Bowers & Wilkins 702 S2 Speakers - Hands On Review
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 มี.ค. 2018
- This luxurious set of Bowers & Wilkins 702 S2 Speakers sound superb and were made to sound out; both physically and audibly. In this review, Caleb Denison goes hands on with the iconic brand's new loudspeaker, and gets into the nitty-gritty details that makes the 702 S2 sound so great.
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I have listened to them many hours at demo in multiple stores. Can’t wait to buy it. Best sound for the money.
Ive waiting for this review forever! Thank you so much!
1luvoneworld they are worth buying and are absolutely amazing. I have a low res video clip of mine on my channel if you want to check em out.
I have had my 702 s2 paired with Hegel h190 for 2 weeks so much deatils i am blown away, relly awesome speakers, huge upgrade 683 s2 They are a bit bass light right now But thats a part of the run in time, they are not neutral however as video suggest this is a more lively sounding speaker, But thats what make them so musical for me
I have these in my home, paired with a Hegel H190 stereo amplifier. The sound is simply gorgeous. I have never heard such clarity and details in the high frequencies before. Just amazing. My speakers are a little too close to the back wall, because of lack of space. I imagine the bass would sound a bit fuller with optimal placement, about 0,5 meters from the back wall. That said, the bass still sounds good. The bass port is on the back.
I had a pair of B&W DM683 before, and they were great as well. But these 702 S2's are clearly a class above in sound quality. As they should be, considering the price, which is more than 3 times higher.
As the reviewer said in the video, the sound can be described as neutral and clear.
Highly recommended! :)
I run the same combo as of 2 weeks ago, i love every second of it, a lot better than my 683 s2 for sure👍
Do you use the port plugs or any bass traps behind them? I have signatures on order and also do to space limitations I will have them a max of 9"off the back wall. ( paired w a Marantz SR8015)
@@michael0791 No, I don't use the port plugs. Mine are placed just 7 cm from the back wall, but still sounds great. I imagine the bass would sound fuller if they are placed further away from the wall. I will try this when I move to a bigger home.
@@pilsking1976 thanks for responding. Looking forward to hearing the difference between my current 705s2's and the 702's.
Awesome!
I saw some Fortes in the video. How would you compare these to those?
These are the best high end speakers that are obtainable. Yes it’s expensive but I was able to get mine for 4 grand including taxes. Now in day that’s the cost of a high end 65inch TV. You truly are getting audiophile sound but at the fraction of the price. They are superb!
I got a mid range 65 inch TV for 1.5 grand.
There's not enough difference between TV's to justify buying a better one.
Regarding sound on the other hand :D
@@AdurianJ I've got a cheaper samsung 4k HDR lcd. unfortunately i can absolutely tell top of line TVs are better. backlighting array gets much better so you get much more accurate color contrast.
InChrist87 where did you buy your speakers? $4k with taxes is a pretty good deal
After hearing the bower & Wilkins zeppelin wireless, I can only imagine what these sound like. The sad part is, after listening to absolute quality sound, you want nothing less... ☹️ I’m getting 2nd job for these baby’s.
@@IrvingMagik Wait for the best buy black Friday 😭😭
@Andreas Möller Hello Andreas Möller, yes, some run helps the speakers to get better! But I still feel the tweeter a little harsh still… The issue of 600 over 700 has to do with Sensitivity. The 700 has more Sensitivity, it was designed to be used in Home Cinema in which the Amps are more weaker ... so in normal audio it plays louder with the same Amp. I'm glad you're enjoying it. In a winning team you don't move... regards
Yes i am really enjoy them now, blows the 600 series away, did the camparsion between my 683 s2 and the 702 is really night and day better, i don’t find them harsh anymore unless its in the recording, the speaker are very recording dependent, witch i never experinced 683 was,
@@andreasmoller9798 Yes @Andreas Möller the 700 series is better... :)... Regarding the recording so my preference is 1 Amp with equalizer to get around the speaker characteristics...:) Glad you're enjoying it... :)
Look amazing. Wish you had played something on them.
