THE NEW Bowers & Wilkins 603 S3 Speakers WORTH THE UPGRADE

[@michaelmityok1001]

Yes, B&W speakers polarize opinions. People seem to enjoy telling me in forums that my 804 D4s are terrible, lol. Apropos I heard these 603s the other day at my dealer, they were doing a demo where they had a Lumin T3 paired with 3 levels of integrated amplifier driving the speakers, that Musical Fidelity A1, a Hegel 190, and a Gryphon 120. You could easily hear the character of each amp, and the 603s scaled to the point that you realized you wouldn't necessarily need to upgrade them for a LONG time. There were times with poor recordings you could hear sibilance and tonal bleaching, but not with the Gryphon. Also, the T3 DAC is not forgiving. The upshot being this generation of 603 is super transparent, so likely not for everyone, but it is an objectively outstanding speaker that does what it does well at a much higher level than its price point would suggest.

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

That’s pretty much my summation of them as well, nicely worded :)

[@michaelmityok1001]

@@PursuitPerfectSystem especially liked and surprised by the A1, a lot of amp for the money. BTW ignore the accusatory B&W shill comments from the trolls, as I mentioned there is a certain species of hifi troll that seems especially pernicious when it comes to anything named B&W lol.

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

Yeah the A1 is not going to have the refinement of a Diablo 120 but its got a lot of balls for 25watts on paper, I think its a cracker

[@t.j.bennett6454]

I actually like the timbre of the 702 series over the 800 series tweeter. Not as revealing but to me, more normal

[@robofguelph]

Hi Terry, I’m a proud owner of the 603 s2 AEs partly as a result of your previous review. I’ve really enjoyed them and recently partnered them with a Yamaha A-S2200 to great effect. They just seem to play everything well and can really bring the party on weekend nights.! Thanks for sharing your efforts on the channel with us!

[@thetragicyouth]

Really good and helpful review, Terry. The moment you talked about the vocal sibilance, I was yelling at the screen "Use an Audiolab amp!" - then, lo and behold...! Great minds and all that.

[@lsaideOK]

I like how seriously you took these serious sounding though entry level (for BW) speakers. So many people bash Bowers and Wilkins as if they've heard every model and the models all sound exactly like each other. I gave the 702 S2 a long demo at my house. Finally returned them. But wound up getting a pair of the OG 705 bookshelves! Different models and different generations sound different. Great that you gave these such a close listen and such a thorough review! Definitely sound worth a listen at this price range

[@monkeysa43]

I’ve got some old floorstand speakers that I’ve had for 21 years. The right speaker has gone. It’s split all the way round the top and sounds terrible for battle scenes in war movies so taking the plunge next week going to this shop in reading and purchasing these wonderful speakers.

[@charlesaldous5389]

I bought my 603's off the back of your demos of them a few years ago Terry. (Two series back). I used to love all the demos you did back then, but we only seem to get reviews these days. I wish you would do demos again, as they're worth watching, whether you want to buy speakers or not! You have a great voice that is very informative and well worth listening to, but I like listening to speakers too! So maybe...? 🤔

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

If you look back over those demo videos half of them are gone now due to KZbin copyrights standards changes, I did the best demo ever for my mission 770 I spent two days on it for KZbin to block the video 3 days later. I had enough by then as it’s a huge amount of work that I earned no money from. Only be to constantly messaged this sounds just like my phone speakers. In the end I had to give up and focus on what is important.

[@charlesaldous5389]

@@PursuitPerfectSystem I'm sorry Terry, I knew none of that. But now I can see what you mean! So it all makes sense now. Okay, so if it's just reviews and talks with experts and factory visits from now on, well that will do! I just hope those aren't taken down too! I loved the Audiolab reviews that you did and that you are getting into vinyl too! I am doing the same, just on more of a budget! 'Records' as we used to call them, sound fantastic through my B&W's. By the way, have you ever considered having a chat with Kat Ourlian now she's in the UK? She knows lots about analogue and turntables etc, etc...

[@Rockapotamus91]

I have the 606 S3 and it’s a transparent and vivid sounding speaker, I matched them up with the Arcam SA20 and they sound beautiful. These aren’t as harsh as the previous gen but you still want to be careful with system matching and you will be rewarded.

[@Brett1334]

Agree completely, I recently brought this pair in oak/white which visually look great! everything you say is pretty much bang on, I’m currently using them with a Yamaha rn1000a which is probably a leaner pairing than say a marantz would sound, which might be a better fit, but for a bit more heft I just pop up the bass controls.

