A decade of grey-and-white speakers is over. B&W's read the room and wrapped its smallest 700 Series standmount in deep Santos Gloss: the 707 S3 Prestige Edition. £1,550 / €1,750 / $2,000.
Here's the honest bit. Under the lacquer, it's a standard 707 S3 — same drivers, same crossover, same cabinet. It is NOT a Signature. No acoustic re-engineering. The two borrowed bits (re-profiled tweeter grille posh Signature terminals) are cosmetic; B&W makes no performance claim for the terminals.
So is the paint worth it? The speaker underneath is brilliant — punchy, believable mids, a wide stage, and an HONEST 50Hz on the bench (per the Hi-Fi News lab). Sensitivity is genuinely low at ~84dB though, so feed it a real amp.
The "it's bright" complaints? Measurable — rising presence a 1.9kHz resonance, and the response swings hard with listening height. Get your stand height and toe-in right and you tame most of it.
The kicker: in the UK the Prestige is ~£150 over standard (easy yes). In Europe it's ~€550 for the same coat of paint (think harder). You're buying the finish, not the sound.
Verdict: 8/10. Gorgeous object, brilliant little speaker, purely cosmetic premium.
Full review in the replies 👇
#BowersWilkins #707S3 #hifi #standmountspeakers #audiophile