I once to sell high-end speakers going back 20+ years and all of our pricing was PER speaker. I notice that is now sometimes but not always the case. That said. why not specify when quoting a price? BTW - I made the switch from Klipsch Ref. to B&W and I just can't seem to get enough of them. Spectacular product!
I shall attain
Gorgeous
@Andreas Möller Yes, it's a matter of choice if you don't need bass anymore ... Yes, too, the recording quality also influences ... It's also a matter of choice 1 better Dac on the H390 ... I don't know if it will be worth it if you're happy... is more than 2,200 €...
I have run my 702 for close to 80-85 hours, the bass is so much better now, the tweeter and midrange much more balanced with bass also, the tweeter could be harsh the first weeks but i feel its gone now, the tweeter is just detailed without the harshness, they need very careful placement to perform the best, now i finally have the sound i really loved when i demo the speaker in store, i noticed they play much louder than my previous 683 s2 on the same volume setting on the my Hegel h190, on my 683 i played around 45- using airplay on 683 on my reference, on 702 i won’t play over 40 as it will start to get too loud, on 35-36 on most tracks i can fill my hole room with sound, they are very efficient speakers, i expected them to be harder to drive than my 683 s2 with 3 6,5 woofers, vs 2 6,5 woofers in 683, but no 702 is an easier load than 683 to my experince in the month i have own them😁
@@andreasmoller9798 Hello Andreas Möller, yes, some run helps the speakers to get better! But I still feel the tweeter a little harsh still… The issue of 600 over 700 has to do with Sensitivity. The 700 has more Sensitivity, it was designed to be used in Home Cinema in which the Amps are more weaker ... so in normal audio it plays louder with the same Amp. I'm glad you're enjoying it. In a winning team you don't move... regards
Qacoustics are amazing
I have the 603 towers with the htm71 S2 centre. how will this compare? what I mean are they worth upgrading too I mostly do movies and gaming so sometimes B&W have trouble following as they are mostly musical speakers. I'm just curious to see if they would perform much better then my 603's I don't mind the crisp clean sound as I'm using dual SVS PB-3000. I would go listen to them but I've moved too far from my dealer to have a go.
Thanks for the input.
I got the 603's. Imo the 603's have much better sound.
@@chriss881000 I ended up getting the Arendal 1723 towers and center in replacement of the B&W's and wow what an upgrade. The Arendal's aren't even in the same realm as the 6 and 7 series. I'll be changing my surrounds and heights to Arendal also well worth the look at.
@Andreas Möller Nice answer Andreas Möller ... In any case, I do not doubt that he will do his job because nobody wants to hear the music too loud either. Another alternative is to buy 1 sub-woofwer and keep the H190 forever. A sub makes all the difference in the bass. Besides, the 702 is quite easy to handle ... In that sense the H190 I think will do well in the details as even in the Advanced Range, the only problem "could be" the bass... When I sold my H360 to the Mr., later also sold and bought 1 H590 and told me that has only a little more bass... In that sense, of 1 sub, I think it would not be a bad option and you would be Earning a Lot More and in a Lot of Savings ...
I am not really a bass head so the bass coming out from 702 s2 is more than enough for me, i play around 65-75 db as of now becouse they need to be run in, my prefered level is 80-85 db, on that level i live with the music in a different way, the size of room will also be factor on how much bass you will get out of the speakers, and some rooms can make the sound worse, the sometimes harsh tweeter can be a bit in the recording as the speakers are very detailed, transparent, and tweeters are very revealing, low quality recordings won’t sound as good as you throw a quality recording to them, but the harshness will come down as you run them in, i have noticed that my self, i am blown away with this speakers, never had such good sound at home, my old 683 s2 almost sound bad in camparsion, 702 is much clearer, detailed, the bass also have much more controll, and your hear much less of that boxy sound you get with 600 series, i also love the design and build quality, the white color is fantastic to me, 702 is huge step up in both sound quality and looks over 683 s2, i feel that my Hegel h190 proably has more than enough power in my room for this speaker, but i still maybe going for h390 in the future to get the extra, and a better dac in the process i just hope they make a white h390, becouse the white h190 looks great
@@andreasmoller9798 Yes, it's a matter of choice if you don't need bass anymore ... Yes, too, the recording quality also influences ... It's also a matter of choice 1 better Dac on the H390 ... I don't know if it will be worth it if you're happy... is more than 2,200 €...