[@alexandermikhailov2481]

I've owned my Matrix 803s2 for just over a quarter of a century. They sound so amazing that I have no plans of replacing them any time soon. Mind you, they are from the company's engineering era - B&W, not from the marketing one - Bowers and Wilkins.

[@Cencolor]

I tested these against the Polk R700, R600, Klipsch RP800, and as much as I wanted to buy any of the others, I ended up buying the BW. The sound was just much more refined to me. Didn’t love the color or finish, but regarding sound, it was on another league

[@MasterofPlay7]

you like leaner type of sound?

[@MasterofpuppetsBS]

Can you please check the Monitor Audio Silver Series 7G? Thanks 🙂 Would be nice if you compare them to these B&W S3

[@glubb23]

I loved this review (maybe cause it's my price range). I was checking the S2 few years ago. But I ended up with buying Dali Opticon 6. Mentioning them, I haven't heard anyone reviewing the new MK2 (if you are bored 🙄).

[@budgetaudiophilelife-long5461]

🙋‍♂️ THANKS TERRY,A GREAT REVIEW SHOWING HOW MUCH THE EQUIPMENT MATTERS.🤔…AND I HOPE YOUR BACK GETS BETTER SOON 🤗💚💚💚💚

[@acegolemi3818]

Really enjoyable and informative review! Seems like B&W is just evolving and refining the sound signature of their 600 series, wise thing to do, no doubt. I did own couple of pairs from their old 600 S2 and S3 series back in late 90's and early 2000's which I run them with Rotel amplification. Ah, the early days, before the serious money started flowing into this hobby of ours! 😊 Oh and most importantly hopefully you'll find a proper good therapist for the neck and back issues and be back in shape asap! Stay strong. The room looks great and I assume it sounds so, by allowing the gear to perform without too much restrictions and negative influence. Great work, all the best and cheers!

[@taidee]

Thanks for the nice review Terry, I'm sorry to hear about your back. Take it easy man, that back is the only one you have, we are not young anymore so be careful.

[@garethvaughan426]

I have a Arcam FMJ A28 that has the typical Arcam sound, a little laid back so bought a pair of 606's after a little tweeking (new cable etc) boom what a difference, great combination

[@peterferrier5833]

Hi Terry. I am a fan and I sent some really positive comments over the years. The name of your channel is Pursuit Perfect System, but may I suggest that you focus occasionally on systems for smaller spaces. Your listening room is large and acoustically treated, but these days, new homes and flats are quite small. We don't always have the space to enjoy larger systems. But moreover, the gap behind the speakers are not always possible in small spaces. Perhaps at some point, you could put together a series of quality components, where space is tight. Thank you. Peter.

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

Peter mate my room is small, it’s a typical small uk home lounge size that is all. I make it look bigger with camera trickery but the truth is I am tripping over all the lights I use all the time when working. The difference I have it’s a dedicated room that I put in place before we had children, I wouldn’t get away with it now and me doing this puts a lot of stress of my family as they have to work around me. Selfish prick you could call me :)

[@peterferrier5833]

@@PursuitPerfectSystem please don't self depricate. You do a brilliant job and yes, your room does look an awful lot bigger on screen. And you're not a selfish prick. You're doing a great job in difficult circumstances. Providing for your family and making a great career. I am a billericay lad. My front room is 13ft, by 9.5 ft. It's a very small flat. Floor standers are out of the question. Anyway. Best wishes for the future and take care.

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

That is smaller than my room which is about 16feet long by about 12 and bit wide so its not that much bigger, I did a lot of stand mount speaker reviews a few years ago and people moaned I wasn't reviewing enough floorstanders so I have been trying to focus more on them as a lot of channels review stand mounts as the logistics are a lot easier Cheers for the kind words :)

[@itk2493]

Neighbours are probably a bigger issue.

[@Mulokaj]

I have a Rotel 14MKII and Rotel is a warmer amp at its character. I will buy the 603 next month because i think its a good combination.

[@sammy10001]

im slowly turning into a "clarity" guy. I own kef speakers, and have been running them with the typical warm rolled off treble. Recently I made a 2 different other target curves to boost the top end by +4 and +2 db. When I already have a bass shelf of +10db, I feel like the +4 db of treble boost helps it sound better. But I can only do this because KEF is such a neutral speaker, and I add color through EQ/DSP.

