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Rating 4.4 out of 5 stars with 27 reviews
Nathan Posted
I owned the 603 Anniversary Edition for a couple years and I’m surprised at how significant the difference in sound quality is. While it isnt a 700 series sound, it is much closer than the 600 series has ever been before. Claims of trickle down tech can sometimes be more hype than substance but in this case the changes B&W have made are the real deal. I would even say the increase in cost is worth every penny. You get a sound very close to much more expensive speakers at a much more accesible cost. The 603 S3’s have a warmer sound without losing the detail in the high end. The sound stage is impessive and fills my 17 by 17 living room with ease. There is a presence and authoriry the 603 S3 sound has that just wasn’t there with the previous generation. I also took a chance and bought the HTM72 S3, and the 603 S3 towers pair beautifully with this center speaker. The musicality of these speakers and the punch for home theater shows surprising versatility. Using a Marantz Cinema 60 into a D-Somic amp, SVS PB 1000 Pro, Apple TV 4k and Panasonic UB-820. I highly recomemd all this gear.
This review is from Bowers & Wilkins - 603 S3 Series 3-Way Floorstanding Loudspeaker (Each) - Black
Allen Posted
Nothing like B&W sound dor listening to old school rock and metal. The lower tones are clean, without dominating the sound.
This review is from Bowers & Wilkins - 603 S3 Series 3-Way Floorstanding Loudspeaker (Each) - Black
RobertL Posted
I love the speakers, but the customer service with Best Buy has been horrible following damaged speakers on two deliveries and a failure to refund the money in a timely manner.
This review is from Bowers & Wilkins - 603 S3 Series 3-Way Floorstanding Loudspeaker (Each) - Black
Bodifoda Posted
Let me first start off by saying that I have been playing Piano for over 30 years, studied music, and have a trained ear. I say this to provide context to this review. If you're thinking about spending this much money (or more), read this review in its entirety. The first time I heard these speakers, I knew one day I would own them. I have had these speakers paired with two different Receivers. First they were connected to a Marantz SR5006 (100 watts per channel), They sounded great. I began with a simple set up just running in stereo. I then added a MartinLogan Dynamo 10 inch and that took the stereo to a new level. These speakers have absolutely beautiful, "accurate" sound. If you are new to higher end audio, the first thing I'd like to point out is that great speakers do not improve sound. They are designed to "emulate" or mirror the original sound/recording as closely as possible. I decided I needed more power and upgraded to a Marantz SR7007 (125 watts per channel) and that is when these speakers truly came alive. I would HIGHLY recommend that you give these speakers as much power as possible as the difference was day and night. With the additional power and running bi-amp, the only way I can describe what happened is these speakers became more rich, especially on the lower end and could be significantly louder without working as hard. I am now running a killer 5.1 set up with Bowers & Wilkins surround and a MartinLogan Dynamo 10. The B&W 600s will be the star of the show, so arguably a great set up would simply be these with a solid sub woofer (for music). For movies, you still may want a 5.1 or 7.1 set up. I would "not" recommend these speakers if you listen to a lot of electronic music. Not that they would be bad, it's just that these are truly for live music aficionados. If you listen to a lot of rap, pop, techno, or more electronic music you can probably find something at a lower price point that will do fine. They shine particularly with real instruments. Anything with horn in it will sound astoundingly accurate. Some singers and horn players sound as if they are performing "in" the room. Piano and vocals will also be clear and loud. Powered properly they kick enough to not need a sub, but a sub will round the sound out with more warmth and deeper frequencies than these can provide. I also really enjoy drums (particularly high hat and cymbals). In short, you will not be disappointed with these. The only other speaker I was considering over these were the Bowers & Wilkins 704 S3s. And to be quite honest, I found the 704s to be flatter and require even more power to be at their potential. Unless you have a very large room the 600s will be just fine. They punch way above their weight class but do not skimp on your power. These are very power hungry speakers. If you under power them, they will sound good. But if you power them correctly you will be shocked at just what these can do. I push mine pretty hard and have yet to hear any distortion whatsoever. Pros: Size (they're somewhat slim compared to other speakers in this range) Incredibly accurate horn Incredibly accurate vocals, mid range, and percussion Sleek and simple design Cons: (really none) Will not have good bass if under powered One last note, if you are more into movies than music, I would not recommend these. I listen to music 80-90% of the time and occasionally watch a movie or stream. Great for movies, it would just be unnecessary to spend this much "only" for movies. This is a music lover's speaker.
This review is from Bowers & Wilkins - 603 S3 Series 3-Way Floorstanding Loudspeaker (Each) - Black
Mohan Posted
I love the music and audio it gets you. Isn’t over priced compared to 700 & 800 series. But it doesn’t compromise anything. Worth every penny invested on these awesome floor staning speakers
This review is from Bowers & Wilkins - 603 S3 Series 3-Way Floorstanding Loudspeaker (Each) - Black
SI26 Posted
I was looking at the KEF Meta and Martin Logans as alternatives as I was skeptical that BW 603 will do well for movies. I did a demo at the El Camino Real Best Buy in Mountain View. Found that I didn't find any dispersion on the horizontal or vertical axis as I feared based on feedback shared in reditt forums. So I took a chance and bought these. The clarity is so good for movies as well as music (which I expected) that I don't need subtitles. I ended up over riding the Dirac Live settings from the receiver as it was running the speakers as "flat" in the curve. and I really felt that these speakers were being under utilized. I manually over rode the Dirac curve and made it a happy face - with a higher treble and higher bass - and wow ! what a difference that made. I am enjoying listening to music in lossless mode for the first time with no distortion. highly recommend these speakers. of course the 7 and 8 series will be better. but for a large room , these serve the purpose very well.. and all the listening positions are able to get the fantastic sound.
