Bowers & Wilkins 700 Series, A successful debut

• Loudspeakers.

• Specialists' rating: 5

• Text: Luis Llana

Bowers & Wilkins's current worldwide prestige is neither the result of chance nor of the mercantilism some allege; it has been hard-earned through a series of factors which, properly combined, have allowed the company to stay on the crest of the wave. It is no coincidence that the firm's great commercial vision, together with its extensive use of marketing techniques, has allowed it to capture the needs of the market at all times.

But this strategy would be of little use to anyone in a tremendously competitive sector if it were not backed by a solid infrastructure, both technical and human, dedicated to the search for and development of the best solutions, relying on the most advanced technology of the day focused on specialized research in electroacoustics, not forgetting its passion for design. All of this has been the guiding principle of a firm that began its journey in 1966 under the name B&W Electronics Ltd, founded by electronics specialist and devoted lover of classical music John Bowers and his business partner Roy Wilkins.

Its work has given rise to various technologies, some of them patented, such as the Matrix internal anechoic cellular structure used in the top-of-the-range models, which allows total cancellation of the rear waves of the bass drivers, and the Nautilus tweeter loaded in a tapering tubular enclosure that practically eliminates the driver's rear radiation. And of course, cone designs with woven Kevlar fibers, whose greatest exponent is the FST midrange driver, with a specially designed surround integrated into the cone. Finally, worth mentioning are the more recent bass driver cones made from a blend of paper pulp and Kevlar, which gives them excellent rigidity and lightness.

Today, Bowers & Wilkins has one of the most complete and versatile loudspeaker ranges on the market, fully versatile for both strictly musical listening and home theater applications, in each and every one of its series without exception. At the very top is the Prestige series, some of whose models are built with uncompromising technical solutions, such as the revolutionary Nautilus with its bass enclosure coiled into a "seashell" shape. Next come the very high-end and high-end Nautilus 800 and 700 series respectively, the exquisite CM series and the popular 600 and 300 series, affordable for any budget. Not forgetting a complete collection of up to 11 subwoofer models and other interesting solutions for compact 5.1 systems.

Allow me a small license, in the form of a special mention for the legendary and formidable 801, later the Matrix 801, which marked a milestone in the firm's history. It was used as a monitor in the recording studios of EMI, DECCA and Deutsche Grammophon, remaining in production for 19 years until it was finally discontinued when the Nautilus series appeared.



A very consistent range



On this occasion we will look in detail at the new 700 series, whose true origins date back to 1995 with the appearance of the first model in the CDM series. Later, with the birth of the Nautilus series, technological solutions from that series were incorporated into the CDM series, representing a major qualitative leap, and from then on it was called the CDM NT series. A recent new technological turn of the screw, albeit a smaller one this time, has led to it being renamed the 700 series. The changes involve certain improvements in the drivers' motor systems and the crossovers, and the most visible part, namely the cabinets.

These are completely different from those of the previous CDM NT series, with a new design using a single curved panel that covers the entire front and top, the latter inclined and slightly curved to avoid sound diffraction in the high-frequency region, since the tweeter is surface-mounted in a position slightly set back from the other drivers in order to maintain acoustic alignment between them all. The side panels are not parallel to each other, converging toward the rear, while a series of internal braces prevents possible vibrations of the whole. The finish is natural wood veneer, lacquered in Black, Rosenut, Walnut, Light Oak and Maple, with the front grille always in black fabric. Nothing to object to in a beautiful cabinet design, superbly built and finished.

With the obvious differences in dimensions, cabinet construction is similar for the main models in the series, which consists of the 703 and 704 floorstanders, the 705, a compact model for use on a stand, the HTM7 center channel, the DS7 for rear surround effects and the ASW750 and ASW700 subwoofers.

The 703 is the tallest model in the series, a slender bass reflex floorstander with a front port, which B&W calls Flowport because of the distinctive design of the tube's surface, common to the whole series. A 3-way design, it includes two 165 mm bass drivers with paper pulp and Kevlar fiber cones, a 160 mm midrange driver built with FST technology, and a 25 mm metal-alloy dome high-frequency unit mounted in free air with Nautilus technology.

Smaller and also a floorstander, the 704 is likewise a bass reflex design, though in a 2.5-way configuration, including a bass driver and a tweeter identical to those of the 703, entrusting the bass/mid frequencies to a 165 mm Kevlar fiber cone driver. This model includes two reflex ports, a front one for the bass driver and a rear one for the mid/bass driver, because of the low-frequency overlap that occurs with the bass driver, something inherent in a 2.5-way system.

Similar in configuration are the 705, for placing on a stand, and the HTM7 for the critical center channel. They are 2-way bass reflex designs, including a 165 mm Kevlar fiber cone bass/mid driver and a tweeter identical to that of the previous models. The HTM7 includes 2 front bass reflex ports and magnetic shielding, while the 705 has a single front bass reflex port, with a dedicated stand available for it under the reference FS-700.

The DS7 for the rear surround channels deserves to be called very special, since it is a speaker that can operate in either conventional or dipole mode; its operation can be selected using a switch on the speaker itself or by activating a 12-volt trigger signal from the surround sound processor, for which the speaker has the appropriate terminals on its connection panel. Thanks to this dual operation, it can be installed either on the sides of the listening room (the best possible position for dipole speakers) or at the rear of the room, or in both positions at once in 7.1 systems, with 4 surround speakers.