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

if you run hiot bass like I like to as well then your ear wants the higher treble to balance - its much closer to equal loudness like that when you look at it

[@sammy10001]

@@PursuitPerfectSystem that makes sense. Thank you

[@TheEpicElement]

I was a big fan of the 606S2, but the S3 has outperformed it. It's amazing what comes out of these small speakers. We compared the S3 to the 804D2, and it actually manages to overshadow the D2 in the mid/high-frequency range. Simply much more enthusiasm and detached Sound. The S3 is truly worth the money! I also believe that B&W accurately reproduces the sound 1:1. You can actually hear every small change in the chain, even if it's just a USB cable, as you mentioned. Like you said, they require a good chain to work properly. and thats whats HiFi about i think, and this is even evident in the entry-level series, showcasing how good the speakers are.

[@stephanlazarz1921]

Love the B&W sound.

[@sudd3660]

i really like the look of these, still wish they made the tweeter grill detachable or optional. it has been 25 years since i had a B&W in house, the DM2 from the seventies.

[@RennieAsh]

They sound a lot different from those older 70's and 80's B&W. Old ones were closer to neutral or with slightly warm sound.

[@20gibbon]

Really good review Terry but this year what we really need is for you to blag a pair of Nautilus somehow and get them in your listening room, now that's something I would really love to see, I'm sure you have the contacts to make it happen. 🐚

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

For the nautilus you need a shit ton of amps as well, I have never heard them I would love to - on my bucket list of course

[@20gibbon]

@@PursuitPerfectSystem yeah I know but you are the man to make it happen. 😁

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

@@20gibbon I think you overestimate me but I appreciate how much clout you think I might have :)

[@20gibbon]

@@PursuitPerfectSystem there's nobody better I trust for explaining the sound of hifi equipment, the way you describe things is often what I hear when I listen to gear. I bought a TT2 dac off your discretion and I really love it. 👍

[@Gio153]

Thanks for this review! Today in a hifi shop I heard the B&W 603 S3 combined with a Cambridge Audio CXA81 and that combination was the best with that amp. Very lively and up front drum sound, big soundscape, good bass. Other speakers I listened to with this amp included the B&W 704 S3 which is twice as expensive but I could not hear a different sound from, it was also great but not 1000 euro more great. I am very curious on how the BW 603 S3 behaves with an Audiolab 6000A which I currently own. Would love to hear comments on this combo.

[@prothor]

Good review. Thanks.

[@milkman100001]

great vid as usual terry.

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

Thank you

[@feelgeorge]

I'm looking forward to the review of the new Sonus Faber lumina II Amator and Focal Evo X

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

I was looking at the evo x, they look nice

[@feelgeorge]

Another excellent video

[@alexsalame]

Hello. Congrats for your excellent review👏🏻 Do you think those speakers outperform CM9 S2🤔❓

[@ppbg123]

Thanks a lot for the detailed review, Terry! Based on my experience with the 603 s2, I fully agree with you. One question - I am driving mine with the 9000A. You seem to recommend the audiolab, yet do you feel that is able to drive them properly (esp in the bass region)? I am always asking this to myself. For example, in the past the 6000a was clearly weak for them.

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

Yes I like the 9000a with them but it depends in what sound your going for. I think it’s possible for it to seem like it’s not enough because it has a forgiving character which is great in some ways less in others. Maybe try the a1 and see if that changes things up and then you can see what a different amp character might do without going crazy for cost

[@ppbg123]

Thanks a lot. Much appreciated!

[@Akstergrind]

I had the B&W 607 and the 606 S2 Anniversary Edition speakers, both of which annoyed me incredibly because the grilles kept dropping off every time I went anywhere near them. I ended up selling them and was glad to get rid.

[@RennieAsh]

Somespeakers have gorilla grills and then others blow off if you look at them. You'd think they'd test things like that

[@crish7832]

Hello, très bonne vidéo, les 603 sont d'excellentes enceintes pleine de qualité, j'ai acheté les S2 suite à votre vidéo 🙏 J'aimerais quand même parlé d'un point vraiment très très négatif au sujet des ces enceintes, la caisse est incroyablement fragile, surtout les angles et la face avant. Votre exemplaire aussi à subit un dégât dans l'angle en haut à gauche (visible sur la vidéo à 7:26 et 8:38). Le moindre impact sur un angle laissera sans aucun doute une trace. Au sujet du son, j'aurais aimé des basses un peu plus percutante, plus sèche, plus tendu comme sur les Dynaudio Emit (je possède les Emit 10) Je suis en pleine réflexion pour remplacer mes 603 S2 par des Emit 50, mais les Emit offre des aigu moins présent ou moins détaillés (?) , j'ai envie d'un mix des deux 😁 Sorry for writing in French, I’m bad in English 🙏 Thanks for all your great videos

[@iampuzzleman282]

I have this model from the year 2001, back then the cabinet was incredibly well built. It's built like a tank and while the detail imaging may not be the latest and greatest, the soundstage and depth is remarkable, it's still going strong after nearly 24 years. Hopefully they screw it up with all the Scientific modernization efforts that they tend to do.

