Late in the summer of 2015, I was one of the press representatives invited by Bowers & Wilkins to visit their R&D center in Steyning, West Sussex, England, and be given a detailed preview of the upcoming revision of their entire 800 series of loudspeaker models. Both the technical presentation and the tours impressively demonstrated the comprehensive redesign process that resulted in speakers that were superficially similar but entirely different from their predecessors. Of the new series, I reviewed the 802 D3 Diamond, a pair of which now sit in my listening room as my current reference speakers.
In late summer 2017, following the sale of Bowers & Wilkins to EVA Automation, a group of US press were invited to B&W's US office, which was then near Boston, for a presentation intended to reassure the audio world that B&W would continue to produce the sorts of products that had brought the company to prominence. What was presented was an entirely new series of loudspeakers: the 700 S2 models. The original 700 series, priced between the flagship 800 and midpriced 600 series, had disappeared some years before, that slot filled in 2008 by the CM series. But from the get-go, the CM models seemed a discontinuity in B&W's product line. To me, the CMs seemed like somewhat glitzy adaptations of the 600 series, and had too little in common with the 800 series. Happily, the new 700 S2 line is a more suitable replacement for the old 700 line.
The presentation by Andy Kerr, B&W's senior product manager, was strikingly similar to the one he'd organized in 2015 for the 800 D3 series—and, unlike the CMs, the new 700 S2s are admittedly and obviously derived from the new 800 models. The biggest differences between new 800 and new 700 speakers are in their cabinet construction and where they're made—differences that probably account for most of the significant differences in price. The traditional rectangular enclosures of the floorstanding 700 S2 models are undoubtedly much less expensive to make than their 800 D3 counterparts' curved, one-piece, multilaminate cabinets topped with Turbine midrange enclosures of machined aluminum and supported by plinths of solid aluminum. The 700 S2 series is also the first range of conventional B&W speakers has manufactured in their new factory in Zhuhai, China. The only speakers B&W still manufactures in their Worthing, Sussex factory are the 800 D3 models and the iconic Nautilus.
Description
I summarized the technical features of the 700 S2 series in "Industry Update" in the November 2017 issue (p.15). The highlights include: 1) a carbon-dome tweeter with the same construction and motor as the diamond dome in the 800 D3 line, and, in two models, a solid-body, bullet-shaped tweeter enclosure of machined aluminum reengineered from the 800 D3s to better fit the 700 S2s' rectangular cabinets; 2) the 800 D3s' silvery Continuum cone for the 700 S2s' midrange and midrange/woofer; 3) for the midrange drivers, front-panel decoupling and a tuned-mass damper derived from the 800 D3s; 4) an Aerofoil-profile laminate for the woofer diaphragms, but with the foam core covered by a skin of paper rather than carbon; and 5) reengineered cast baskets for the midrange drivers, for greater stiffness and damping. The names of the 700 S2 models parallel those of the 800 D3s in regard to size, floorstanding vs stand-mounted, and two- vs three-way. I quickly made a bid to review the top model, the 702 S2 ($4500/pair). The largest three-way model in the line, it features the external bullet housing for the tweeter.
In the Rosenut finish of my review samples, the 702 S2 is a gracefully proportioned, beautifully finished loudspeaker, and the piano-black-and-silver housing for its 1" decoupled carbon-dome tweeter adds a dash of panache. Vertically arrayed below the tweeter are a 6" woven Continuum- cone FST midrange unit and three 6.5" Aerofoil Profile woofers; the fine silver details surrounding their diaphragms give the speaker an elegant appearance even without its black grille. On the rear panel is B&W's dimpled, tapered Flowport, and just below that is a shallow bay containing four multiway speaker terminals suitable for biwiring. (Jumpers are provided, but I biwired.) Included with the 702 S2 is an optional-use plinth that widens the speaker's stance for greater stability. B&W provides adjustable spikes and feet, either of which can be attached to the plinth or directly to the speaker's bottom panel.
After removing the little foam strips that prevent the tweeter housing from moving during shipment, I put the 702 S2s in the front of my room and experimented a bit with their positions. I found placement relatively uncritical, but I never tried them closer to any wall than about 2'. They ended up 3–4' from the sidewalls, 6' from the wall behind them, about 10.5' from my listening seat, 7.5' apart, and toed in about 20°. That was a little closer to each other and to me than I'd had the 802 D3s, but with similar orientation. By the time that was done, I'd gotten over my initial surprise at the 702 S2s' uncommonly clean sound and lack of room boom.
Partnering
I began by powering the B&W 702 S2s with two Classé Sigma Mono monoblocks (350W into 8 ohms), and after a while switched to using two channels of a Parasound Halo A 31 three-channel amp (250Wpc into 8 ohms). Each arrangement provided more than enough power, the Classé Sigmas slightly exceeding B&W's recommendation of 30–300W per speaker. It was with the Classés that I latched on to the 702 S2s' overall balance and excellent imaging, but I soon heard inklings of some weakness in the upper bass. I anticipated that the Parasound might cure this, and it did, but only partly. Eventually, I came to realize that I'd been treating the 702 S2s with kid gloves by playing them at lower levels than I usually enjoy. Y'see, even though the volume knob was where I usually keep it, that setting is appropriate for how I mostly listen to music: in surround sound, with five amps driving five speakers. But now I was listening to only two channels, and of course I had to turn it up. Duh. Bingo! A simple tweak of the knob erased all my concerns about the bass. Michael McDonald was back to his old self, as were Hans Theesink, Leonard Cohen, and operatic bass Gottlob Frick. That was with either the Classé Sigma Monos or the Parasound Halo A 31—but I slightly preferred the sound of the 702 S2s with the Parasound.