@@andreasmoller9798 Yes, it's a matter of choice if you don't need bass anymore ... Yes, too, the recording quality also influences ... It's also a matter of choice 1 better Dac on the H390 ... I don't know if it will be worth it if you're happy... is more than 2,200 €...
How do they compare to the Goldenear Triton 2+ ?
These two are very different speakers. I suggest listening to both back to back. You will only like one or the other. The Triton might be a little more "impactful" for a home theatre, but the B&W is going to be much more accurate for music.
@Digital Trends Great review, I do love B&W speakers. Digital Trends, or anyone who wants to offer a suggestion, does anyone know of a stereo receiver/amp that has all the modern inputs of a modern receiver? By this I mean, I don't have room for a 5+ speaker setup, only have room for two tower speakers plus the option of a separate subwoofer but from what I can find the stereo amps don't offer the other modern inputs such as HDMI, wifi, digital radio and such that are common place on good quality receivers. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.
www.amazon.com/Onkyo-TX-8270-Channel-Network-Receiver/dp/B06Y15DWXZ
www.amazon.com/Pioneer-Elite-Receiver-Component-SX-S30/dp/B01MTQ5UVK/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1532299853&sr=1-2&keywords=stereo+receiver+hdmi+pioneer
Rotel 1592
Arcam sr250, naim uniti series and or just use a surround sound amp in 2.1 channel mode. Googles your friend!
Hegel 390
I still own my 802 Diamond one's with wheels at the bottom. They retailed at $20,000. Even though they are hooked up to a Krell 700 Watt balanced stereo amplifier, with premium Siltech cables...l still don't get a satisfactory bass response. After viewing this, l am more enticed to keep what l have, and have go with Bowers new amazingly reviewed sub woofer.
@Memer Dreamer Greetings! Sorry to have upset you with my extravagant taste, but I did have a somewhat brief big money heyday. The only place I ever heard them was in a 20 x 25 living room with a nine foot ceiling, and I really did notice a difference if I compared how the bass sounded after switching the on/off button at the rear of the two subs I had. If you were watching a live concert from a DVD, you would hear every instrument with crystal clarity that could never be heard at a real live concert. The additional subs really do make the bass player sound like the performer were standing directly in front of you. It truly is a sound which is infinitely beyond description. I had to sell the subs because I was facing an eviction date for first of May 2013. The 802's are still sitting safe in an air tight storage unit along with other components until I can afford my own house!
I didn't mention it, just in another comment below but I also have one B&W PM1...
How do you rate the pm1? It's such a shame you cannot buy them brand new anymore, it's do difficult to audition them.
@@trollmaster2122 Yes it's a pity, as the price was high for monitors, they probably took it off ... I bought mine in 2014. In 2015 it no longer existed ... PM1 was better than the previous 805 Diamond ... The PM1 is a speaker that has nothing to say ... good bass, tweeter and midrange ... However, it was not exactly cheap, at the time 2500 € ... However, I amortized it with my CM9, but the value that they gave me also didn't help much ... anyway
PS: I would more quickly sell the 702 S2 than the PM1, so whoever has it doesn't sell ... The quality of the material is also different ... it's really a pity because it was in the middle of the Diamond and CM range… The speaker is from 2014 (even came out before) but even so there is nothing due to the 702 S2 of today ... The only thing that is felt in the 702 S2 in the middle and woofwers is greater sound amplitude which does not mean quality ..
