B&W 706 S3 vs 705 S3

Hey man, I’m just trying to help. If you like the B&Ws go for it man. I’ve heard the B&Ws against lots of other speakers and they just ain’t all that given what else is out there. But if you’re sold on B&W then just go for it. If it makes you happy then that’s all that matters. Pick your poison with those nasty metal tweeters but hope your chosen electronics will help tame them down. That’s why they’re often paired with warm McIntosh gear at Best Buy, but whatever works for you. BTW, who are you to call me out? I put my resume on my sleeve here, so what are your credentials? Sorry I even tried to help. Buy B&W in total ignorance of anything else and be happy. Ignorance is simple and bliss. Don’t by any means listen to or consider anything else. Just go by whatever Best Buy sells. Fritz Carbon 7s will stomp them to the ground, and you can do a free trial. 

for God’s sake is bass and not base!

"Chrisoshea" (aka ?) also seems to get excited about this issue.

You’ve been an audiophile for 50 years? Your responses here sound like a petulant  teenager. You act like no one can like B&W because you don’t like them.

you can read right? When did I ask for other speaker recommendations? That’s right, I didn’t. So as your recommendations might be good speakers they weren’t what this thread was supposed to be about. You completely derailed it with your crusade against BB and B&W.

I’m sorry for whatever bestbuy and b&w did to you bro, get help,

your opinion of “Best Buy sucks” is really not relevant to the conversation or my original question. Yeah, the speakers aren’t set up perfectly but ALL of them are set up the same so it’s comparing them in a like environment even if it isn’t ideal. Also the receiver was a $1400 receiver not a piece of junk… I get it you hate Best Buy. More power to you. But that’s irrelevant to my initial question.

No, the speakers are not set up the same. They’re all set up along a long wall and not optimally set up at all for comparison. Some of them are like 15 feet apart, which is a joke and certainly not comparable to others that are set 8 feet apart. And yes, a $1400 receiver is pretty much junk so if you don’t know that it’s pretty telling, and if Best Buy is gonna demo a pair of $3k+ speakers they darn well should have a decent dedicated stereo amp commensurate with that quality of speakers and not some mass market AVR. It’s a mismatch and testament to how little Best Buy knows or cares about audio quality. They’re a volume shop geared to sell stuff to people who don’t know any better, because if they did they wouldn’t set up their shop that way. It’s a joke. I’m sorry, but you’re clearly inexperienced and that’s ok. But the recommendations I gave you for the Fritz Carbon 7s, Ushers, and used JA Pulsars are far superior to what you’re looking at, and most here will tell you the same thing. If you don’t wanna listen, that’s ok. Nobody here who knows anything would take B&W 700 series speakers over anything I recommended. But you can do whatever. I’ve been an audiophile for 50 years and wrote professional reviews of high-end audio equipment for 17 years plus worked at Best Buy and heard B&W 700 series speakers so I kinda know what I’m talking about here. But again, if you wanna buy B&W go ahead. There are far better options in that price range IMHO.

@soix your opinion of  “Best Buy sucks” is really not relevant to the conversation or my original question. Yeah, the speakers aren’t set up perfectly but ALL of them are set up the same so it’s comparing them in a like environment even if it isn’t ideal. Also the receiver was a $1400 receiver not a piece of junk… 

I get it you hate Best Buy. More power to you. But that’s irrelevant to my initial question. 

Nothing wrong with Best Buy. My nephew just purchased a pair of Marten Logans from Best Buy and he could not be happier. BTW, many moons ago I tried B and W and I found them boomy in the base!

@yogiboy There’s so much wrong with this. First, it’s Martin Logan. Second, you can say lotsa things about B&W speakers but boomy bass is not in their DNA. And third, for God’s sake is bass and not base! Seriously? Last, Best Buy absolutely sucks. Their high-end rooms aren’t horrible for what they are, which also suck IMHO, but their low-rent rooms are an absolute embarrassment to any semi-serious audiophile. I worked there, so I pretty much know their gig.  They suck. 

Because Best Buy absolutely sucks.  I worked at Magnolia for a bit.  They don’t know what they’re doing, their speakers are all pushed up against a wall not cause that’s where they sound best but because it’s easier for them and are hooked up to low-rent receivers.  You wanna buy from Best Buy, be my guest but you’re being totally ripped off.  The fact that you’re not even curious about other speakers than B&W tells me this is just a waste of my time anyway.  Look at Fritz speakers cause the Carbon 7s will blow the mediocre B&W speakers you’re looking at outta the water.  Or look at these Ushers that use a proprietary diamond tweeter B&W doesn’t offer until you spend north of $9k. I’ve heard the speakers you’re looking at and you can do much better with either of the above alternatives.  I’m not on a high horse, just decades of experience and am just trying to help you choose better speakers for your hard-earned $$$.  But if you’re hell-bent on overpaying for very mediocre B&W monitors have at it.

https://soundapproach.com/usher-dancer-mini-x-7-2-way-diamond-bookshelf-speakers-pair.html

Nothing wrong with Best Buy. My nephew just purchased a pair of Martin Logans from Best Buy and he could not be happier. Save yourself a grand and get the ones with the enclosed tweeter. BTW, many moons ago I had B&W and they were very boomy sounding in my room!!

Yeah it was Best Buy… so what.

You tell me another store that’s going to have all those speakers setup, and able to easily change back and forth between them.

There isn’t one. Jump off your high horse pal, you aren’t being helpful.

A Pioneer receiver???  Where were you that they didn’t at least have a decent integrated amp to demo those speakers? That’s embarrassing. Lemme guess — Best Buy? 🙄 Find another store. 

So today I was able to compare side by side the 706 S3, 704 S3, and 703 S3. Unfortunately no 705 but the 703 has the same tweeter pod… all were powered by a pioneer elite receiver using hi res flac files on a flash drive.

the highs all sounded similar. I was hard pressed to hear a difference between the tweeter on top and the ones in cabinet. So maybe the 705 isn’t worth the extra cost for me and my ears? My ears aren’t audiophile enough I guess? 

some other takeaways… the 704 sounded by far the worst of all three. The bass was loose and woofy and just not great. There was a lot of bass but it wasn’t pleasant. The bass on the 706 was tight and quick and the 703 was just as tight and quick but with a bit more body. The mids and highs nothing really stood out as being overly better or worse on the three. Overal the 703’s were the best balanced and sounding but too big for my room and wallet. 

Neither.  For near that money just buy these.  I heard them directly against the 805 D3s and the JA Pulsars outclassed them on every level and will annihilate the 705s.  Read the reviews — the Pulsars will be a huge upgrade for not all that extra $$$ used.  If they don’t blow you away you can sell them for little/no loss.  

https://www.ebay.com/itm/186915696094