B&W 607 S2
We would humbly ask British hi-fi artisans Bowers & Wilkins to forgive us if we’d not quite expected as much as the company has achieved with these impressive 607 S2 Anniversary Edition speakers.
On the face of it, the revisions that have been made by Bowers & Wilkins in the transition from the 607 standmounts to these 25th Anniversary Edition versions might appear minimal. If we were more cynical, we may even suggest that the alterations are barely enough to justify sticking a 25th birthday badge on them. Besides which, how much more performance could B&W really hope to eke out of the already class-leading 600 series?
So we would fully understand if you still require some convincing. Nevertheless, the B&W 607 S2 Anniversary Edition, just like their larger, 2020 What Hi-fi? Award-winning 606 S2 Anniversary Edition siblings, are a huge step forward – and the best bookshelf speakers we’ve heard at this price.
Subtle changes
You won’t find too many clues as to what has been changed simply from a glance – certainly not with the grilles left on. There is a new inscription on the tweeters’ aluminium surrounds, but in all other respects the 607 S2s look more or less identical to the model they replace.
Aesthetically speaking, these 30cm-tall speakers remain dominated by the 13cm silver Continuum drive units, which trickled down to the last-gen 600 series and replaced those iconic yellow Kevlar cones the company had previously used for decades. Placed above it is still the same 25mm decoupled dome tweeter, too.
The real change, however, lies in the improved bypass capacitors that have been used across the Anniversary series. Specially treated by capacitor experts Mundorf, these new components can also be found on Bowers & Wilkins’ premium 700 Series Signature range.
Performance with gusto
But even if you are one of those who find themselves able to fawn over a capacitor, we still doubt you’d assume them to make the difference they evidently do.
There is no great difference in character; the 607 S2 Anniversary Editions take little time to show their enthusiasm, dealing out a performance with such gusto it would be likely to fly right off the other side of the table.
That confidence also remains echoed by a frequency response happy to reach high and low into treble and bass. They aren’t shy to exhibit their rich tone throughout the register, nor are they worried about stretching too far. In fact, the 607 S2’s bass response is one area in which we hear a significant improvement: it doesn’t go lower than before, but it is more agile.
Better defined textures
There is more detail across the rest of the frequency range too, but also greater clarity and deeper, better-defined textures. We thought these Anniversary Edition’s predecessors were talented in this regard, but side by side it’s as if the old speakers deliver a vocal line that slinks away while the new pair’s rendition hangs in the air like a mist.
It’s a tightening that has affected every aspect of these speakers’ performance, including timing and dynamic expression. It doesn’t quite sound as though the musicians are in the room with us – these are still modestly priced stereo speakers in the grand scheme of things, after all – but there is a more live quality to the way the new 607s place emphasis on leading notes and pick rhythms from any percussion. Certainly these are no less snappy than the previously class-leading speakers they replace.
This is a cleaner, more insightful and overall more engaging performance from a pair of speakers that were already among the best you could buy for their outlay. The older versions would have remained on top of the tree, had they not been knocked off by the 607 S2 Anniversary Edition. But when you have both pairs in the same listening room, it’s difficult to go back.
Happy birthday
Far from simply being rolled out to capitalise on an anniversary, the B&W 607 S2 are the best standmounts you can buy for the money.
If you’re looking for a pair of lowermidrange speakers and the B&W 606 S2 are just out of your budget range, then these are a superb option – and a pair of speakers worthy of celebrating any silver anniversary.