Bowers & Wilkins HTM71 S3

The Bowers & Wilkins HTM71 S3 is the flagship centre channel loudspeaker in the 700 Series S3 range — a three-way design engineered to deliver the same driver technology as the 702 S3 and 703 S3 floorstanders in a horizontal centre channel format. In any home cinema or multi-channel audio system, the centre channel carries the majority of the dialogue and the most exposed vocal and instrumental content in the mix — and the HTM71 S3's three-way architecture, with its dedicated Continuum FST midrange driver, ensures that this critical content is reproduced with the transparency and resolution that the 700 Series S3 range demands. Martins Hi-Fi is the second oldest Bowers & Wilkins dealer in the world, and the HTM71 S3 is the centre channel we recommend without hesitation for those building a serious 700 Series S3 home cinema system.

Carbon Dome Tweeter and Tweeter-on-Top

The HTM71 S3 carries Bowers & Wilkins' carbon dome tweeter, mounted in the Tweeter-on-Top configuration above the main cabinet in its own Solid Body aluminium enclosure machined from a single billet of aluminium. The mechanical isolation this arrangement provides allows the carbon dome to operate entirely free from the vibrations generated by the midrange and bass drivers below — resolving high-frequency detail with the composure and refinement that dialogue, vocal effects, and the finest spatial detail in a film soundtrack demand. The carbon dome's extended high-frequency capability and low distortion ensure that the HTM71 S3's treble performance is wholly consistent with the 700 Series S3 floorstanders it is designed to partner.

Continuum FST Midrange Driver

The HTM71 S3's midrange driver employs Bowers & Wilkins' Continuum cone in a Fixed Suspension Transducer mounting — the same technology as the 702 S3 and 703 S3 floorstanders, housed in its own dedicated internal enclosure within the main cabinet. The Continuum cone suppresses resonance colouration across the critical midrange frequencies, and the FST mounting eliminates the conventional foam surround entirely — giving the HTM71 S3 a midrange transparency and low-level resolution that ensures dialogue is reproduced with absolute clarity and freedom from colouration at every listening level. In a centre channel loudspeaker, this midrange performance is the single most important measure of quality, and the HTM71 S3's Continuum FST driver is the clearest possible statement of Bowers & Wilkins' ambition for the 700 Series S3 home cinema experience.

Aerofoil Bass Drivers

Two Aerofoil profile bass drivers handle the HTM71 S3's low-frequency reproduction — the variable-thickness composite cone technology derived from aerospace engineering that provides the stiffness-to-mass ratio of a much heavier cone without the dynamic penalty. The bass drivers are mounted in a reflex-loaded enclosure tuned for the HTM71 S3's horizontal cabinet geometry, delivering the bass weight and articulation that a flagship centre channel loudspeaker demands — ensuring that the HTM71 S3's low-frequency performance matches the authority and control of the 700 Series S3 floorstanders it partners.

Cabinet Construction

The HTM71 S3's cabinet is engineered to perform in the horizontal orientation that centre channel placement demands — with the same curved rear panel construction as the 700 Series S3 floorstanders, reducing internal standing waves and contributing to the low colouration and fine detail resolution that define the 700 Series S3 character. The cabinet is available in a range of gloss and satin finishes consistent with the rest of the 700 Series S3 range, ensuring visual as well as acoustic coherence in a complete 700 Series S3 system.

Technical Specifications

Who Is It For?

The HTM71 S3 is the natural centre channel partner for those building a home cinema system around the 702 S3 or 703 S3 floorstanders — its three-way architecture and shared driver technology ensuring tonal and dynamic coherence across the front soundstage. Those building a complete 700 Series S3 home cinema system should consider adding the Bowers & Wilkins DB4S subwoofer for authoritative low-frequency foundation. Dave and Chris can demonstrate the HTM71 S3 in context at our Norwich showroom.

Buying from Martins Hi-Fi

Martins Hi-Fi has been in Norwich since 1968. Elizabeth Gould runs the business today, and we stock only brands we have heard properly and stand behind. As the second oldest Bowers & Wilkins dealer in the world, we have a depth of experience with the 700 Series S3 range that very few retailers can match. The HTM71 S3 is available to hear in our Norwich showroom, and Dave and Chris can demonstrate it as part of a complete 700 Series S3 home cinema system.

Contact us at [email protected], call 01603 627010, or WhatsApp on 07554 687137. You can read more about how we work on our Why Martins Hi-Fi page. We are at 85–91 Ber Street, Norwich, NR1 3EY.