Bowers & Wilkins 707 Prestige Edition Review

1. Introduction: The Special Edition Connumdrum

In the world of high-end audio, the "Special Edition" is a familiar beast. We’ve all seen them. That flash of an exclusive wood grain, the glint of a commemorative plaque. But the question that always follows, whispered in hi-fi shops and on audiophile forums, is: "Is it just a pretty face?" We’ve seen "SE" models that are little more than a new coat of paint. And we've seen others that are genuinely, lovingly hot-rodded versions of their standard siblings.

The Bowers & Wilkins 707 S3 is the baby of the highly-regarded 700 S3 series. It’s a compact, technologically advanced monitor designed to bring 800-series DNA to smaller spaces. Now, B&W has released the "Prestige Edition." On the surface, this model takes the standard 707 S3 and wraps it in a breathtaking "Santos Gloss" finish, a high-gloss, real-wood veneer that looks spectacular.

But digging deeper, a translated specification sheet from the Japanese market reveals a far more enticing claim. It states the 707 Prestige Edition "incorporates technology from the latest Signature model". This is a big deal. At Bowers & Wilkins, the "Signature" name is hallowed ground. It's not just a finish; it's a statement of performance, historically involving significant, non-cosmetic upgrades like "expertly tuned" and "upgraded crossover designs and components," new motor systems, and other material improvements.

So, what exactly is this speaker? Is it a 707 S3 in a tuxedo, or is it a wolf in sheep's (very, very glossy) clothing? Is this the 707 "Signature" that B&W never officially badged? We managed to get a pair into our listening room to find out.

2. First Look: That 'Prestige' Finish

Pulling the 707 Prestige from its packaging, the first impression is one of pure, unadulterated luxury. The standard 707 S3 finishes—Gloss Black, Satin White, and Mocha—are perfectly lovely , but this Santos Gloss is on another level. It is a deep, richly figured real-wood veneer that feels more like bespoke Italian furniture than a loudspeaker cabinet.

B&W claims this finish isn't just for show. The standard 700 Series gloss black, itself a deep, lustrous finish, requires nine coats of lacquer. The 707 Prestige Edition gets twelve. This is where marketing claims and acoustic science appear to meet. That same Japanese source makes the bold assertion that this "difference in paint thickness also affects the sound," resulting in a "clearer and deeper" presentation.

This might sound like audiophile hyperbole, but there is sound engineering principle behind it. As any speaker designer will attest, cabinet resonance is the enemy of pure sound. By adding three additional, hard-as-nails coats of lacquer, B&W is increasing the mass and, more importantly, the inertia and rigidity of the cabinet. This creates a more "dead" enclosure, providing a more stable, vibration-free platform for the drivers to do their work. The audible effect should be a lower noise floor, cleaner transients, and improved micro-detail. We'll be listening for exactly that.

Beyond the finish, the speaker retains the 707 S3's excellent form factor. At only 165mm (6.5 in) wide, it is genuinely compact. It features the new S3 series curved front baffle and "protruding drivers" , a design feature trickled down from the flagship 800 Diamond series to reduce cabinet diffraction, or "baffling effects". Around back, you'll find B&W’s signature dimpled Flowport and a solid set of bi-wireable binding posts.

3. Under the Hood: The 707 S3 Baseline

Before we get to the "Prestige" upgrades, it's crucial to establish what a brilliant starting point the standard 707 S3 is. This speaker already benefits from the massive R&D investment of the 800 Diamond series.

The Decoupled Carbon Dome Tweeter:

This is not the old aluminum dome tweeter from the 600 series or the outgoing CM series. The 1-inch (25mm) Decoupled Carbon Dome tweeter is a purpose-built unit for the 700 series. It’s a clever two-part design: the front portion is a 30-micron aluminum dome, which is then stiffened by a PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition) carbon coating. This assembly is bonded to a second section, a 300-micron Carbon Ring. This complex structure pushes the first breakup (distortion) threshold to a staggering 47kHz.

In listening terms, this advanced tweeter is responsible for the S3's "exceptional clarity and detail" and "pinpoint imaging accuracy". It's a fast, insightful, and transparent high-frequency unit.

The Continuum Cone Mid/Bass:

The 5-inch (130mm) mid/bass driver uses B&W's proprietary Continuum cone. This woven composite material famously replaced their iconic, bright-yellow Kevlar. It wasn't just a cosmetic change. The Continuum cone's "composite construction" is designed to avoid the "abrupt transitions in behavior" (or break-up modes) that can impair the performance of conventional cone materials. This results in a "more open, neutral performance" that delivers "voices and instruments with precision and transparency".