I listened both with and without the speakers' grilles in place—mostly with, as I heard no difference.
Listening
I began with Poulenc's Violin Sonata, electrifyingly played by Patricia Kopatchinskaja and pianist Polina Leschenko (CD, Alpha 387). It begins slam-bang, with a forceful piano chord and a violin swoop, and I was immediately aware of two things. First, while my own dad was Poulenc's contemporary, this is not your father's idea of chamber music—it was brilliant, witty, romantic, and at times wistful. Second, the chord and the swoop were right there, about 2' behind the plane described by the 702 S2s' baffles, with just enough space for the two instruments to blend with my room's acoustic and create a convincing illusion that Kopatchinskaja and Leschenko were present.
I summarized the technical features of the 700 S2 series in "Industry Update" in the November 2017 issue (p.15). The highlights include: 1) a carbon-dome tweeter with the same construction and motor as the diamond dome in the 800 D3 line, and, in two models, a solid-body, bullet-shaped tweeter enclosure of machined aluminum reengineered from the 800 D3s to better fit the 700 S2s' rectangular cabinets; 2) the 800 D3s' silvery Continuum cone for the 700 S2s' midrange and midrange/woofer; 3) for the midrange drivers, front-panel decoupling and a tuned-mass damper derived from the 800 D3s; 4) an Aerofoil-profile laminate for the woofer diaphragms, but with the foam core covered by a skin of paper rather than carbon; and 5) reengineered cast baskets for the midrange drivers, for greater stiffness and damping. The names of the 700 S2 models parallel those of the 800 D3s in regard to size, floorstanding vs stand-mounted, and two- vs three-way. I quickly made a bid to review the top model, the 702 S2 ($4500/pair). The largest three-way model in the line, it features the external bullet housing for the tweeter.
In the Rosenut finish of my review samples, the 702 S2 is a gracefully proportioned, beautifully finished loudspeaker, and the piano-black-and-silver housing for its 1" decoupled carbon-dome tweeter adds a dash of panache. Vertically arrayed below the tweeter are a 6" woven Continuum- cone FST midrange unit and three 6.5" Aerofoil Profile woofers; the fine silver details surrounding their diaphragms give the speaker an elegant appearance even without its black grille. On the rear panel is B&W's dimpled, tapered Flowport, and just below that is a shallow bay containing four multiway speaker terminals suitable for biwiring. (Jumpers are provided, but I biwired.) Included with the 702 S2 is an optional-use plinth that widens the speaker's stance for greater stability. B&W provides adjustable spikes and feet, either of which can be attached to the plinth or directly to the speaker's bottom panel.
After removing the little foam strips that prevent the tweeter housing from moving during shipment, I put the 702 S2s in the front of my room and experimented a bit with their positions. I found placement relatively uncritical, but I never tried them closer to any wall than about 2'. They ended up 3–4' from the sidewalls, 6' from the wall behind them, about 10.5' from my listening seat, 7.5' apart, and toed in about 20°. That was a little closer to each other and to me than I'd had the 802 D3s, but with similar orientation. By the time that was done, I'd gotten over my initial surprise at the 702 S2s' uncommonly clean sound and lack of room boom.
PartneringI began by powering the B&W 702 S2s with two Classé Sigma Mono monoblocks (350W into 8 ohms), and after a while switched to using two channels of a Parasound Halo A 31 three-channel amp (250Wpc into 8 ohms). Each arrangement provided more than enough power, the Classé Sigmas slightly exceeding B&W's recommendation of 30–300W per speaker. It was with the Classés that I latched on to the 702 S2s' overall balance and excellent imaging, but I soon heard inklings of some weakness in the upper bass. I anticipated that the Parasound might cure this, and it did, but only partly. Eventually, I came to realize that I'd been treating the 702 S2s with kid gloves by playing them at lower levels than I usually enjoy. Y'see, even though the volume knob was where I usually keep it, that setting is appropriate for how I mostly listen to music: in surround sound, with five amps driving five speakers. But now I was listening to only two channels, and of course I had to turn it up. Duh. Bingo! A simple tweak of the knob erased all my concerns about the bass. Michael McDonald was back to his old self, as were Hans Theesink, Leonard Cohen, and operatic bass Gottlob Frick. That was with either the Classé Sigma Monos or the Parasound Halo A 31—but I slightly preferred the sound of the 702 S2s with the Parasound.
I began with Poulenc's Violin Sonata, electrifyingly played by Patricia Kopatchinskaja and pianist Polina Leschenko (CD, Alpha 387). It begins slam-bang, with a forceful piano chord and a violin swoop, and I was immediately aware of two things. First, while my own dad was Poulenc's contemporary, this is not your father's idea of chamber music—it was brilliant, witty, romantic, and at times wistful. Second, the chord and the swoop were right there, about 2' behind the plane described by the 702 S2s' baffles, with just enough space for the two instruments to blend with my room's acoustic and create a convincing illusion that Kopatchinskaja and Leschenko were present.
