Ask any hi-fi enthusiast which speaker brand appeals to the imagination and chances are that the name Bowers & Wilkins will be mentioned. Until 2015, the reproducers of this manufacturer were notable for the use of a yellow Kevlar woven mid-toner. The latter has since made way for the less prominent gray-colored Continuum display. But of course the news and improvements don’t stop there. B&W continues to develop happily with every release and â ???? lends â ???? each time technology from the top models. And we heard that in 603 S2 Anniversary Edition.

Modest appearance But first more about the appearance, because the eye is of course also something. With the understated-looking top model of the 600 – we received matte black test samples – the front following series of visible components: a 28 mm decoupled double aluminum dome tweeter, the aforementioned 150 mm Continuum midrange and 2 pcs paper / kevlar mix 165 mm woofers. At the rear, the 603 can ‘breathe’ through the well-known â ???? golf ballsâ ???? flowport. The crossover filter for this 3-way system that has been upgraded specifically for this series can be found in the cabinet itself. Well-considered choices by B&W with the goal of the 603 S2 Anniversary Edition to be the most advanced yet affordable floor standing speaker.

A closer look

The slightly more than a meter high 603 SE AE is provided with a stable base, which can be equipped with the supplied rotatable spikes or dampers. Tweeter, midrange and woofers are all mounted with a ring, so that no screws are visible. This not only looks good, but also improves the radiation. Of course there are also front grills (or fronts as you want) included, which are held in place by means of magnets that are concealed in the cabinet. A very small point of criticism; they could have been a little more powerful. The speaker grills will remain neatly in place under normal circumstances, but little is needed to tap them off.

For those who have the black speakers are too boring, the possibility exists to to deviate to white copies, or opt for oak wood look. Optionally, the cherry wood look variant is also available to order. Anyway; the end result in appearance and finish may be there. Here are speakers that should be seen, without being too obvious.

Seven more days

After the traditional warm-up period, some sliding, fitting and measuring we arrive at the discovery that the 603 sound best when turned slightly at least 2 meters apart stand. Because there is enough space to the back wall, we do not have the need to use the included foam rubber bass port plugs for a moment. One 40 to 50 cm is enough. The layer produced is wonderfully tight and the center extremely transparent. The treble sometimes seems a bit fresh, but that turned out to be recording or source dependent on the one hand and amplifier related on the other, more about that later.

The 603 â ???? s turn out to be musical omnivores. Whatever we serve them â ???? pop, classical, jazz, blues â ???? each genre is presented equally honestly and precisely. With Tin Pan Alley by Stevie Ray Vaughn, for example, the hum and rustle of the guitar and bass amplification can be heard nicely in the background, while the actual music rolls into the living room in an extremely realistic way. So the volume knob will automatically go a step further clockwise. Such a perception also comes to us when listening to Pink Floyd’s – The Wall. This tastes like more.

Because we mainly used the Arcam CD player as a source, albums like Live in Joe Bonamassa’s Royal Albert Hall (great that double drum kit ), The Best Of by George Michael, Tango In The Night by Fleetwood Mac and Reverence by Faithless. But the highlight in terms of experience has to be the song from Seven More Days by Terence Trent Darby. Just that goosebumps moment and moreover; wonderful to once again â ???? old-fashionedâ ???? CDs.

Can it be a little more? With a specified return of 88, 5 dB B&W recommends a stable amplifier from 30 Watts at 8 Ohms. Experience shows that in practice such a task is rather difficult to translate into the ready-made answer whether your amplifier is sufficient or not. After all; it is just a cold number. As a HiFi enthusiast, you are always looking for the maximum performance of your speakers. Because during the time that we had the 603 at our disposal, we noticed that they very easy to lift to a higher level based on a heavier amplifier. For example, in addition to a Rotel RA – 1572, a Rotel Michi X3 and a NAD M3 were also used. In our case it sometimes disappeared a bit fresh looking high. So check and listen to whether there is a match between (existing) equipment and these speakers.

Conclusion If you are currently looking for a set of new speakers, or perhaps considering an upgrade, please add the 603 Definitely add S2 to the wish list. Bowers & Wilkins offers an attractive price (â ?? ¬ 1. 799, – per pair) in a beautifully modest packaging produced a versatile and transparent sounding floorstander. A well thought out loudspeaker packed with technology from the more expensive lines of the leading and now legendary brand. As a result, as a listener you can very well distinguish what this transducer is being offered via the source with corresponding amplification. And that can be considered a great compliment.

In short; a loudspeaker that is right and rightly named â ???? Anniversary Editionâ ???? may wear. A small side note and at the same time sincere advice is in order here; provide a powerful amplifier that can drive these beautiful reproducers.

B&W 603 S2 Anniversary Edition

â ?? ¬ 1. 799, – per pair | Â www.bowerswilkins.com/en-en

Rating 4.5 / 5

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Specifications

Available color combinations

– black with black front

– white with gray front

– oak wood look with gray front

– cherry wood look with gray front (on order)

Speaker type

– Floor Upright

– 3-way open system / bass reflex

Composition

– 1x 28 mm o nd coupled aluminum double dome tweeter

– 1x 150 mm Continuum Cone FST Midrange

– 2x 165 mm paper / kevlar woofers

– flowport

Frequency range

28 Hz – 33 kHz (-6 dB)

Frequency response

48 Hz – 28 kHz (± 3 dB)

Sensitivity

88, 5 dB spl (2, 83 V, 1m)

Recommended amplifier power

30 W – 200 W at 8 ohms on signal without clipping

Dimensions

– Height 985 mm housing / 1055 mm incl. foot

– width 190 mm housing / 320 mm incl. foot

– depth 340 mm housing / 370 mm incl. foot

Net Weight

24, 1 kg each

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Test equipment used

Sources

– Arcam FMJ CD 33

– Linn Majik DS

– Bluetooth ACC / aptX

– PC-USB

Gain

– NAD M3

– Rotel RA – 1572

– Rotel Michi X3