[@jimdavis5230]

A few years ago my ex-manager bought a pair of B&W 703's. I seem to remember they cost around £4000. I listened to them and was not impressed at all. Little or no bass extension and over emphasised treble from the tweeter. However, when he came to my house and listened to my cheap entry level speakers that cost just £1,200 he was astonished at the sound quality compared to his 703's. Amazing considering my speakers were made in China and designed by some bloke called Paul Mills.

[@Marc-qv8ep]

Thank you for a great review. Did you run the speakers with your dual sub configuration from Rel? If so, what crossover setting did you use?

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

No just the speakers on their own, of course I would have done with more time

[@tmed827]

Hi Terry-I have been saving money for the Mission 770's that you reviewed awhile ago. I thought your review on that speaker was outstanding. In your opinion, do these rival the missions? Thank you again for your reviews. I really appreciate your opinions and attention to details.

[@Biggles1999]

Terry, did you audition these speakers with the plinths removed. I have a pair of 704 S2 and to my ears they sound sonically better with plinths removed.

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

No just straight into the floor with and without the spikes

[@Biggles1999]

Thanks Terry I’m driving my 704 S2 with Audiolab 8000m monoblocs, without plinths on and they produce a very refined sound particularly when paired with vinyl and an EAR Phonobox phono stage. Your review reflects very similar traits to the older 7 series model. But i do recommend you try without plinths if you get a chance. Thanks for a great review.

[@TriAmpHiFi]

Hey that's a terrific video. Thanks for your efforts bringing us this review. So, this setup is $16,500 USD. How does it compare to the JBL M2's for $14,398 USD ? Acid Jazz, Funk & Brass 🔈🔉🔊

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

These speakers are £1999

[@TriAmpHiFi]

. Lol, I don't even have a "Pounds" symbol on my keyboard. They're $2,500.00 Dollars to have them here in the Good 'Ole USA. Anyway Terry, you know that 1,999 Pounds only gets us 3dB down @46Hz. To have the remaining 1/3 of the frequency band, in that setup, is an additional $14,000.00 Dollars in Woofers & Amplifiers. Acid Jazz, Funk & Brass 🔈🔉🔊

[@RennieAsh]

@@TriAmpHiFiYoud get cheaper subwoofers of course to match . You either like or dislike modern B&W sound imo.

[@stephenhall3515]

Would you recommend adding a subwoofer? If so, what size? Given that B&W go pretty low and suit more popular and middle of the road music as they are I sometimes miss the 'thwack' on bass drum notes in complex orchestral music. Shostakovich and Britten are prime cases.

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

Maybe try a couple of rel t5 7 or 9 x depending on your room size and budget

[@anoopdewochund8509]

Sir, can we have a comparison between the 603 versus wharfedale evo 4.4

[@JohnParker-w4q]

I’ve got b&w 603 s3 floorstander im partnering them with roxan Mandy k3 amp and Audiolab 6000n streamer im also using wed silver anniversary bi wire speaker cable and we’d interconnect I personally think they all bring out a great sound what I’d like to know is do u think the setup is good harmony with these lovely speakers?

[@eddietours3728]

Mission 😎

[@andlum83]

The german brand Audio Physic does not seem to be recognised by youtubers. maybe you could review their classic 8s or something? 2.5k price range, awesome smallish brand…

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

If you look in my channel I have reviewed a few of their speakers before

[@eddietours3728]

Any update on the dovedale

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

Nothing at the moment sorry

[@CommanderGinyu]

I had the 606 S2 and returned them pretty quickly. Lack of bass, thin midrange and ear-piercing treble made them one of the weakest speakers I’ve heard in that price range. I’ve also heard the high end 802 D2 in a studio and while the bass and soundstage were definitely there this time the treble still got annoying after a few minutes. I honestly don’t know why this brand has so many loyal fans. Their speakers aren’t that great at any price point

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

Nothing ear piercing about the treble on these, nothing at all otherwise I would have said so

[@RennieAsh]

New ones will be better but still have all the traits of B&W from the last 10 years

[@minus3dbintheteens60]

is it a definite upgrade over the 683 S2?

[@jamesschneider3828]

Do you think they would do any good with a CXA81 Cambridge. I've had 606S2 and they were pretty good when using a sub with a little higher crossover set.

