B&W 705 S3

The B&W 705 S3 is a two-way bookshelf speaker featuring a 25mm Carbon Dome tweeter housed in a decoupled tapering tube atop the cabinet, paired with a 165mm (approximately 6.5-inch) Continuum cone mid-bass driver. The Continuum cone technology was originally developed for B&W's flagship 800 Diamond series and has since been incorporated into the 700 Series.

The B&W 705 S3 is designed as a stand-mount bookshelf speaker, and using dedicated speaker stands is strongly recommended to position the tweeters at ear level and to minimize unwanted cabinet vibrations. B&W offers matching FS-700 S3 stands specifically designed for the 700 Series bookshelf models, though third-party stands with appropriate weight capacity and top-plate dimensions also work well.

The 705 S3 can work in small to medium rooms, but its rear-firing bass port means it needs to be placed at least 30 to 50 centimeters away from the rear wall to avoid boomy, exaggerated bass. For very small rooms (under about 12 square meters), the smaller 707 S3 from the same series may be a more appropriate choice with its less demanding low-frequency output.

The 705 S3 has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms (with a minimum of 3.0 ohms) and a sensitivity of approximately 88 dB, meaning it benefits from a quality amplifier with decent current delivery rather than requiring massive wattage. A good integrated amplifier in the 50 to 150 watt-per-channel range from brands like Naim, Hegel, or Cambridge Audio will typically drive them effectively.