Posted
Hello,
Thank you for your recent purchase and for taking the time to provide positive feedback. Your comments make all our hard work worthwhile. We strive to ensure our customers have this kind of experience, and it’s a great feeling to know that your system sounds just as you hoped it would. We are delighted that Bowers & Wilkins could assist you in achieving this.
Thank you for choosing Bowers & Wilkins, and we wish you many happy listening experiences.
Sincerely,
Bowers & Wilkins
RonS Posted
Simply great. My previous speakers were Bowers & Wilkins smaller floor standing speakers that really popped for their size. These have a more precise mid and bass response. The upper frequencies are very clear. Needless to say the sounstage moves out into the room and makes it easy to concentrate on the music and not the speakers. The handsome finish (depending on your decor) makes them a beautiful addition to your home.
ShawnB Posted
These speakers are just fantastic! Blake in the Stockton store was very knowledgeable and extremely helpful on helping me chose my speaker upgrade. I actually had my back turned to the speakers bouncing from the 700 diamond series and these. My ear could barely tell a difference between the two and settled on these. Excellent craftsmanship and the oak look so beautiful in the living room. Four 603s3 towers and the HTM6s3 will absolutely blow you away with the soundstage they present. Thank you again for the help Blake!
ALLEYM Posted
I've had B&W speakers for decades and it was finally time to replace them. This speaker is a really great model without breaking the bank. My music is crisp and clean and a pleasure to listen to. In fact, the louder the sound the better it sounds! I try not to do that too much to my neighbors.
This review is from Bowers & Wilkins - 603 S3 Series 3-Way Floorstanding Loudspeaker (Each) - Black
Posted
Hello ALLEYM,
We appreciate the kind words and support, we are ecstatic to hear you are enjoying your new 603 S3 speakers and hope they continue to bring you excellent sound and joy.
-Bowers & Wilkins
Phan Posted
This was a steal deal on sale when I purchased this. These are highly rated speakers that come with tweeters and also dual subwoofers. Depending on how you connect them to the Audio receivers, they can be a blast to listen to both music and movies. I configured them in a 7.1.2 Atmos configuration as front floor standing speakers, setup as "small" speakers with crossover at 60hz so that I can send some bass to these towers,
This review is from Bowers & Wilkins - 603 S3 Series 3-Way Floorstanding Loudspeaker (Each) - Black
Happy123 Posted
Great sound nice looking speakers very nice highs and clean sounding lows speaker cabinets are very smart looking and come in a nice variety of styles I chose the black ones because of their smart looking character
This review is from Bowers & Wilkins - 603 S3 Series 3-Way Floorstanding Loudspeaker (Each) - Black
Posted
Hello Happy123,
We are ecstatic to hear you are enjoying your 603 S3 in black. We hope they bring you a ton of listening bliss.
-Bowers & Wilkins
Aaron Posted
Beautiful sound, great quality materials and looks great.
This review is from Bowers & Wilkins - 603 S3 Series 3-Way Floorstanding Loudspeaker (Each) - Black
ANDREA Posted
This speaker is worth the price , to be honest sounds really good
This review is from Bowers & Wilkins - 603 S3 Series 3-Way Floorstanding Loudspeaker (Each) - Black
JonJ Posted
Chose these for the primary speakers for my system upgrade. After a through break-in these speakers have proven to be a great choice. Listening to a variety of music and extremely pleaseed ! Great choice for a speaker in this price range.
This review is from Bowers & Wilkins - 603 S3 Series 3-Way Floorstanding Loudspeaker (Each) - Black
Great Posted
Unbelievable sound so clean and clear, I upgraded from klipsch that I loved be nothing compared to the Bowers and Wilkins
This review is from Bowers & Wilkins - 603 S3 Series 3-Way Floorstanding Loudspeaker (Each) - Black
EastcoastAl Posted
Great speaker with full range response. These towers weigh over 60 lbs and are solid, resulting in great Bass.
This review is from Bowers & Wilkins - 603 S3 Series 3-Way Floorstanding Loudspeaker (Each) - Black
HenryJ Posted
Excellent highs. Mids good too. If you want heavy bass, you will need a sub-woofer to compliment these. Make trumpets, saxophones and drums sound like they are in the room with you.
This review is from Bowers & Wilkins - 603 S3 Series 3-Way Floorstanding Loudspeaker (Each) - Black
DucduyP Posted
The apeaker in excellent condition but it had some damage cratch. Sound is excellent.
This review is from Bowers & Wilkins - 603 S3 Series 3-Way Floorstanding Loudspeaker (Each) - Black
BetsyW Posted
Speakers are great, but one arrived missing a screw on the bottom of the base.
This review is from Bowers & Wilkins - 603 S3 Series 3-Way Floorstanding Loudspeaker (Each) - Black
Dgmar Posted
These sound amazing, the new tweeter design greatly increases the high end frequency response; and it's closer proximity to the mid-range driver create shesr listening pleasure.
This review is from Bowers & Wilkins - 603 S3 Series 3-Way Floorstanding Loudspeaker (Each) - White