These standmounters represent the very best ways to conclude your music’s journey to your ears
Image credit: Sony
Bowers & Wilkins 607 S3 £599
The smallest and most affordable of B&W’s 600 range, the 607 S3 replaces the previous Award-winning 607 S2 Anniversary Edition standmounters. We hesitate to call the new speakers truly ‘budget’, but these are still B&W’s entry-level pair and pack in more than enough punch to justify the outlay.
B&W has stuck with the same compact footprint (30 x 16.5 x 20.7cm), keeping the 607 S3 a great option for smaller spaces. The build quality is excellent and for the price they look elegant and premium.
First and foremost of many updates is the use of titanium in the 25mm decoupled double dome tweeter assembly. The tweeter’s two-part design uses a thin 25-micron main dome reinforced by a 30-micron ring – both made with titanium. B&W says the switch to titanium from aluminium in the 600 speakers should allow for sweeter, more refined and better detail at the higher end.
The tube-loading system at the back of the tweeter has been elongated to reduce further unwanted, rearward standing waves from affecting the front output of the tweeter unit. A new tweeter grille design taken from the new flagship 800 Signature Series is incorporated, too. Both upgrades are claimed to result in a more open sound. The 13cm Continuum mid/ bass driver returns, backed by a more powerful motor assembly inspired by the step-up 700 S3 range, and the crossover has been updated with higher-quality components to aid transparency.
Clarity and refinement
The new 607 S3 sound incredibly fun. There’s clarity and refinement to a really admirable level, but we are struck by just how entertaining, zippy and musical this new pair sounds. Instead of sacrificing dynamic expression and pure enjoyment for a more sophisticated and open sound, B&W has managed to meld these elements together into a capable and entertaining package.
Their compact size makes the speakers ideal for smaller spaces
Songs we know well and play every time during reviewing – by Alt-J, Bruce Springsteen and John Williams – are all given a zest of life through these talented speakers. They sound rhythmically cohesive, agile, and well organised. The overall presentation is more opensounding than before. The 607 S3 do a fantastic job of capturing delicate highs as well as the deeper, resonating notes. That new titanium dome offers a cleaner, more sweet-sounding treble that is lovely to listen to. We play track after track during our time with the 607 S3 and find that the speakers sing with any genre of music.
B&W has gone back to its roots with these stunning speakers, which, for their size and price range, really are a talented, energetic and dynamic pair. Which, to our ears, is a winning combination.