Bowers & Wilkins gives its 700 Series a performance upgrade, with 'Prestige' bookshelf speakers for the discerning audiophile

Bowers & Wilkins makes some superb-sounding and good-looking bookshelf speakers, including the 607 S2 models that I love to listen to at home. So I'm lusting after the newly announced 707 Prestige Edition, which the brand says is the ultimate Bowers & Wilkins bookshelf loudspeaker.

Each speaker looks absolutely stunning in its striking glossy finish, and it promises to be even more fun to listen to than to look at.

The 707 Prestige Edition is a special release that's available in a single finish, Santos Gloss, which consists of 12 layers of paint and lacquer and is inspired by the Santos Rosewood of the 805 D3 Prestige Edition.

There's a new logo plate around the back. And if you'd rather stand-mount your speakers than shelve them, you can choose between matching black or silver FS-700 S3 floorstands.

Bowers & Wilkins 707 Prestige Edition: key features and pricing

The 707 Prestige Edition takes the acoustic platform of the 707 S3, which is a two-way design with a rear-firing bass port. It features a 25mm carbon dome tweeter, a Continuum Cone mid/bass driver and a curved baffle.

It adds a "carefully optimised" tweeter grille and upgraded low-loss speaker terminals from the 707 S3 Signature. The result, Bowers & Wilkins says, is an "even more refined and spacious sound" than the standard model.

The frequency range of these speakers is 45Hz to 33kHz and nominal impedance is 8 ohms with a recommended amplifier power of 30W to 100W. Sensitivity is 84dB.

I haven't had the pleasure of hearing the 700 Series yet, but reviews of the existing models have been glowing.

The 707 Prestige Edition is available now from selected retailers and has a recommended retail price only slightly higher than the 707 S3 – it's £1,550 / €1,750 (about $2,079 / AU$3,055).