Claudio Cordero moon. I heard those from the above range 804 D3 with MA 7000 knew the store owner let me test it anyway in the advanced range the sound was shrill. Even worse than my much cheaper system. And we are already talking about a range with other prices.
Hegel 190, or musical fidelity m6si ,or rotel 1592mk2 for 2 chanel and home theater, whitch one is to buy?
I power my 702s2 with the Rotel RB-1582 mkII, which was a significant improvement over the 28 year old Harmon Kardon. Didn't think it would change how they sounded but found out differently. The SVS SB16 Ultra compliment them well when it comes to the earth shaking subsonics I love in movies. My sorround and rear are all SVS and with the new Evolution Pinnacles out, very tempting to consider replacing the B&Ws.
👍👍👍👍👍👍
best speakers u can buy .
Can test them outdoor?
Good morning, Gentlemen.
I bought in Portugal the new 702 S2. I noticed that the middle range of the speaker and the bass is better. However, the tweeter is strident, I notice some noise and lacking sweetness... Which kills the speaker All. I've heard the speaker 702 S2 with an Amp Marantz, Amp Accuphase and Hegel H360 and there's the same problem. The tweeter is Harsh and grueling. It has extension, only with cello or violin.
I already had CM8, CM9, CM10 S2 and now 702 S2, I am disappointed with the tweeter that turns out to be tiring.
Just to know, I also had Pre and Power Rotel RC-1550 and RB-1552, respectively;
Than I've purchased Rotel RC-1580, RB-1582, and later the RA-1570.
My most recent purchase was, in fact, the Rotel RC-1590 with Power RB-1582 MKII and later I adopted the Rotel Power RB-1590 (I have no more).
There is also a site that considers the same problem !! The site is: www.trustedreviews.com/reviews/bowers-wilkins-702-s2
It is difficult to solve this problem, the issue of the tweeter spoils the whole Speaker. Even with several amplifiers!
Even with the replacement of Speaker cables, it is noticeable that this situation is harsh and tiring when listening to music!
Hi, Rodrigues, have you solve that problem?
Hello Aurius not yet. Also now I have no much time to connected the sound, for things i have to do in life. I also have a PM1 from B&W and nothing like that has ever happened! A PM1 For small speaker the tweeter has nothing to do with the 702 S2 tweeter. The PM1 tweeter is much better and more sweet! Even the others speakers that i have the sound is not so harsh...
Thanks for the replay. I successfully solved the problem by replacing the cables of the speakers. Before that, I used a silver plated wire, that was very good with my previous speakers. I change to copper wires, if it's exactly - Wireword Oasis 7. Also, I heard that some people have fixed this issue with Audioquest Rocket 33. I hope this will help you.
Hello Aurius, you're welcome. But my cables are Qed Genesis, give more emphasis on the bass. I made bi-wiring with a cable of € 10 mt. This will not be very different from the AudioQuest R.33. In the future I want to buy the cable furutech U2T and take off the 10 €... But gonna stay a bit better in the middle and more present in the tweeter, even increase the harsh... I think is not so different from the Rocket 33. But there is not much to do .... It is the characteristic of the speakers...Thanks anyway.
Can you help me? I have this speakers and I need an Amp, I have to options, MCINTOSH MA-8900 or MOON 340i. What do you prefer?
I bought the 702 S2 and was very satisfied. Well - But after upgraded my amplifier from Denon PMA 1500 to PMA 2500, it is a whole new experience. The sound was going from good to excellent 👍 🇩🇰
It baffles me that with all of these high end reviews that they never really play the speakers with a sample cd. Audio is very subjective. There's no way of knowing what a pair of speakers are going to sound like until you get them home and hooked up to your own amplifier or receiver. The choice of the amplifier or receiver will determine the sound of the speakers for better or worse. I own Bowers and Wilkins 685s2 speakers and they are hooked up to a rotel power amp and pre amplifier. The sound is outstanding. But I also own psb speakers and they sound horrible hooked up to my nad integrated amp yet sound amazing hooked up to the rotel amps. Invest in a really good amplifier first. At least that's my opinion.
