About the Bowers & Wilkins 603 S2 Anniversary Edition
Celebrating 25 years of excellent full-range sound
Celebrating 25 years of excellent full-range sound
Bowers & Wilkins are celebrating 25 years of their brilliant and popular 600 Series by offering special Anniversary Editions of this classic lineup. The anniversary edition of the impressive 603 S2 floor-stander draws on the famed speaker manufacturer's long history of technical innovation to create an immersive, accurate soundstage.
The 1-inch Decoupled Double Dome tweeter in the Bowers & Wilkins 603 makes movie and TV dialogue come through crisp and clear.
You can use a pair of 603s to star in a dedicated stereo music listening setup, or use them as a front pair in a Bowers & Wilkins surround sound system.
The Anniversary Edition features some celebratory cosmetic changes — a special tweeter trim ring and a new oak finish option — plus an upgraded and optimized crossover design.
Proprietary drivers
A closer look at Bowers & Wilkins' driver technology will give you some idea of why this speaker sounds so good.
The 1" Decoupled Double Dome tweeter features a thin, light aluminum dome, surrounded by a second, thicker ring that reduces distortion. The assembly is decoupled from the mount to isolate it from cabinet vibrations that can colour sound.
The 6" Continuum™ cone FST™ midrange borrows technology from the company's high-end 800 Series. The cone's composite construction delivers precise vocals and instruments and smooths transitions.
Flowport™ for better bass
The speaker's dual 6-1/2" woofer cones provide deep, rich bass, which remains smooth thanks to Flowport technology. The 603's bass reflex enclosure features a rear-firing, dimpled and flared port that provides natural bass response without the turbulent "chuffing" that standard ports can create. The speaker includes a two-piece foam plug that can be inserted if you want to adjust bass response to your liking.
Build a complete Bowers & Wilkins system
This speaker is voice-matched to other speakers in the 600 Anniversary Edition Series, so you can build a seamless surround sound system.
A rich history of audio excellence
Founded in England in the 1960s, Bowers & Wilkins is known worldwide for their innovative hi-fi speaker designs and their premium headphones. Crutchfield is proud to offer a diverse selection of products from this legendary audio brand.
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Product highlights:
- 3-way design
- 1" Decoupled Double Dome aluminum tweeter
- 6" Continuum™ cone FST (Fixed Suspension Transducer) midrange
- dual 6-1/2" paper cone woofers
- bass-reflex cabinet with rear-firing Flowport™
- frequency response: 48-28,000 Hz (±3 dB)
- sensitivity: 88.5 dB
- impedance: 8 ohms
- recommended amplifier power: 30-200 watts
- dual binding post speaker terminals allow bi-amping or bi-wiring
- included plinth and carpet spikes provide added stability
- includes a 2-piece foam port plug for adjusting the speaker's low-frequency performance
- optimized crossover design including upgraded capacitors
- acoustically transparent, removable magnetic grille
Dimensions and warranty:
- 12-5/8"W x 41-1/2"H x 14-5/8"D (with plinth and spikes)
- weight: 53.1 lbs.
- warranty: 5 years
- MFR # FP42528
What's in the box:
Bowers & Wilkins 603 S2 Anniversary Edition owner's manual
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- Plinith (base)
- 2 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Hex-nuts
- 4 Screws
- 4 Washers
- 4 Lock-washers
- Two-piece foam port plug
- Hex-key
- Manual
- Bowers & Wilkins brochure
- Warranty Information
Featured video:
Customer reviews for Bowers & Wilkins 603 S2 Anniversary Edition
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Average review:
4.5 out of 5 starsCustomer photos
This review was collected as part of a promotion
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More details on the Bowers & Wilkins 603 S2 Anniversary Edition
Features & specs
| General | ||
|---|---|---|
| Enclosure | Ported | |
| Finish | MDF/Wood-grain vinyl | |
| Color | Oak | |
| Tweeter | Decoupled Hard-Dome | |
| Tweeter Size (inches) | 1 | |
| Midrange Size (inches) | 6 | |
| Woofer Size (inches) | 6.5 | |
| Woofer Composition | Paper | |
| Woofer Surround | Rubber | |
| Built-in Powered Sub | No | |
| Dolby Atmos Drivers | No | |
| Connector Type | Binding post | |
| Bi-amp Inputs | Yes | |
| Parts Warranty | 5 Years | |
| Labor Warranty | 5 Years | |
| Specifications | ||
| Power Range | 30-200 | |
| Frequency Response | 48-28k Hz | |
| Sensitivity | 88.5 dB | |
| Impedance (Ohms) | 8 | |
| Subwoofer Amp Power | --- | |
| Height (inches) | 41-1/2 | |
| Width (inches) | 12-5/8 | |
| Depth (inches) | 14-5/8 | |
| Weight | 53.1 lbs | |
Product Research
Features
1" Decoupled Double Dome Aluminum Tweeter: The Bowers & Wilkins 603 S2 floorstanding loudspeaker adopts a refined and upgraded version of the proven Decoupled Double Dome Aluminum tweeter (1"), offering 38kHz breakup performance. The Decoupled Double Dome tweeter uses a thin and light aluminum dome, surrounded by a thicker ring, to prevent audible distortion. Decoupling also helps prevent cabinet vibrations reaching the tweeter. Synthetic gel cushions the decoupled tweeter, with the assembly isolated from the mounting hardware. The result is a more natural, spacious, and pure sound.