[@cristiprundaru2340]

hello, what amplifier do you recommend for the 603 s2 so that I can enjoy it as much as possible

[@itk2493]

I remember when the 603 were £600🤣😂 Doesn't seem that long ago. Time flies and prices rise.

[@masaldeniz4545]

Hello. B&W 603 s2 AE 88.5 db and B&W 603 S3 90 db. Does this 1.5 dB difference make a difference in sound quality between the two speakers?

[@OffGridLivingEspana]

can you review the JBL partybox speakers and do a sound demo compared to expensive hifi, Please?

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

Can you have party for one? :)

[@OffGridLivingEspana]

@@PursuitPerfectSystem yes and they also have internal battery so can be taken out

[@PorkhunSergey]

Что выбрать к rotel ra1592mk2? Dynaudio emit 50 или b&w 603 s3?

[@summerforever6736]

Review was great ! The speakers are cheep looking in my opinion.

[@andyduffield8208]

These or Focal K2 936? I have an Audiolab 9000A

[@EdBenji]

Hey Terry, will these speakers sound better after break in???

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

These are a review sample and I could tell had had a life before they came to me hence the marks on the baffle and corner marks so I think they were already well played. To be fair in an them for a few weeks so think it would have been enough anyway

[@C-man553]

I hear crispy in a review…I run. These impress me as being trouble. Still catering excessively to the top end. 20-30 yrs ago BW had a much more musical balance.

[@Birmingham_racing]

How do these compare to the 704 s2?

[@JakubPiskorski-y9p]

Hi Terry Doyou think the Arcam SA20 will be a good amp to drive those speakers. Thanks

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

Yes don’t see why not

[@JakubPiskorski-y9p]

At the moment I have the Q Acoustics 5040 but they lacking on bass and I'm not really want a subwoofer....you think those B&W will sound better. My room is around 30m2.

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

No idea sorry

[@alexcheong4067]

Does Accuphase e280 a good match with this speaker ,would it be too bright?

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

I am sorry I dont know, I thought Accuphase was a warmer sound but maybe not that model?

[@wswiatkowski4209]

Hi, what do you think to run these speakers with Magmat MA900, I have just changed my speakers to B&W 603 S3, and my Yamaha R-N500 is much not enough for them. Thanks for any advice.

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

These are high end speakers you need a very good amp with them of around the same cost as them if not more. I suggested several in the review to consider. Maybe not the news your looking for but it will save you money in the long run spending more now

[@wswiatkowski4209]

Thank you, so Audiolab or Musical fidelity, as you mantioned... @@PursuitPerfectSystem

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

Those are the two I tried but really you want to be at the level or above - there are lots of options available that will offer something different of course

[@desbarry8414]

A price hike from £1049 in 2014 to 2 grand in 10 years lol they might sound ok but their qc sucks. I sent back a pair scratches all over the baffle. I used to love B&W but their shoddy Chinese qc put me right off and they are not worth 2 grand £1400 possibly.

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

Its worth remembering my electricity tripled in cost in 3 months a year or so ago during the energy crisis and is still more than double what it was two years ago let alone 10 years ago. That is not just in the UK its worldwide and effects everything. This is not me defending anyone, this is just the reality of today. Think about how many sets of these bowers make and sell, some "bad ones" are gonna happen, its not reflective of all of them. I dont blame uou for having your mindset but sometimes you have to step back and look at the bigger picture.

[@desbarry8414]

It actually happened TWICE scratches galore, once bitten twice shy as they say. Good review but if only they had better qc. Iloved my original 693 I bought in 2001.@@PursuitPerfectSystem

[@MrPINKFL0YD]

Seems to be a B&W infomercial channel of late..

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

3 videos in 18 months I would hardly call it that, maybe they are the only ones you clicked on but there has been a lot of others

[@thetragicyouth]

No evidence for that at all.

[@ChicagoRob2]

Triggered

[@EJK1965]

Sound aside, the bottom plinths are terrible visually and look like an afterthought. I couldn't buy these from an aesthetic point of view. Also B&W with my Musical Fidelity would rip my head off.

[@EJK1965]

That's with the M6si. Not a loving match. The 700 series also aren't happy with MF. AB amps. Yikes!

[@reestyfarts]

I never understand how if excursion is distortion why some producers' bass drivers (like these) move so much.

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

If you play the opening track of the blade runner 2049 sound track every speakers bass drivers move that much as there is a lot of deep bass in the song. I use this track for effect as with 99% of music bass drivers don't really move these days and that is boring on camera

[@RennieAsh]

It depends on the driver as to how much distortion you get from excursion. For good drivers, you can use them to lower frequencies and they can still perform quite well. A three way and/or bigger drivers can give advantages of course