The enclosure is built on the sealed-box principle, in a 2-way configuration with two groups of drivers, the 165 mm Kevlar fiber cone mid/bass driver being common to both groups. For conventional operation it has a 25 mm metal-alloy dome tweeter with Nautilus technology. For dipole operation it includes two 100 mm mid/treble drivers, located on each side of the cabinet. It is available in two finishes, black and white, with grilles in the same colors.

The series is completed by the ASW750 and ASW700 active subwoofers, compact sealed-box designs. In this type of design, overcoming the resistance of the air trapped in a small enclosure requires drivers with powerful motor systems and internal amplifier designs with high continuous power. The ASW750 has a 300 mm paper pulp and Kevlar fiber cone driver and an internal amplifier capable of delivering 1,000 watts continuous.

For its part, the ASW700 includes a driver with a 250 mm cone made of the same composite as the larger model and a 500-watt continuous internal amplifier. Both models have a full set of controls that allow them to be adapted to different needs according to their placement or the acoustics of the listening room, and to a wide variety of speakers on the market, independently of their series siblings.

The 703 and 704 come with decoupling spikes as standard, and the binding posts on all models are of very good quality, accepting bare wire and bananas and allowing bi-wiring.



The moment of truth



Having introduced the entire series to our readers, the next objective is to evaluate as objectively as possible Bowers & Wilkins's proposition with its 700 series and check its suitability for both purely musical stereo reproduction and home theater. To do so, we enlisted the collaboration of the Madrid specialist store Clave Audio, in one of whose perfectly treated listening rooms the listening tests were carried out, so I would like to take this opportunity to thank its managers for their excellent welcome, collaboration and help.

First, a 5.1 configuration was set up, consisting of a pair of 703s for the main channels, an HTM7 for the center channel, two 705s for the rear surround channels and an ASW700 subwoofer, connected to Onkyo's top-of-the-range A/V integrated amplifier, the TX-DS989. A Marantz DV-8400 DVD player was used as the digital playback source. For the necessary image display, I had the invaluable help of a Dream-Weaver II projector from France's DreamVision.

Watching the famous podrace from "Star Wars Episode I" and the submarine assault scene in "U-571", I was quickly able to confirm the dynamism and effectiveness with which our guests handle these action scenes, feeling surrounded by a sea of believable sound effects backed by the punch of an excellent subwoofer.

The same vigor is evident in the scene of the "little job of killing the messenger" in "Road to Perdition", with hard-hitting gunshots while the music plays, perfectly distinct, in the club one floor below. In this same soundtrack I noted superb dialogue, which shows the excellent behavior of our HTM7, with a clear, full-bodied and perfectly focused sound.

But DVD is not all movies, so after watching some excerpts from J.S. Bach's Christmas Oratorio in the superb performance Sir John Eliot Gardiner and his regular musicians recorded for the TDK label, the effectiveness of the HTM7 comes up again in the aria "Bereite dich", sung by soprano Claron McFadden as if filled with divine inspiration. In the chorale on the next track, the front trio of speakers, supported by the surrounds, correctly reproduces the acoustics of a church, in this case the one in Weimar where the recording was made. A few excerpts from Carlos Santana's "Supernatural" only confirmed the impression of a superb front soundstage created by the leading trio.

To evaluate the performance of the pair of 703s reproducing music in pure stereo with the best possible quality, they were paired with components from Krell's KAV series, namely the KAV-400xi stereo integrated amplifier and the SACD Standard SACD/CD-Audio player, connected to each other with The Second in a balanced connection, with The Wind used for the speakers, both from Van den Hul.

Alone in the face of danger and without the help of their excellent sister the HTM7, I must confess that the 703s defended themselves very well against the avalanche of well-recorded music that fell upon them, chosen on purpose with wicked intentions.

Some complex tracks on the CDs "Girl Talk" by the Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio and "Blow Up" by the Isao Suzuki trio/quartet, in which certain dialogues between instruments tend to blur when the playback system is not up to the task, are handled by the 703s with a good soundstage and great transparency, without the slightest harshness despite the superb clarity of the treble. Very good transient response with excellent dynamics, with no lack of control in the low frequencies worth mentioning. Jacintha's warm voice on "Autumn Leaves", but above all on the sensational SACD "Is Her Name", is heard with great naturalness, clean and well placed on the stage formed by the two 703s.

Listening to orchestral pieces, some tracks from the complex "Tous les Matins du Monde" under the direction of Jordi Savall are handled without difficulty by our 703s, especially a difficult children's choir and the high register of Fabio Biondi's violin, which tends to "screech" with less successful designs, but never with our guests.

As a grand finale, the overwhelming finale of Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 3, performed by Arcadi Volodos, was heard in all its fullness and with excellent dynamics, with no compression whatsoever in the orchestral fortissimos, and very good presence of the solo piano, perfectly distinct from the accompanying orchestra.

The Bowers & Wilkins 700 series units we evaluated have demonstrated complete versatility for both home theater and high-quality music listening. Powerful and effective, though not lacking in musicality when the occasion demands it in a multichannel environment, they handle the most difficult musical recordings in pure stereo with ease and high sound quality.

Bowers & Wilkins 700 Series, A successful debut

Specifications

-

Price: €0