Bowers & Wilkins HTM6 S2 Centre Speaker

Bowers and Wilkins HTM6 S2 – The 600 Series Anniversary Centre for Clear Dialogue

The HTM6 S2 is the centre channel of Bowers and Wilkins’ 600 Series S2 Anniversary Edition, matched to the 606 S2, 607 S2 and 603 S2 speakers. Two 130mm Continuum cone mid/bass drivers flank a Decoupled Double Dome aluminium tweeter, in a cabinet whose rigidity and crossover were both upgraded for the Anniversary generation.

The centre speaker is the hardest-working box in a home theatre: most dialogue, much of the score and the centre of every effect pass through it. The HTM6 S2’s job is to keep all of that intelligible and tonally identical to the speakers flanking it, so the front stage sounds like one wide speaker rather than three separate ones.

Key features

• Centre channel speaker for the 600 Series S2 Anniversary Edition
• Two 130mm Continuum cone mid/bass drivers
• 25mm Decoupled Double Dome aluminium tweeter
• Timbre-matched to 606 S2, 607 S2 and 603 S2
• Two-way design with rear Flowport
• Upgraded Anniversary Edition crossover and terminals
• Wide dispersion keeps dialogue clear across the sofa
• Sold as a single speaker

Continuum cones and honest voices

The Continuum cone material, developed for the flagship 800 Series, gives the HTM6 S2 a midrange that stays composed where paper and basic polymer cones begin to colour the sound. Voices are the most familiar sound any listener knows, and the ear detects colouration in them instantly; a centre that renders speech without a nasal or boxy signature is what makes a theatre feel real. Continuum’s controlled break-up is the S2 generation’s core advantage.

Decoupled Double Dome treble

The tweeter’s dome sits in a housing decoupled from the main cabinet, so midrange vibration cannot smear the high frequencies it produces. Sibilance stays clean rather than splashy, and fine detail – breath, room tone, the texture of a whispered line – survives even when the soundtrack around it is dense. Off-axis, the dispersion stays even enough that the ends of a three-seat sofa are not a compromise.

Who the HTM6 S2 suits

Choose the HTM6 S2 to complete or upgrade a 600 Series S2 front stage. It is the correct centre for 606 S2 and 607 S2 owners, and a worthwhile step up from a mismatched centre in any system. Systems running the newer S3 generation should take the HTM6 S3 instead, to keep voicing identical.

Placement notes

Place the HTM6 S2 on a solid stand or cabinet edge – overhang at the front lip causes reflections – as close to the screen’s height as furniture allows, tilted toward ear level. The rear Flowport needs a few centimetres of clearance to work as designed. If the centre must sit inside a cabinet, keep the door open during films or choose an acoustically transparent arrangement; the speaker’s careful dispersion deserves an unobstructed path to the seats.