They really sound good with the denon, i tried them with my Hegel h190 and that was even better to me
For me the denon was also to bright for 702, thats why i choised Hegel instead
Are these better than the svs ultra ?
@anthonyalvarado1635 I realize this is four years later than you probably wanted an answer. I own both the 702 S2 and SVS Ultras. The 702 S2s are in my basement theater and the Ultras Towers are in my living room. The 702 S2s. In my opinion, both are amazing speakers and you can't go wrong with either. However, it depends on what you are trying to accomplish. The Ultra Towers are imposing compared to the 702 S2. They are very neutral, does a good job with any content I throw at them, do require good clean power to drive, and work great for both two channel and home theater content. They are also less fussy with amplification pairing and room positioning. The side firing woofers do need some room to breath. At least a foot on all sides. Two feet is better. Finally, the Ultra Towers do a great job with bass. They are not quite full range but they will get along just fine without a sub two channel content. For TV and Movies, I recommend a sub to help with the low end. The Ultra Towers with a capable sub is definitely the budget friendly option here.
The 702 S2, on the other hand, have a more open sound due to the on top tweeter. The 702 S2 is not a neutral speaker. The tweeter is voiced higher than the mid-range but can be compensated by lowering the treble through tone controls or EQ. They are great when paired with either a Denon or Marantz AVR. I have both and have tried with both. If you pair these speakers with low end or underpowered garbage then you will get garbage out. I use these for both two channel listening and home theater. They are fussy with room placement and listening position. When you find the sweet spot you will love these. Even outside the sweet spot, these sound really good. I have these paired with an SVS sub (remember these are in a home theater).
I can listen to the SVS Ultras all day long. But, I find the 702 S2 more fun, open, and dynamic than the Ultras. They both do a fantastic job but the 702 S2s do beat out the Ultra Towers in my opinion. Set up the 702 S2s correctly then you will have magic on your hands.
Did you ultimately make a purchasing decision. What is your opinion?
So let me know
sooo .. you like these ??
7 thousand dollars for one speaker in aussie i hope they sound goog
Claudio Cordero moon. And I have a B&W PM1. The sound of the speakers is even better than 702 S2 ...
4,200.00 obtainable
heh
Stop bad mouthing a speaker just because you can't afford it.
I had these at home for a couple of days now and I have never listened to a worse speaker in my life.
I loved the CM line, the CM5 was the first proper speaker I bought, and it brought me into the Hi-Fi game.
I don‘t know what happened along the way, but the 702 S2 is a terrible product, aside from the built quality.
The sound is thin, mid-bass heavy and artificial. Voices sound good, that‘s it.
Other than that, this speaker doesn‘t know how to make music sound - well - musical. It feels as if this speaker just reproduces data, but filters out what makes music so enjoyable. Will you hear small details? Yes. Will you want to bop your head and tap your foot to it? No. It just doesn‘t sound good.
I wouldn‘t keep them, if they were under a 1,000 dollars. And surely not for 4,000.
They are not only not good in their price range, they are simply not good. If you want musically talented speakers with the potential to surround you in a soft cloud of music, buy a Wharfedale Linton. If you want analytical sound, buy anything but the 702.
Just for comparison - German people will know them - I also ordered a pair of Nubert NuVero 60. It‘s a rather big compact speaker, also known to be analytical and to have big punch. They cost 1,600 Euros, and they basically killed the B&Ws. Detail, bass, midrange, everything. Not as well made as the 702, but who cares.
B&W is pure marketing. Basically the Rolex of speaker companies (only that a Rolex actually can do what it‘s supposed to, just 50% too expensive).
Be aware, that you will find much better speakers for much less money, or for the same amount you can get speakers that are just in another dimension compared to the 702s.
I agree i heard them at bestbuy and was shocked that a speaker that costs soo much can sound so blahhhh... I have a pair of Yamaha NS1000 monitors at home with beryllium midranges and they sound 1000 times better @ half the price on my cheap yamaha NS R-S202 amplifier!!
