B&W 706 S3

A 700 S3 two-way standmount with a 165 mm Continuum driver.

The 706 S3 keeps the 705 S3's large cone in a cabinet without Tweeter-on-Top.

The pair of Bowers & Wilkins 706 S3 speakers combines a 165 mm Continuum bass/midrange unit and a decoupled 25 mm Carbon Dome tweeter. While cone diameter matches the 705 S3, the tweeter sits in the 706's front baffle rather than a separate housing above it. Overall height therefore stays at the cabinet's 345 mm, useful where vertical clearance is limited.

Key features

• Two-way vented cabinet: decoupled 25 mm Carbon Dome and 165 mm Continuum bass/midrange
• Response 50 Hz-28 kHz (±3 dB); sensitivity 88 dB
• 8-ohm impedance (3.7-ohm minimum); recommended amplifier 30-120 W
• Dimensions 345 × 192 × 297 mm; depth 334 mm with grille and terminals
• Weight 8.42 kg each; Flowport vent

A size worth comparing

The two-way layout assigns mids and bass to the Continuum unit and uses a Flowport vent. The 707 S3 reduces its cone to 130 mm and narrows the cabinet to 165 mm; the 706 S3 is 192 mm wide. It lacks the 705 S3's Solid Body Tweeter-on-Top, although the two models list the same ±3 dB response and sensitivity.

On a stand

The cabinet measures 345 × 192 × 297 mm and weighs 8.42 kg per speaker. Depth rises to 334 mm including grille and terminals, with additional room needed for rear connections. Dedicated stands are sold separately. Stable stands at a suitable height help organise a stereo front without taking up floor area with two towers.

The ±3 dB response runs from 50 Hz to 28 kHz at 88 dB sensitivity. Choose an amplifier within the recommended 30-120 W range while accounting for the 3.7-ohm impedance minimum. In a 700 S3 home cinema, the 706 can take left and right channels while the HTM72 S3 or HTM71 S3 covers dialogue; those centres differ in dimensions and driver layout.