Do we need power apm for B&W 703 S2Speakers

[nraviraju141]

I am using Denon AVR 4800H receiver, planning to buy Bower and Wilkins 703 S2 Speakers, can I play my speakers with the current Denon AVR 4800 H receiver.
or do i need extr power amp for B& W speakers.
please advise

 

[HarmonicTHD]

I am using Denon AVR 4800H receiver, planning to buy Bower and Wilkins 703 S2 Speakers, can I play my speakers with the current Denon AVR 4800 H receiver.
or do i need extr power amp for B& W speakers.
please advise

Why B&W?

Power requirements depend strongly on your desired „loudness“ (SPL in dB) and listening distance. So if you could provide those along with the sensitivity of the speaker and ideally its impedance curve.

See here for starters

Peak SPL Calculator

But you need to consider the impedance and the peak SPL you want.

 

[nraviraju141]

Sensitivity is 89 and my room area 13*15 feet, listening distance is approximately 10 to 11 feet.
i am getting good deal for those speakers.

 

[Svend P]

They measure quite poorly, so odds are you will like something more neutral better. Maybe a set of Wharfedale Lintons and a subwoofer? That would also help the Denon, since it will not need to play the lowest frequencies.

Bowers & Wilkins 702 S2 loudspeaker Measurements

Sidebar 3: Measurements

www.stereophile.com

This thread will offer some more insight

Is purchasing B&W 702 S2’s a bad idea?

Hi. I’m considering purchasing B&W 702 S2 speakers. I heard them at Best Buy recently, then again at a local shop. I kept coming back to them over others. Then, while researching them on this forum, I saw a post from someone about having wasted money on them prior to knowing the importance of...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[Jpert]

I am using Denon AVR 4800H receiver, planning to buy Bower and Wilkins 703 S2 Speakers, can I play my speakers with the current Denon AVR 4800 H receiver.
or do i need extr power amp for B& W speakers.
please advise

I’ll provide my subjective experience since I owned those speakers for a period of time in a 700 series setup in a similar size room. With careful placement I got a pleasing sound out of them (to me) even in comparison to the more neutral speakers I currently run. Just a little different. I haven’t listened to the 702s referenced above to compare.

The mid to upper bass is a difficult range for those speakers (low impedance/difficult phase angles) despite them being 8 ohms nominal. If you plan on driving them above say -15 to -12 dB at that distance, you will probably notice the benefit of an external amp. I compared a mid-range receiver, that receiver + power amp (Anthem MCA 325), and a Denon flagship receiver and the mid-range/power amp combo provided the most relaxed presentation (less fatigue) above those levels (flagship Denon was close and some may say the same). I had my wife test for me blindly since I have a bias for shiny new things. Adding a sub will help, but you have to raise the crossover quite a bit to mitigate the worst problems.

 

[nraviraju141]

Thank you for your valuable suggestions.

 

[Mydogiscuter]

Excuse me I just got the same speakers but can you please tell me did you bi amp or bi wire them or neither?

Would you mind sharing exactly how they are wired?

What was your final setup?

Lastly, did you go with the 4800 primarily because of Dirac? I'm thinking of saving the 300 and just going with the 4700. Any answers you could provide would be very helpful, thank you.