Loudspeakers

In a first for B&W, the 700 S3 Signature range extends to three loudspeakers: the 702 floorstander, 705 standmount and the HTM71. The last of these is a dedicated centre channel speaker, allowing home cinema aficionados to build a complete Signature multichannel system in Midnight Blue Metallic. B&W's Director of Product Marketing, Andy Kerr, describes the £2200 HTM71 as 'basically a slightly scaled version of the 702', but that description doesn't quite ring true. In practice, while the HTM71 is a three-way design, complete with 'tweeter-on-top', it features only two 135mm Aerofoil bass drivers either side of its midrange, rather than the three 165mm types used in the 702 S3 tower.

A typical 700 S3 Signature home cinema set-up would partner the HTM71 with two of the floorstanders, and use the smaller 705 S3 Signatures for the surrounds. Completing the '.1' aspect of such a 5.1 array would be a subwoofer from B&W's flagship DB series. Note, however, that in-ceiling speakers from the company's CC range would be required for a Dolby Atmos installation, as B&W doesn't - unlike many competitor brands - sell 'upfiring' reflective models.