In short, the standard 707 S3 is already a "compact powerhouse" known for a "big and open" sound that defies its small cabinet.

4. The 'Prestige' Difference: Unpacking the 'Signature' DNA

This is the heart of the review. When B&W launched the 700 S3 Signature line, it included the 705 S3 stand-mount, the 702 S3 floorstander, and the HTM71 S3 center channel. The 707 S3, the smallest of the range, was conspicuously absent.

The 707 Prestige Edition appears to be that "missing" 707 Signature, released under a different moniker. If it truly "incorporates technology from the latest Signature model" , we can look to B&W's own definition of its 700 S3 Signature and 800 Series Signature models to know what that means.

This implies three key areas of non-cosmetic upgrades:

1. The Crossover: This is the big one. Standard B&W crossovers are already well-engineered. "Signature" versions, however, are "expertly tuned" and receive "upgraded crossover designs and components". For the 700 S3 Signature, this means upgraded Mundorf capacitors, multiple bypass capacitors, and improved heatsinking. This is the "brain" of the speaker, and upgrading it fundamentally changes its voice.

2. The Mid/Bass Motor & Suspension: The 705 S3 Signature, for example, features an "upgraded mid-bass motor system" and an "improved suspension". It is highly probable the 707 Prestige receives a similar (if not identical) upgrade to its 5-inch Continuum driver.

3. Upgraded Terminals & Grille: The new Signature models also get higher-quality, brass-core speaker terminals and a "more open tweeter grille mesh," as developed for the 800 Series Signature. This new mesh provides an even cleaner, more extended top end.

These upgrades are not subtle. They are a ground-up re-tuning of the speaker. Based on this, we should be listening for:

1. A smoother, more refined treble with less of the "brightness" or "treble-forward response" that some critics noted in older models , but with more air and texture.

2. Tighter, faster, and more articulate bass—better "PRaT" (Pace, Rhythm, and Timing) —from the new motor system.

3. A "blacker" background and improved midrange clarity, thanks to the more inert cabinet and higher-grade crossover components.

A glance at this table shows that the on-paper specs are identical to the standard 707 S3. This is crucial. It visually reinforces the review's central thesis: the magic isn't in the driver types or frequency response, but in the hidden components (crossover, motor) and the cabinet finish—the very "Prestige" elements this review is focused on. It proves that specs don't tell the whole story.

5. The Sound: Listening Notes

Associated Equipment:

Before playing a single note, we had to be careful with amplification. The 84dB sensitivity (2.83Vrms, 1m) is low. Very low. This is not a speaker for a budget A/V receiver. As multiple reviewers have noted, they "need more power than you'd think" and are "not easy to-drive". A speaker this insensitive is a demanding load that requires an amplifier with high-quality current delivery.

To let the Prestige upgrades shine, you need quality current. We paired them with a Naim Uniti Atom Headphone Edition (as a pre-amp) feeding a Hegel H190 integrated amplifier, and also spent time with a Musical Fidelity M6si. Speaker cables were from AudioQuest, with interconnects from Chord.

Treble: From "Clarity" to "Refinement"

The standard 707 S3 is praised for "exceptional clarity". The older S2, however, was sometimes criticized by reviewers for a "treble-forward response" that could "get bright" with some music. Some users even find the newer S3 a bit "bright".

This is where the Prestige upgrade is most obvious. Firing up "Keith Don't Go" from Nils Lofgren's Acoustic Live (a classic audiophile test track ), the attack of the acoustic guitar strings had all the detail and "air" you could want, but without the glassy "edge" that can sometimes accompany the Carbon Dome.

This is the new crossover and more open tweeter mesh at work. It’s not "rolled off." It’s cleaner. The "brightness" is gone, replaced by pure texture. On "Take Five" from the Time Out quartet, cymbals didn't just "splash"; you could hear the click of the stick tip on the metal, followed by a long, shimmering decay. This is high-end treble: all of the detail, none of the fatigue.

Midrange: The Sound of Silence

The Continuum cone is already a "neutral, transparent" performer. The Prestige version takes this transparency and adds a palpable "in-the-room" presence. On "Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman, her voice was locked dead-center in the soundstage, holographic and utterly free of the cabinets.