6" Continuum Cone Midrange Driver: The 603 S2 floorstanding loudspeaker features a single 6" Continuum cone FST (Fixed Suspension Transducer) midrange driver, borrowed from B&W's 800 Series Diamond. Thanks to its composite construction, the Continuum cone provides a smooth and accurate sound by avoiding the abrupt transitions in behavior that can impair the performance of a conventional drive unit and cause distortion. As a result, voice and instruments are delivered with purity and precision.
Dual 6.5" Paper Cone Bass Woofers: The Bowers & Wilkins 603 S2 houses dual 6.5" paper cone woofers with rubber surrounds. These 6.5" paper cone woofers deliver deep, accurate, natural sounding bass.
Optimized Crossover Design: The Bowers & Wilkins 600 Series Anniversary Edition 603 S2 floorstanding loudspeaker benefits from a new optimized crossover design featuring carefully selected components, offering greater detail from your music.
Flowport Technology: The B&W 603 S2 floorstanding speaker utilizes Flowport Technology to create smooth, deep, and efficient bass response. Its bass reflex enclosure features a rear-firing, dimpled flared port that provides natural bass response without turbulent noise or distortion. If you want to reduce the volume of bass without moving the speaker further from the wall, fit the included foam plug into the rear-firing port for lesser bass response.
Note: You can adjust the floorstanding speaker's low-frequency performance using the supplied foam plug. The foam plug is two-pieces, allowing for a degree of fine-tuning using either the outer, larger-diameter piece in isolation or the two parts together. Using solely the outer, larger-diameter foam piece will deliver less bass attenuation than the complete foam plug assembly.
Acoustically Transparent Magnetic Grille: The Bowers & Wilkins 603 S2 comes with an acoustically transparent magnetic grille that's easy to install, looks great, and doesn't get in the way of the sound.
Dual Binding Post Terminals: The floorstanding speaker has two sets of binding posts connected by jumper straps. The binding post terminals will accept bare wire, pin connectors, spade connectors, or banana plugs (single only). There are plastic inserts that will need to be removed from the binding post terminals in order to use banana plugs. Using the dual binding posts terminals, you can choose to bi-amp or bi-wire the speaker (when facing the back of the cabinet - the upper set of binding posts are for the high frequency drivers; the lower set of binding posts are for the low frequency drivers).
- Bi-Wiring: Bi-wiring can provide noticeable improvements in the overall transparency of your loudspeakers. Run separate speaker wires to the low & high frequency drivers from a single amplifier.
- Bi-Amping: Bi-amping allows you to use separate amplifiers for the high & low frequency sections of your loudspeaker for greater dynamic range & lower distortion. We recommend that your separate amplifiers have identical gain to preserve the speaker's voicing balance.
Note: Make sure the jumper straps between the dual binding post terminals are removed when making a bi-amp or bi-wire type of connection.
Rubber or Spike Feet: The Bowers & Wilkins 603 S2 floorstanding loudspeaker comes with a plinth (base), rubber feet, and spikes. The plinth (base) secures to the bottom of the speaker cabinet using the supplied hardware. The rubber or spike feet screw into the bottom of the plinth (base). Use the rubber feet for hardwood, laminate, tile, and vinyl flooring. Use the spike feet for carpet flooring.
- Dimensions with Rubber Feet: 12.625" (w) x 40.75" (h) x 14.625" (d)
- Dimensions with Spike Feet: 12.625" (w) x 41.5" (h) x 14.625" (d)
Note: The 603 S2 floorstanding loudspeaker should always be used with the plinth (base) and feet installed for optimum performance and proper stability.
Placement Options: Moving the floorstanding speaker further from the walls will generally reduce the volume of bass. Space behind the speakers will also help to create an aural impression of depth. Conversely, moving the speakers closer to the walls will increase the volume of bass.
- Stereo Setup: The floorstanding loudspeakers should be positioned between 4.9375' and 9.875' apart at two corners of an equilateral triangle completed by the listening area at the third corner. The speakers should be approximately 1.625' away from the back wall, and at least 1.625' away from any side walls.
- Home Theater: If the floorstanding speakers are to be used for the front channels in a home theater system, position the speakers within approximately 1.625' of the sides of the TV screen to keep the sound image in scale with the visual image. The speakers should ideally be at least 1.625' away from any side walls.
Bowers & Wilkins 600 Series (Anniversary Edition): The 600 Series Anniversary Edition delivers Bowers & Wilkins' storied sound in simple 2ch stereo applications or more complex home theater setups. The 600 Series Anniversary Edition consists of one floorstanding loudspeaker (603 S2), two bookshelf loudspeakers (S606 S2 / S607 S2), and a center-channel loudspeaker (HTM6 S2) - all sold separately.
Optional Powered Subs: If you want even more bass, add one of Bowers & Wilkins 600 Series powered subs (ASW608 / ASW610 / ASW610XP) - all sold separately.
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speakers are amazing, sounds are so rich and lifelike. bought the Yamaha a-s801 to power, which is entry level into the power needed. $3500 for amp and speakers that are amazing.
Daniel from Hastings, MI