The smaller two-way 700 S3 centre for limited space beneath a screen.
The HTM72 S3 places two 130 mm Continuum cones beside a Carbon Dome tweeter.
The single Bowers & Wilkins HTM72 S3 is the compact centre option in the 700 S3 range. Its 477 mm-wide horizontal cabinet holds a 25 mm Carbon Dome tweeter and two 130 mm Continuum drivers for bass and midrange. It has neither the Tweeter-on-Top housing nor the separate midrange of the HTM71 S3, giving dialogue a different driver layout where space is tighter.
Key features
- Two-way vented centre: 25 mm Carbon Dome tweeter and two 130 mm Continuum drivers
- Response 70 Hz-28 kHz (±3 dB); sensitivity 87 dB
- 8-ohm impedance (4.3-ohm minimum); recommended amplifier 30-120 W
- Dimensions 165 × 477 × 266 mm; 302 mm deep with grille and terminals
- Weight 9.66 kg; Flowport vent
Two ways at the centre
The pair of Continuum cones shares the midrange and bass work, with a decoupled dome for high frequencies. Flowport tunes the vented cabinet. It can join 700 S3 front speakers, but remains a two-way design even alongside three-way towers. The 600 Series HTM6 S3 has a similar arrangement of two 130 mm cones, although it uses a Titanium Dome tweeter.
Inside a TV unit
Height is 165 mm with no module above the enclosure. Width and cabinet depth are 477 and 266 mm; depth becomes 302 mm with grille and terminals. These figures allow a direct size comparison with the HTM71 S3, 628 mm wide and 233 mm high with its tweeter. Before fitting it into a recess, allow for wiring, the rear vent and a shelf capable of supporting 9.66 kg.
The ±3 dB response covers 70 Hz-28 kHz with 87 dB sensitivity. Recommended amplification is 30-120 W into 8 ohms and minimum impedance is 4.3 ohms. These numbers distinguish it from the HTM71 S3, whose ±3 dB response reaches 50 Hz and whose weight is 17.45 kg. The decision concerns more than footprint: the number of ways and the distribution of work among drivers also change.