Bowers are notorious for their long break in times. My first ones were 602's, and I almost took them back. But after a week or so everything was great
@@musicman8270 That‘s just your ears adapting. And one week is not a long break-in time at all. Speakers may loosen up and sound a bit different after a while, but they don‘t magically become a different speaker.
It‘s just their marketing at full force here :)
One thing I learned along the hifi journey is to avoid the usual suspects.
@@Schlock3000 yeah, one speaker started sounding great and a few days later the other one did. That's my ears "adapting". I've heard this "adapting " stuff for years and there is an entire warehouse of speakers I sent back because my human ears couldn't "adapt" to these poorly designed crappy speakers.
i heard them at bestbuy and was shocked that a speaker that costs soo much can sound so blahhhh... I have a pair of Yamaha NS1000 monitors at home with beryllium midranges and they sound 1000 times better @ half the price on my cheap yamaha NS R-S202 amplifier!!
The speaker and tweeter moved around a lot when he was barely touching them. Ummm...
It's designed that way. "Decoupled" to reduce any resonance.
I heard a high end sound bar after listening to these speakers. The sound bar in comparison sounds like a pile of garbage.
Never get a soundbar.
Kevlar is owned by DuPont. And they want money...
I've listened to them I really really dislike their sound. Do yourself a favour and go hear them before buying or else you might be disappointed. Ended up buying Dali Rubicons.
At 1:42 Looking at how that twitter assembly mover like so... I wouldn't stand the thing rattling because of that. Shame.
Just after he said it was built well
It doesn’t rattle but i agree. Way too flimsy.
It’s called de-coupling - it’s designed that way to reduce unwanted vibrations
@@ksoundwerx83 to reduce vibration by setting it up loose (to rattle)?
Okay!
Whatever you say!
These speakers are so small in real life
They really are
@@c2thefuture but on their plates they become alot bigger. Had them for about 3 weeks now, paid 5.500$ fot them amd I love them. Alittle weak in the bass, but iv ordered a b&w subwoofer, so I think that will fix it
@@chriss881000 give them an amp with a lot of grunt and the bass will shine, i just tried them in a store with my Hegel h190. No lack of bass
@@andreasmoller9798 they do lack some bass anyway. But it deppends on what u are used to. Im coming from b&w 603, and they have alot more bass, but the 603 goes unusual low. My a21+ has enough "grunt" 😉
@@chriss881000 what 603 do you come from, the 2 latest 603 does not go as deep in the bass as 702 s2, i find hegel to do great with most speakers as They get the bass out of them, i have 683 s2 and i have campared with 702 s2 and even the new 603, 702s2 did dig slighly deeper than both, 702 destroy both in terms of quality, i listen to 702 with my Hegel h190 in store and the bass shaked the store, and its 45m2 room, But if you are true bass head a subwoofers or 2 might be your best option
Made In China Price Overpriced
You do realise that companies can stipulate the level of quality in manufacturing within China's production system, many of the very high end manufactures have to have their items build in China simply to be able to offer their products at competitive prices but they still insist on their own level of quality in that manufacture.
You are typing from a made in China keyboard lol.
They’re actually made in England
No they are made in China. They do the apple thing. Designed in the UK made in China.
made in china does not mean they are not well made.
Made in china... overpriced.
B&W used to be a good brand, now they've outsourced all their work to China - but kept the prices.
They make good speakers even if they outsource some of their production lines. I have china made b&w speakers which I have had for ten years, and they are nice still. They will most likely last ten more years at least.
everything made in china trust me if they where made in england they'd be double the price get a clue. Even if they where made in England it would be only classed as assembled in in england all the electrical parts would be out sourced and probably from china
Throw away your iPhone and computer, they are ALL made in China.
You are an idiot the new b&w is far superior to the Old ones thats a fact
@@archangel9975 Even your clothes are made in china, car, the materials your house is built out of, the bus you ride around town, LOL!