I unpacked each speaker from the shipping box that the B&W 603 S2 Series Anniversary Edition arrived in and let it sit overnight before even opening the factory box so that the speakers could acclimate to the temperature in my house. By the way, the factory boxes that B&W use are seriously the best quality boxes I've ever seen. Nice thick and sturdy cardboard and inside the speakers were cradled very close cell styrofoam, with the speakers wrapped in a foam type blanket. The speakers we so well protected, that you could ship them around the world and there would not be any damage done to the speaker inside. After I let the speakers acclimate to my home for 24 hours, I opened up the boxes and proceeded to attach the stand to each speaker. The stand attaches to the speaker with 4 screws provided by B&W. The stands measure 14 1/2 D x 12 1/2 W x 1 H. The stands are made of a very high quality of MDF, and I assume the speakers are made of the same high quality MDF. Each speaker come with 4 spikes that you can use if you place your speakers on carpet. Also provided are 4 rubber feet that can be used instead of the spikes if you were to place the speakers on anything other that carpet. The spikes/rubber feet are screwed into the bottom of the base and each spike/rubber feet can be adjusted in case your flooring is not level. The grills are held in place with magnets, so you can have them off, or on depending on your preference. They are very easy to remove, or put on. The magnets are hidden under the "skin" of the speaker so there are not any unsightly holes, or hooks to see if you listen to your speakers with the grills off. I read that some people have asked what the difference is between the previous model B&W 603 and this new B&W 603 S2 Anniversary Edition. According to B&W's website, the new 603 S2 uses a "refined and upgraded version of their proven Decoupled Double Dome tweeter". Also, according to B&W's website, the 603 S2 Anniversary Edition "benefits from a new optimized crossover design featuring carefully selected components". I have not heard the previous B&W 603 speaker, so I can't compare it to the new 603 S2 Anniversary Edition. All I can say is that for the money that this speaker costs, it sounds way more expensive than it is. I listen to a wide variety of music ranging from big band, Frank Sinatra, jazz, classic rock, and quite a few European bands like Within Temptation, Nightwish and Xandria to name a few. The European bands I mentioned, their sounds are called Symphonic Metal. In my honest opinion, it's not really metal, but rock. So basically it's rock (metal) with a full symphony. And mixing the two sounds together are terrific in my opinion.. I initially hooked up the B&W 603 S2 Anniversary Edition speakers to my 5.1.4 home theater system with Marantz SR8012 receiver, Paradigm Reference Studio 100's for the fronts, Paradigm Reference CC-590 center and Paradigm ADP 390 for surrounds, SVS Prime Elevations for Atmos, and SVS PB12-Plus for my sub. I've also added an Emotiva XPA Gen 3 amp for the 3 front speakers, with the Marantz powering everything else. After removing the the front main Paradigms, I hooked up the B&W 603 S2 Anniversary Edition speakers, re-ran my calibration in the Marantz. I decided that I'd sample some various DVD Audio discs and SACD's first of all to get an idea on how the B&W's would sound with music using just the B&W's and then with the B&W's / subwoofer combo. I ran the discs through my Oppo 203 player. Listening to some Doobie Brothers, Styx, Alan Parsons Project and Fleetwood Mac. Now remember, these speakers are brand new, and not broken in yet. B&W recommends a minimum of 15 hours for their speakers to break in so that "the mechanical parts are able to attain their intended design"characteristics, according to the owners booklet. With my first listening of just the 603's by themselves without the sub, the speakers sounded very nice, but not great. Since the midrange driver is 6 inches and the two bass drivers are 6 1/2 inches each, don't expect lot's of bass from the 603's. The B&W 603's have a small 2 inch port at the bottom rear of the speaker to help aid in the bass department. And while this helps add some additional bass, I think the speakers sound much better with a sub. But I do like a bit more bass than the average person I guess. B&W also includes a foam plug if you wish to plug the rear port. I chose not to do that. I decide to fully let the speakers "break in" before doing anymore listening to music or movies. Very easy to do, just leave the radio going all day when you're at work. I did this for five days, so I put on 40+ hours of break in before seriously listening to the 603's again. This time, listening to the same music I listened to on my first initial evaluation and just listening to the speakers without the sub, they sounded like they had a tad more bass which was great and the bass was much tighter as well. But more, the tweeters along with the midrange really came alive. A cd that really lets the B&W 603 S2 Anniversary Edition speaker come alive where you can REALLY HEAR all the very subtle instruments and sounds is The Definitive Collection by The Alan Parsons Project. In the six weeks or so since I've had the B&W 603 S2 Anniversary Edition speakers, I've listed to that particular cd three times. It just sounds excellent on the 603's. Now onto how the B&W 603 S2 Anniversary Edition sound with movies in my 5.1.4 home theater. I auditioned many movies but some to mention are all of the Star Wars movies, Jumanji (with the Rock), all of the Avengers movies, Jurassic Park, and the Terminator series. Honestly. the B&W 603 did a very good job, but not as well as my Paradigm Reference Studio 100's. The Paradigms have larger speakers (3 bass, 1 midrangs) and a larger 3 1/2 port. The 603's were lacking in the lower and mid range department compared to the Paradigms. The tweeter was about equal with the Paradigms. If I did not know my sound system and I was adding the B&W 603's without ever hearing my front Paradigms, then I'd say it was a good match. If you could set up your home theater sound system with the B&W 603 S2 Anniversary Edition speakers for all your speakers, I truly think you'd have a terrific set up where all the speakers are matched. The floor standing 603 S2 Anniversary Edition, like what I have for the fronts, with the B&W HTM6 S2 Anniversary Edition for the center and the smaller 607 S2 Anniversary Edition for the surrounds. Then just add your sub.This would make an excellent sound system for BOTH music and movies. Overall, I highly recommend the B&W 603 S2 Anniversary Edition floorstanding speakers for their clarity, especially in music department. The fit and finish of the speaker itself is outstanding. Something you would find a speaker costing 2-3 times more than what the B&W 603 S2 Anniversary Edition speakers cost. And while they are truly not too expensive for the average person, what you'll hear from them sounds like a speaker costing 2-3 times what this speaker costs.