What are the differences in sound between the B&W 703 and 704 speakers. I mainly listen to jazz CD's. Is the sound difference worth the price. What would be a good integrated amp to power the speakers at under $1,200. Thanks
perato
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I have not listened to the 703 or 704 speakers but I do have the bookshelf speakers (the 705). Based on the specs, the main differences are the size of the cabinet and the frequency response. Since these speakers are in the same product range, I think they should have same timbre and hopefully soundstage and imaging, but you should listen for yourself. If you listen to a lot of bass, you might prefer the 703 but also realize that you could buy bookshelf speakers and a subwoofer to get a more complete frequency response (provided that your room is okay and you can integrate the subwoofer with the bookshelfs well). If you go with bookshelfs, you will have enough money left to possibly upgrade to a better product range or get a pretty good subwoofer if you do not already have one.
I haven't compared those, but there is slight differences in the construction. The 703 has a "Fixed Suspension Transducer (FST)" midrange kevlar driver, while the 704 has just an ordinary non-FST model. I dont how it affects the sound, but the FST drivers are used in the Nautilus 800 series so the 703 is something between the 700 and 800 series. Of course it has two bass drivers for deeper lows and it's a 3-way config while the 704 is a 2,5-way config. The 3-way and FST together will certainly result in cleaner midrange and deeper bass. Compare them yourself if you can.