Bowers & Wilkins Announces Formation Suite Of Wireless Audio Products
One of the most highly anticipated announcements since Silicon Valley's EVA Automation purchase of B&W, details are now known of its new Formation Suite of audio products for whole-home wireless audio.
"Seamlessly blending high-fidelity performance with convenience, redefining the industry in true Bowers & Wilkins groundbreaking fashion" is how Bowers & Wilkins describes its new range.
Greg Lee, CEO of Bowers & Wilkins offers:
The Formation Suite is the newest and most technologically innovative line of wireless products our development team has ever created. We are setting a new bar in the world of wireless sound, proving that wired fidelity can be achieved wirelessly,
Drawing on 50 years of acoustic expertise, B&W has implemented its patented 'Formation Wireless Technology' for a wireless mesh network that is said to deliver "imperceptible in-room synchronization of one microsecond between speakers allows them to work in perfect harmony to provide an industry-defining listening experience. It sounds like you're listening to a live music in your living room."
At launch, the five-product range includes:
- Formation Bar (USD 1,199)– Nine optimised drive units provide a wide soundstage including a dedicated centre channel, so you always feel like you're in the centre of sound action.
- Formation Duo (USD 3,999) – With the same carbon-domed, tweeter-on-top technology and Continuum cone driver as Bowers & Wilkins' industry-defining wired speakers, now experience legendary sound, wirelessly.
- Formation Wedge (USD 899) – Uniquely characterised by a 120-degree elliptical speaker shape, with dedicated full-range stereo sound components experience room filling high-resolution stereo sound.
- Formation Bass (USD 999) – Opposed drivers, powerful amplifiers and Dynamic EQ provide accurate audio depth and dimension without distortion. Pairs with other Formation components for the ultimate audio immersion.
- Formation Audio (USD 699) – Patented Formation Wireless Technology turns any traditional passive system into a high-fidelity streaming system for a best-of-all-worlds sound experience.
Designed entirely in-house, the Formation Suite offers 96kHz/24bit audio resolution, and B&W says that at the heart of its control is the streamlined Formation app with an intuitive user interface that takes moments to set up. There's also support for Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Roon Ready, aptX HD, Bluetooth 4.1.
Gideon Yu, Co-Chairman of Bowers & Wilkins added:
Three years ago, we had the vision to take Bowers & Wilkins 50 years of acoustic history and success and combine it with Silicon Valley automation expertise, creating an amazing user experience that is simple, powerful and incredible to listen to. Today, it's amazing to witness that vision come to life, ushering in the next chapter of sound experience. The Formation Suite introduces consumers to wireless sound technology that is unparalleled in the audio space and showcases the true innovation this company is capable of and this is just the beginning. There is so much more to come,
Bowers & Wilkins' Formation Suite is on sale now in the US.
For more information visit Bowers & Wilkins.
Marc Rushton
StereoNET’s Founder and Publisher was born in England and raised on British Hi-Fi before moving to Australia. He developed an early love of music and playing bass guitar before discovering the studio and the other side of the mixing desk. After writing for print magazines, Marc saw the future in digital publishing and founded the first version of StereoNET in 1999.
Posted in: Hi-Fi | Lifestyle | Integration | Technology
JOIN IN THE DISCUSSION
Want to share your opinion or get advice from other enthusiasts? Then head into the Message
Forums where thousands of other enthusiasts are communicating on a daily basis.
CLICK HERE FOR FREE MEMBERSHIP
Trending
applause awards
Each time StereoNET reviews a product, it is considered for an Applause Award. Winning one marks it out as a design of great quality and distinction – a special product in its class, on the grounds of either performance, value for money, or usually both.
Applause Awards are personally issued by StereoNET’s global Editor-in-Chief, David Price – who has over three decades of experience reviewing hi-fi products at the highest level – after consulting with our senior editorial team. They are not automatically given with all reviews, nor can manufacturers purchase them.
The StereoNET editorial team includes some of the world’s most experienced and respected hi-fi journalists with a vast wealth of knowledge. Some have edited popular English language hi-fi magazines, and others have been senior contributors to famous audio journals stretching back to the late 1970s. And we also employ professional IT and home theatre specialists who work at the cutting edge of today’s technology.
We believe that no other online hi-fi and home cinema resource offers such expert knowledge, so when StereoNET gives an Applause Award, it is a trustworthy hallmark of quality. Receiving such an award is the prerequisite to becoming eligible for our annual Product of the Year awards, awarded only to the finest designs in their respective categories. Buyers of hi-fi, home cinema, and headphones can be sure that a StereoNET Applause Award winner is worthy of your most serious attention.