Bowers & Wilkins HTM72 S3 Centre Speaker

Bowers & Wilkins HTM72 S3 Centre Speaker – Compact 700 Series Centre Channel for Dialogue Clarity

The HTM72 S3 is the smaller of the two centre channel speakers in the Bowers & Wilkins 700 Series S3 range, built for home cinema systems where the centre speaker must fit on or in furniture under a screen without giving up the tonal match to the main speakers. The centre channel carries most film dialogue and much of the on-screen action, so this is not a speaker to treat as an afterthought: the HTM72 S3 uses the same Carbon Dome tweeter and Continuum cone drivers as the 700 S3 models it partners, including the 704 S3 floorstanders and the 706 S3 and 707 S3 stand-mount speakers.

It is a passive two-way vented-box design, 477mm wide and just 165mm tall, requiring 30W to 120W of amplification into 8 ohms from an AV receiver or processor and power amplifier combination. Its compact height is deliberate: it slides into the space below a television on a media unit where the larger three-way HTM71 S3 would not fit, while still delivering the dialogue intelligibility the 700 Series is known for.

Key features

• 25mm Decoupled Carbon Dome tweeter with a 47kHz breakup threshold
• Twin 130mm Continuum cone bass/midrange drivers
• Two-way vented-box cabinet with Flowport and foam tuning plug
• Curved baffle with drivers in individual pod housings
• 87dB sensitivity and 8 ohm nominal impedance
• Designed to partner 704 S3, 706 S3 and 707 S3 front speakers

Carbon Dome tweeter

Carbon Dome tweeters were developed specifically for the 700 Series. The carbon construction is far stiffer than the aluminium dome it replaced, raising the first breakup threshold to 47kHz, well above the audible band. Breakup behaviour that sits that far away cannot intrude on the treble you actually hear, so high frequencies stay precise and image sharply. The tweeter is decoupled from the cabinet to isolate it from vibration, which matters in a centre speaker that sits on furniture close to a resonating screen or cabinet doors.

Continuum drivers and the curved baffle

Two 130mm Continuum cone drivers handle the midrange and bass in a horizontal array either side of the tweeter. The Continuum material’s controlled, gradual cone behaviour avoids the abrupt transitions that can add a recognisable colour to voices; speech stays open and neutral, which is the core job of this speaker. The 700 S3 generation introduced a curved front baffle, with the drivers mounted in pod-style housings that sit proud of the baffle surface, an approach derived from the 800 Series Diamond. Moving the drivers away from a flat cabinet face reduces the cabinet’s audible contribution and opens up the soundstage the front three speakers create together.

Measured performance

The frequency range extends from 48Hz to 33kHz, with a response of 70Hz to 28kHz within 3dB on the reference axis. In a cinema system the receiver’s bass management will hand the lowest frequencies to a subwoofer, and the HTM72 S3’s output down to 48Hz ensures the crossover region stays full and male voices keep their weight. Harmonic distortion is below 1 percent between 100Hz and 22kHz and below 0.5 percent above 200Hz at a 90dB level, supporting clarity at cinema volumes. The cabinet measures 165 x 477 x 266mm, 302mm deep including grille and terminals, and weighs 9.66kg.

Placement and system building

Position the speaker as close to the screen height as furniture allows, aimed at the listening position, with the rear Flowport given breathing room or tuned with the supplied foam plug when the cabinet sits in an enclosed unit. Rubber feet are included for shelf placement. Matched with 700 S3 front speakers and a suitable subwoofer, the HTM72 S3 completes a front stage in which voices stay anchored to the screen and effects pan across without changing character.