Bowers & Wilkins have never exactly gone in for understatement – by sound OR design. But, the 705 S3s in their sleek finishes might just be the closest they’ve come to blending elegance with restraint.
The Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3s don’t shout for attention like some rivals, but instead sit there quietly glowing like they know they’re the nicest thing in the room. These are bookshelf speakers by name only. In reality, they deserve pride of place on a pair of sturdy stands and considered placement in a good room.
Right out the box, they feel premium in that very B&W way. You’ve got that signature turbine head housing the decoupled carbon dome tweeter perched on top, which manages to look both absurd (we’ve been asked more than once if they’re a microphone) and effortlessly cool. The main driver sits beneath in a clean, no-nonsense cabinet that screams craft over gimmick. The blue finish is deep, rich, and not remotely shouty, it’s class in a colour.
Sonically, they’re every bit as refined as they look. The highs are airy and precise without veering into sibilant territory, and the midrange is rich and vivid. Voices have a tangible presence with none of that syrupy smoothness you get with speakers that smear the detail for the sake of warmth. The 705 S3s go the other way: they lay it all bare. Whether you like that depends on what you’re feeding them, it’s not as purely analytical as something like KEF if you want pure transparency, but it’s very detailed nonetheless.
Instrument separation is stellar. You can practically walk between the players on a good jazz recording. There’s width, depth, and more than a hint of verticality in the soundstage. For a two-way speaker of this size, the sense of scale is quietly ridiculous. They won’t bring the roof down with bass, but they’re not too polite either. Bass is fast, textured, and punchy, provided you don’t try to make them do the job of an actual floorstander.
Redefine your bookshelf speaker expectations, with the bold Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3.
Partnered with a good amp, preferably one with a bit of current to grip the drivers, such as the Cambridge EDGE A in our case, they absolutely sing. Complex tracks stay composed, dynamic swings hit with impact, and there’s a subtlety to quieter moments that lesser speakers often miss entirely. It’s all very grown-up. If you’re after something that’ll make compressed rock music sound huge and forgiving, these probably aren’t it. But if you want to feed it vinyl, FLAC recordings and CD’s – they might just be the one’s for you.
Build quality is as you’d expect at this price point – rock solid. The tweeter housing is beautifully machined, and the cabinets feel inert and reassuringly heavy. They’re the kind of speakers you’ll probably still be using (and showing off) a decade from now. And for once, you get binding posts that feel like an afterthought.
The only point to really consider before running off to audition these or simply buy a set is that they won’t take well to underpowered systems or compressed sources – as much you CAN run them on a more pocket-friendly amp, they won’t sound like their price point, so benefit massively from the source and power being balanced to them.
In short, the 705 S3s are a bit like a tailored suit. They don’t try to be all things to all people, and they’re not particularly forgiving if you just throw them into a system on a whim. But given the right source and amplification, they’re poised, revealing, and unreasonably enjoyable. The blue finish just sweetens the deal – a classy touch on a speaker that doesn’t really need one, but wears it beautifully all the same. Why not pop down to your local Richer Sounds store to check them out?
Author: Tom, Cardiff Store
