Entry-level Bowers & Wilkins: The 607 S3 Review

The 607 S3 bookshelf speaker is a refreshing change from the previous Bowers & Wilkins I’d owned. Gone is the yellow kevlar driver, replaced with a silvery metallic ‘continuum’ driver, which is much more subtle when you keep the grills off. The 607 S3 comes in a very classy finish, I was sent the oak finish, which still has a white face on it. It’s just a really nice, modern look that fits in very well in our room. Very Scandinavian. They’re also available in an all white and an all black finish, and custom stands are available, and were offered, but with limited storage and space, I chose to use the stands I already own.
audioadvice.io...

[@FilipTrenson]

Got mine since last week, the installation was done by the hifi vendor and free of charge. My amp is an old Luxman 2 x 90 W amp and I love the sound I am getting! I turned off the loudness but then I raised the bass eq 1 stop. Love the investment!

[@av_nirvana]

Very nice! Thanks for sharing!

[@sccanj]

Installation?

[@incomer012]

Thanks. I changed from B&W 604s3 to a 607s3. 18 years of development has not gone to waste. They sound great with a Rotel S14 amp on stav 24 s2 sand filled stands

[@kdomster9141]

900usd is NOT cheap by any means , in area of ChFi it can get a lot of bang for the buck . I think it is too much for base model with limited low end output.

[@sccanj]

Buy Dali speakers, better quality drivers, less bright and overall a better value for your money brand $900 gets you a pair of Opticon 1 MK2 which are made in Denmark not China

[@kdomster9141]

@sccanj What is their drivers quality ? Do they make their own in house ?

[@myfreakyvalentine]

Thanks for the video! I am picking up a pair of these tomorrow so excited to see how they sound. You have a beautiful valve amp there, but I am wondering if it is perhaps a little under powered for the 607's? They have low sensitivity and judging by the other reviews I have been watching, they suggest a quite beefy amp to get the best out of these. I'll be running anywhere from 50 - 100 watts per channel, depending on which of my amps works best (both Rotels).

[@av_nirvana]

You’re correct. I definitely needed to get it up to halfway or more to get what I was looking for but it’s there. I considered connecting them to an Emotiva BasX amp in the theater but didn’t want to tear everything up. I really dug these speakers even without trying a more powerful amp. Adding more power can only make these more enjoyable.

[@12_inch_spinnerz]

I can get a pair for $359 new right now. Would these be good for vinyl listening?

[@av_nirvana]

90% of my testing was vinyl listening and I think they sounded great, if you have the right amp to drive them with.

[@12_inch_spinnerz]

@@av_nirvana looking at the yamaha A-s301 to drive them with an added klipsch r120sw sub

[@macbaker2211]

Please tell me where you have found a pair of these B&W 607 S3 speaker for $359! WOW!

[@kdomster9141]

It must have been S2 previous gen as a demo or B stock

[@Rockapotamus91]

I’m not sure how capable your tube amp is but this 84db sensitive speaker has large phase angles. Meaning more current required than producing sound. It approaches 50-60 deg 6 times. Only 1/2 the current produces power. A tough load. I recommend no less than 80wpc of quality power. I’m using a 90wpc Arcam class G amplifier with mine and it’s a beautiful and engaging sound.

[@jorgeluisfernandez2560]

Between this and 606 s3 which one is better? Thanks

[@av_nirvana]

Hard to say as I’ve not heard them in the same system, I’ve not reviewed the 606, only heard casually. The 607 has a slightly larger driver which won’t necessarily get you more bass, but it does make the speaker easier to drive than the 606, which can make a substantial difference in flexibility and sound quality. For a couple hundred bucks extra I’d probably opt for the 607.

[@RennieAsh]

The 607 is the 5" driver and 606 is the larger 6" driver