Loudspeakers

B&W says the new 700 S2 series, ‘offers a huge step forward over the outgoing CM Series 2. That’s the reason why we gave it a new name.’ As a rule of thumb, prices are up by about 20%. For example the new 707 S2 standmount costs £799 where the outgoing CM1 S2 was £707; the 706 S2 costs £1099 (CM5 S2 £949); the 705 S2 is £1799 (CM6 S2 £1499). The 704 S2 floorstander is £1999 (CM8 S2 £1499); the 703 S2 is £2399 (CM9 S2 £1999) and the 702 S2 is £3299 (CM10 S2 £2999). The company says the 700 S2 series ‘represents a totally different design ethos to the CM Series 2, due to the circumstances at their launch’, by which it means that the CM Series was an upgrade on 600 series technology, ‘because it fitted neatly into our range at the time.’ The 700 Series however has been dictated by the success of the latest 800 series Diamond range, ‘and the enormous performance leap it represents.’ B&W says the 700 S2 series uses technologies cascaded down from the latest 800 D3 series, including more cost-effective versions of its tweeter-on-top cabinet mounting, the decoupled Continuum midrange cone and Aerofoil low-frequency drivers.