B&W 702 Signature vs The original B&W 702 S2

Has anyone here used the 702 S2's with a Krell Vanguard integrated amp? 200 w/ch at 8 ohms. Looking to replace my old Thiel CS 2.2s and wondering if these 702s would do it. I'm looking for a clearer, cleaner sound (stereo only.)

I’ve owned them for almost 3 years. But I see the 803’s in my future.

Enjoy them Medialies!

Dave B

Thank you for your opinion on the Signatures. My 702 S2 have more then enough power from my McIntosh.

The B&W’s are revealing and must be mated properly and placed appropriately.  It’s really not that hard and the reward is a stunningly lifelike recreation of a recording. I’ve owned Focal speakers...boring.

I owned the 703s (order version of the 702s) and I think they are really bad (first “highend” speaker and I did not know any better). There is some thing very odd with the upper mids around 4-5k range. The current 804d3 do the same thing imo. It is just the voicing. They also lack bass and need to be played loud to come alive.
I would try to by a used pair of focal 1028be,1038be, Thiel 2.4CS. All of which will be more natural with more bass than the 702.

Just demo other brands before moving up the B&W line to make sure it is really what you want.

I’ve owned many of the recent B&W speakers, including the 702S2’s.  They were very nice for the price point.  The new 702’s are darker sounding and overall not as good a value as your 702’s.  I also had the 804D2’s,  802D2’s and now the 802D3’s.  The Diamonds are special and once heard, addictive.  I would get the 804D3’s or 803D3’s....both are great but the 803D3’s are a whole other level of wow!

This is informative, but doesn't compare the two:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6-5BR9Sebk

Sorry, I now realize that the Signatures are the upgrades, not an option to upgrade your S2's. Oh, well. That's an expensive option in my book, but others have taken that route, I'm sure.

I'm a huge fan of B&W. I even use my 45 year old DM5's as rear speakers. There is certainly something unique about the B&W sonic signature- like a beautiful human voice emanating from them. It's subjective no matter what anyone says. But my last piece of advice is to do the upgrade if it's not too much of a financial stretch. If it claims to correct any deficiencies without adding any new ones, it's not really gambling. B&W has offered mods of products for many years and haven't triggered any class action suits that I know of. Go for it. 

Not at all disenchanted with my speakers. Never eluded to that. They are absolutely lovely in appearance and sound. Read dozens of reviews prior to the purchase and after. Considering their price point I would find them hard to beat. A great bang for the buck! That being said, I am simply interested to see if anyone had the opportunity to evaluate the upgrades. I run McIntosh equipment ,Oppo UHD player and LG OLED for movies. As my listening is 70% music I am currently looking for a better speaker as I see no sense in upgrading the equipment at this point. When B&W announced this upgrade it perked my interest.
I’ve wanted a pair of the 800 series for some time and was simply curious if the 702 Signature was worth the additional cost and would I be pleased with the purchase. I thought I’d first start here at Audiogon instead of heading out to the local showroom due to the current lock downs by the overlords.
Yes,there are many different speakers but I like the sound of the B&W.
I apologize if I came across harsh (did not mean to) but I saw the thread developing into another thread.
I do appreciate the input. Thank you.

@soix3
 I don't think you wasted your time at all. You provided valuable information to the viewers of this thread. We also addressed the OP's disenchantment with his speakers from two differing viewpoints. So, I see your contribution as well worth your time, even though you were casting pearls. However, we shouldn't have blocked the hordes of commentators who actually have had experience with exactly those two models in an a/b setting. We were remiss in that way.  

Sorry I apparently wasted my time. 

Thank you all but you are off topic.

And another:
https://www.the-ear.net/review-hardware/bowers-wilkins-702-s2-floor-standing-loudspeaker

Here's another review of your speakers:
https://www.stereophile.com/content/bowers-wilkins-702-s2-loudspeaker
Let me know if you're going to sell them- I might be interested in buying them!
But before you let them go-  closely examine the rest of your system for any weak links. You may not be doing justice to your speakers. An upgrade in interconnects can do wonders, for instance.

That review of the 702s is an absolute useless and misleading pile of garbage, as are most reviews that don’t bother to make direct comparisons to another competitive model.

The highly resolving carbon dome tweeter of the Bowers & Wilkins 702 S2 reveals additional details in music and movies that few other speakers at its price point can. Indeed, it delivers most of what its big brother the B&W 804 D3 can, and at half the price.

That statement is complete hogwash! Having worked for Magnolia for a short time I got to compare the 804 D3 directly with the 702 S2 extensively using the same equipment and recordings, and NOBODY at our store thought the 702s were anywhere near as good as the 804s — not even close. Relative to the 804s the 702 sounds congested, distorted, and veiled. This is what happens when reviewers are too lazy or are unable to directly compare a review sample with something else (certainly makes the review process quicker and easier though). They instead rely on some faint memory or jump to some well-worn phrase to try to put the sound in perspective, and it’s usually wrong and completely misleading just as it was in this crap review.

Inasmuch as the 702 Signature may close the large gap between the base 702 and the 804 (probably why B&W felt it necessary to produce the Signature in the first place) it’s definitely worth a look. However, at that price point you’re looking at some formidable competitors. One example would be the largely unheralded Joseph Audio Profile that, in my opinion, is superior to the 804 D3 at $2000 less (yes I’ve heard them both in the same system). It’s as detailed as the 804 but sounds more tonally natural, has superior imaging and soundstage abilities, and sounds like a bigger speaker. Other excellent alternatives would be the Vandersteen Treo as well as models from ProAc, Usher, etc. That’s just my take, but the point is at the higher price point of the 702 Signature I think you should look around at some other options rather than just automatically moving up the same model line. Frankly, you could try the LSA-20 Statements ($3300 here on A’gon) on a 30-day home trial and I’m pretty confident those will blow away your 702s on every level (you can read reviews) and possibly save you 3 grand in the process. I don’t mean to be harsh here, just trying to relate some thoughts from my direct experience with the models in question and hope it helps a little. Best of luck.

Thanks, but I am more interested to see if anyone has had the opportunity to do a A/B comparison on the 2 speakers.

I just read this review of your 702 S2's:
https://hometheaterreview.com/bw-702-s2-loudspeakers-reviewed/
Very impressive review, so I would reconsider modding your existing speakers' x'overs instead. Don't kick the baby out with the bathwater. In the review, the reviewer thinks they're almost as good as the 804 D3's, at half the price. I know a great modifier if you'r interested. Probable cost would be in the $900 range. The result would be superior to original factory floor.