British outfit Bowers & Wilkins has consistently made some of the best hi-fi speakers to ever grace our testing rooms. Founded in 1966 by John Bower in the workshop of his electronics shop in Worthing, West Sussex, the firm has long been synonymous with sonically impressive, design-led speakers.
So what should you look for when choosing a pair of B&W speakers?
First of all, think about what type is right for you. Floorstanders can require a fair bit of room in which to operate, so might be better suited to bigger spaces, while bookshelf speakers (aka standmounts) can either be mounted on a stand or fixed to a wall using brackets, so are potentially more versatile.
Thanks to its new Formation range, B&W has even moved into the realm of wireless multi-room speakers and we've included both a stereo pair and one-box option in this list.
Then there's the technology. Traditionally, Kevlar used to be the material of choice for B&W's midrange and bass drivers, but the company now uses its own material, dubbed Continuum. Bowers & Wilkins claims it reduces the degrading effects of the vibrations of the mid/bass drivers, resulting in a cleaner sound with less distortion. You'll find it's used across all the speakers on this list.
Finally, you'll need to think about your budget. Thankfully, Bowers & Wilkins covers a lot of bases, with budget offerings right up to the truly high-end.
On that note, let's find you some new B&W speakers.
A 2019 What Hi-Fi? Award winner, the 606s produce a brilliant sound, with clarity and openness across the frequency spectrum. They're an energetic and enthusiastic listen too, with great pace, precision and an entertaining grasp of rhythms.
There's loads of detail to feast on, and dynamics still reach far and wide even at low volumes. All these elements added together make for a hugely appealing package - these are some of the best Bowers and Wilkins speakers around.
Smaller than the 606s, the 607s are the most affordable B&W speakers in the firm's 600 Series. Not that you'd know it – the design is as on point as ever, and sound-wise they're bursting with energy and enthusiasm.
The bass is deeper and more responsive than their diminutive size would suggest, and there's bags of details to get your teeth into. Simply put, these are miniature marvels.
The aesthetic might not appeal to everyone and they're far from cheap, but if you want a wireless pair of standmounters that nothing comes even close to right now, you've just found them. For sound, the Duos are deadly precise speakers with excellent clarity and agility. They make you want to dig out tune after tune just to hear what they can do.
The multi-room feature set, while not perfect (we'd prefer a single app to handle every function), is more than made up for by the superb audio performance.
The 603s are the lone floorstanders in B&W's current 600 Series. Again, they feature B&W's Continuum cone material, and in this case the results are even more impressive – the soundstage is gloriously spacious, and they deliver bass weight, vocal clarity and detail in spades. If you have this kind of money to spend on a new pair of speakers, you should definitely take the B&W 603s for a spin.
These are the smallest and cheapest in the 700 series, which is Bowers and Wilkins' mid-range speaker offering. The build is impressively solid, and the cabinet is finished with crisp edges and classy detailing. And this quality continues in the audio department.
The 707s sound astonishingly authoritative, with a solid, composed sound, with punchy, powerful bass. They don't struggle at high volumes either – in fact, they tend to sound a little more balanced when you pump up the volume. These are small speakers that sound much, much bigger.
You can pick up a wireless speaker for relative peanuts, so why would you spend so much more on the Bowers & Wilkins Wedge? Firstly, it's part of B&W's Formation range of multi-room speakers, so it will play nicely with the the Formation Duos (mentioned above) via B&W's own wireless mesh system, allowing for hi-res streaming up to 24-bit/96kHz.
The Wedge is also an exceptional wireless speaker in its own right. It's distinctive design stands out from the competition and the speaker also offers Apple AirPlay 2, aptX HD Bluetooth, Spotify Connect and Roon Ready status. But it's sound quality where the Wedge really earns its keep. Its three-way driver set-up produces a dynamic, entertaining sound drizzled in loads of detail. Pricey, but worth every penny.
The 704 S2s might be slim, but they deliver a bold, generously scaled sound that belies their physical dimensions. They deliver an impressive level of detail, and there's a high level of composure and organisation. This means they always sound in control, even as volume levels head north.
The downside? The best at this money boast better rhythmic expression and they're a little lifeless at low volumes, but that's a great excuse to crank them up.
Even by Bowers & Wilkins’ standards, the 705 S2s are a supremely elegant pair of speakers. On top of each cabinet sits a decoupled, solid-body tweeter which reduces treble diffraction and lets the speaker's main driver be placed higher in the cabinet, thus allowing it to generate more energy.
They produce a weighty, solid sound with a bass depth that's both disarming and impressive given their size. It complements the solid mid-range and crisp treble. While a little overexcited at times, it makes for an upfront listen that – like the speakers themselves – is big, bold and beautiful.
