Bowers & Wilkins has introduced a ‘Signature’ level upgrade to select 700 series models. The upgrade includes technical and performance enhancements, plus two strinkingly beautiful finishes.
The ‘Signature’ upgrade has been applied to the line-topping 702 S3, the entry-point 705 S3 and, in a strategy aimed at catering to home theatre enthusiasts, the improvements have carried through to the matching HTM71 S3 centre channel speaker. The company has stated that the Signature name has been reserved for special models in its stable and the exclusive title has only been bestowed to eight series since Bowers & Wilkins’ inception in 1966.
The 702 S3 Signature floorstander is the line’s flagship model, a 3-way with a decoupled Tweeter-on-Top housing for the Carbon Dome tweeter (with new and improved grille mesh pattern), a decoupled Continuum FST cone and a trio of Aerofoil Profile bass drivers. The woofers have been improved with an upgraded spider suspension system which is said to provide better low frequency clarity.
The various generations of Signature models have featured important enhancements applied to the crossover component list. With the new 700 Series Signature models, Bowers & Wilkins introduced higher quality Mundorf capacitors, superior inductors, and updated bypass capacitors. Further, the Signature models feature better speaker binding posts with high quality brass cores for a claimed “cleaner flow of signal into the speaker”.
The 702 S3, 705 S3 and HTM71 S3 stand out among the standard 700 series by way of exclusive high quality Signature finishes. There’s an arresting Datuk veneer in immaculate lacquer gloss and a luxurious Midnight Blue Metallic. The latter finish has also been applied to the top-level 800 Signature models and has also been seen on Bowers & Wilkins’ iconic Nautilus speakers. The 700 Signature speakers feature a “unique identifying Signature plate” on the rear panel above the new binding posts while the tweeter housing and driver basket edges feature unique gold trims to further differentiate standard models from Signature status models.
Dave Sheen, Brand President of Bowers & Wilkins told SoundStage! Australia, “Any Signature launch is an incredibly proud moment for everyone at Bowers & Wilkins. The new 700 Series Signature range represents a significant expansion of our Signature portfolio and I’m sure it will be enthusiastically received by both reviewers and our customers worldwide.”
The new Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 Signature, 705 S3 Signature and HTM71 S3 Signature loudspeakers will be available in Australia at appointed audio specialist dealers around the country from 27 March 2024.
Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 Signature, 705 S3 Signature and HTM71 S3 Signature
Price: AU$14,900, AU$6500, AU$4900 Respectively
Australian Distributor: Masimo Consumer
+61 2 9196 8990
www.bowerswilkins.com/en-au
