John Darko
Bowers & Wilkins has today announced Signature editions of its 702 S3 floorstander and 705 S3 standmount, calling them “rare and radically upgraded versions”.
The 702 S3 Signature remains a three-way design featuring a Carbon Dome tweeter housed in a ‘tweeter-on-top’ aluminium enclosure that enjoys “the addition of a new protective tweeter grille mesh derived from the 800 Series Signature models”.
The midrange driver is still a decoupled Continuum Cone with Biometric Suspension but the three 16.5cm Aerofoil Profile bass drivers have been kitted out with upgraded suspensions.
Lastly, the crossover, whose components have been upgraded for “increased transparency”: in the Signature Edition we find “upgraded Mundorf capacitors, improved inductors and revised bypass capacitors” and high-quality brass-cored speaker terminals.
The 2-way 705 S3 Signature standmount also gets the new tweeter grille mesh, improved bass driver suspension, upgraded crossover components “with new capacitors and resistors, re-arranged bypass capacitors” and higher-quality speaker terminals.
So that we don’t mistake the Signature Editions for the standard models, both the 702 S3 Signature and 705 S3 Signature are available in a choice of two Signature finishes: Midnight Blue Metallic (borrowed from the Nautilus) and Datuk Gloss wood veneer. Both finishes put gold trims around the drive units and tweeter housings and add a Signature logo plate to the back panel.
Pricing?
702 S3 Signature: US$9000, €8500 or £7000 / pair
705 S3 Signature: US$4500, €4000 or £3400 / pair
Further information: Bowers & Wilkins