This, to us, is the sound of that 12-coat lacquer finish. The cabinet is sonically "dead" in the best possible way. It's not contributing its own woody, boxy resonance to the sound. The result is that the midrange sounds uncoupled from the enclosure. It's just... there. It’s what Part-Time Audiophile’s Marc Phillips described as "sounding big and open in a fairly large room" , but with an even "blacker" background to emerge from.

Bass and PRaT: The "Muscle-Bound" Problem Solved

One common complaint with the older 707 S2 was a "muscle-bound" bass. What Hi-Fi? described it as "solid and authoritative" but lacking the "agility and drive" to properly handle a rhythmic bassline. The S3 is much improved , but the Prestige is in another league.

This is the upgraded motor and suspension in action. It gives the 5-inch driver a grip on the bass that is frankly shocking for its size. Playing "Angel" by Massive Attack, the low-frequency pulse was tight, fast, and shockingly deep. It hits its 50Hz (±3dB) limit and rolls off quickly below that, as expected , but the bass it does produce is rendered with iron-fisted control.

But more importantly, the timing is right. The "PRaT" (Pace, Rhythm, and Timing) is excellent. This speaker isn't "muscle-bound" ; it's athletic. It delivers the slam and "jump factor" of rock and electronic music with an agility that the standard 700s can sometimes miss.

Soundstage and Imaging

The Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity credited the S3 with the "ability to image and project a believable soundstage". The Prestige Edition doubles down on this. The combination of the inert cabinet, the phase-perfect crossover, and the ultra-clean tweeter creates a soundstage that is both wide and deep, extending well beyond the physical cabinets.

On "Time" by Pink Floyd, the cacophony of opening clocks was not a wall of sound; each clock was a distinct, pinpoint source in a three-dimensional acoustic space. This is the "pinpoint imaging accuracy" the Carbon Dome promises, fully realized by the Signature-level components.

6. Comparisons and The Verdict

vs. The Standard B&W 707 S3:

Is the Prestige better? Yes. Unquestionably. It is more refined, more dynamic, faster, and presents a more holographic image. It fixes the last vestiges of "brightness" some hear in the 700 series and elevates its rhythmic ability to a new level.

The Verdict: If you have a budget amplifier, buy the standard 707 S3. If you have a high-quality, high-current amplifier, the Prestige Edition is the only one to consider. It’s the speaker the 707 S3 was meant to be.

vs. The B&W 705 S3 Signature:

This is the real question. The 705 S3 Signature is the next step up. Its primary advantage is the iconic, solid-body "Tweeter-on-Top" design , which offers the ultimate in tweeter decoupling from cabinet vibrations.

The Verdict: The 705 S3 Signature will give you a slightly more open, airy, and "out-of-the-box" treble presentation. However, the 707 Prestige offers the exact same internal "Signature" upgrades (crossover, motor) in a smaller, more traditional, and (presumably) more affordable package. The 707 Prestige may represent the value sweet spot in B&W's entire high-end stand-mount lineup.

vs. The Competition (e.g., KEF LS50 Meta):

The KEF LS50 Meta is the class-defining competitor. Its Uni-Q coincident driver array offers arguably superior point-source imaging and coherence.

The Verdict: The KEF sounds more "of a piece." However, the 707 Prestige sounds bigger and more dynamic. It has a "see-through" transparency in the treble and a "slam" in the bass that the KEF can't quite match. It’s a matter of taste: KEF’s legendary coherence versus B&W’s transparency and dynamic punch.

7. Final Verdict

The Bowers & Wilkins 707 Prestige Edition triumphantly answers our opening question. It is not just a 707 S3 in a fancy suit. It is a 707 S3 that has been taken to the B&W "Signature" tailor and fitted with the finest internal components.

The 12-coat lacquer finish is more than just beautiful; it's a functional acoustic upgrade, rendering the cabinet inert and allowing the upgraded Continuum driver to paint a holographic midrange. The "Signature" crossover tames the Carbon Dome's "brightness" and transforms it into pure, fatigue-free "refinement," while the upgraded motor system delivers a taut, rhythmic, and shockingly potent bass.

This is the speaker that fixes the very few nits we had with the 700 series—that hint of treble-forwardness , the slightly "muscle-bound" bass.

It has one significant caveat: that 84dB sensitivity is not a joke. Do not pair this speaker with a budget amplifier. To hear the magic, you must bring quality power.

But if you do? The 707 Prestige Edition is a masterpiece of a mini-monitor. It’s the 707 S3, fully optimized. It’s the hidden "Signature" of the 700 series, and it might just be the best pound-for-pound stand-mount speaker B&W makes.

THE VERDICT