Three-way 700 S3 engineering in a 165 mm-wide tower without a top module.
The 704 S3 trims the range's footprint while retaining three separate ways.
The pair of Bowers & Wilkins 704 S3 speakers retains a dedicated Continuum FST midrange and twin Aerofoil woofers, but all three drivers are 130 mm across. Its 25 mm Carbon Dome tweeter also moves relative to the 702 S3 and 703 S3: it sits in the front baffle rather than a Solid Body Tweeter-on-Top module. This is the narrowest and shortest floorstander of the three.
Key features
- Three-way vented layout: 25 mm Carbon Dome, 130 mm Continuum FST midrange and two 130 mm Aerofoil woofers
- Decoupled midrange and Flowport; tweeter in the front baffle
- Response 48 Hz-28 kHz (±3 dB); sensitivity 88 dB
- 8-ohm nominal impedance (3.1-ohm minimum); recommended amplifier 30-150 W
- Cabinet 925 × 165 × 263 mm; 964 × 252 × 321 mm with plinth; weight 20.53 kg
How the smaller tower differs
The decoupled midrange has its own band apart from the two woofers, and Flowport tunes the vented enclosure. Compared with the 703 S3, cone diameters drop from 165 to 130 mm and the top-mounted tweeter module disappears. It is not an extended 706 S3: the 706 is a two-way standmount with one bass/midrange unit, while this speaker divides the work among three driver groups.
Measure the plinth
Cabinet dimensions are 925 × 165 × 263 mm; the plinth increases the footprint to 964 × 252 × 321 mm overall. Before placing it between furniture or beside a TV unit, use the complete width and depth, not just the front baffle. At 20.53 kg each it is lighter than the 702 S3 and 703 S3, though it still needs a stable floor and access for rear wiring.
Response at ±3 dB is 48 Hz-28 kHz and sensitivity is 88 dB. Recommended amplification is 30-150 W into 8 ohms, with a 3.1-ohm impedance minimum. For a cinema front stage, the shorter HTM72 S3 or the three-way HTM71 S3 are different centre-channel options; the available space beneath the screen remains central to that choice. Sensitivity also falls from the 702 S3 and 703 S3's 90 dB to 88 dB here. The slimmer tower therefore changes more than floor area: all three midrange and bass cones are smaller, and the tweeter moves into the baffle. If the speaker stands near a walkway, measure the 252 mm plinth width rather than the 165 mm cabinet alone.
