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Bowers Wilkins posts

Bowers & Wilkins reveals XT 8 tower: $3,500 per pair

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 23rd 2009 at 4:11AM


Bowers & Wilkins sure didn't simmer on its Panorama soundbar for long, as the company is already trotting out another product that it's hoping you can't live without. The XT 8 mid-sized tower, which supersedes the superficially identical XT 4, is substantially refined on the inside. The "re-engineered midrange" features proprietary FST (fixed-suspension transducer) technology that promises to deliver "demonstrably and measurably greater mid-frequency accuracy." As for pieces that were retained, you'll still find the same dual 5-inch woofers and Nautilus tweeter, so it's tough to say without a listen if these are really worth the upgrade -- you know, given the stratospheric $3,500 per pair sticker.

Bowers & Wilkins officially unveils $2,200 Panorama soundbar

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 16th 2009 at 6:00PM


Itching for brutal honesty? It's pretty difficult for us to get all riled up over a $2,200 soundbar, Bowers & Wilkins logo or not. Yeah, B&W swears that this thing is so good you won't even need a subwoofer for the best faux surround sound experience of your life, but for over two large, we can certainly think of a few alternatives. Nevertheless, the "groundbreaking" audio bar, which we caught in the wild at CES, has now been officially unwrapped, and there's a needlessly long-winded press releases telling us so just after the break. For those adamant that this will change their life, it should start shipping around March.

Continue reading Bowers & Wilkins officially unveils $2,200 Panorama soundbar

Hands-on with the Bowers and Wilkins Panorama soundbar and XT8 speaker

by Steven Kim, posted Jan 10th 2009 at 6:12PM Featured Story

Bowers and Wilkins Panorama soundbar
Remember the "groundbreaking new product" that Bowers & Wilkins promised us for CES? We wouldn't have expected it from the Abbey Road Studios-approved speaker brand, but it turned out to be the Panorama soundbar. It certainly will break some ground in pricing (and wallets) when it ships for $2,200 in March, though. The all-in-one speaker packs three amplifiers, plenty of inputs for your Dolby Digital and DTS sources (2 analog, 2 Toslink and a SPDIF coax), and selectable settings for tuning the virtual surround effect based on the wall surfaces and whether you mount the Panorama on a wall or shelf. Also on show was the new design of the XT-series speakers, with the top-to-bottom grille -- quite handsome, but unfortunately silent.

Gallery: Hands-on with Bowers and Wilkins Panorama ssoundbar

Bowers & Wilkins and Peter Gabriel push audiophile B&W Music Club

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 4th 2009 at 7:37PM


Tired of buying those overly compressed MP3 files online are ya? If so, have a look at the new music service from Bowers & Wilkins. Said outfit, along with Peter Gabriel, is pushing the B&W Music Club, which is hailed as the subscription service for audiophiles. Essentially, those with incredibly discerning ears can pay an annual / monthly fee to have access to "one specially commissioned album each month, recorded in dedicated live sessions at Real World Studios near Bath in the UK." The albums are available in Apple Lossless or FLAC formats and provided without any DRM baked in. In an interesting twist, B&W is providing free studio time and mixing sessions for artists who'd like to have their tunes offered up, which could open up opportunities for little known musical geniuses to get exposure. Check the read link for all the fine print, but here's the tidbit you're really after: $39.95 for six months, or $59.95 for a year.

Bowers & Wilkins to unveil "groundbreaking new product" at CES

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 2nd 2009 at 1:28AM


Bowers & Wilkins isn't being exactly forthcoming (not at all, actually), but it's pretty darn excited about whatever secret it's planning to unveil at CES. Here's what we know: it'll be launching into a new market while its classic products receive "a dramatic makeover." More specifically, the company is set to "launch into an exciting new product category and reveal an all new model in the XT Series," and beyond that, all we're told is that it will be "groundbreaking" in the same way the Zeppelin apparently was. Consider our interest piqued, B&W, but you better not disappoint. Full gloat-fest is after the break.

Continue reading Bowers & Wilkins to unveil "groundbreaking new product" at CES

Bowers and Wilkins ASW 610XP subwoofer for high-end bass

by Steven Kim, posted Aug 29th 2008 at 9:23AM

Bowers and Wilkins ASW 610XP subwoofer
Bowers and Wilkins is looking to bring some giggles to its (relatively) value-conscious 600-series lineup in the form of its new ASW 610XP subwoofer. You know B&W isn't for the thrifty, but its 600-series of speakers are known for delivering a good-sized bite of the high-end apple for your dollars. The 10-inch paper/Kevlar driver with a long-throw motor is set in motion by a 500-Watt amplifier to reach a -3dB point of 25Hz. Those are respectable specs for a 13- x 13- x 15-inch box that comes in your choice of black ash, cherry or Wenge finishes -- the size won't break your room's aesthetics and the $1,200 price might not break your wallet. On paper, at least, this looks a lot like the ASW 10CM sub, but a bit cheaper -- like we said, going the B&W route isn't the cheapest, but should allow you plenty of room to mix and match as you grow your system.

Bowers and Wilkins intros four new CM-series speakers

by Steven Kim, posted Aug 29th 2008 at 12:08AM

B&W ASW10 CM subwoofer
Bowers and Wilkins is one of those venerable speaker brands that always gets mentioned when people want to get into high-end speakers (how much only depends on budget), and the company has brought out four new models to its CM-series that sits between its 600 and 800-series lineups. The CM9 ($1,500 each, floorstanding) and CM5 ($750 each, stand-mount) speakers share their 25-mm aluminum tweeter and 165-mm Kevlar drivers with the CM Center 2 ($1,250) model to give you that seamless sonic match across the front, and the CM9 adds in a 150-mm Kevlar midrange to its cabinet as well. Audio purity is all well and good, but HT fun is all what happens when you turn the ASW 10CM subwoofer ($1,500) to eleven -- the 25-cm paper/Kevlar driver backed by 500-Watts should be able to get things moving. These new models should be available in October in gloss black, Rosenut and that trendy Wengé finish making the rounds.

2009 Jaguar XKR to come with Bowers & Wilkins sound system

by Darren Murph, posted Mar 15th 2008 at 2:01AM


It's not like anyone 'round these parts will be parking their keister in a 2009 Jaguar XKR, but now we've got one more reason to envy those who will. The motorcar, which is set to debut at the New York Auto Show later this month, will come standard with a lavish Bowers & Wilkins premium sound system. More specifically, those with an eye on this car can start dreaming of the Kevlar-injected mid-range drivers, aluminum tweeters and lots of longing looks from those cruising by. No idea what effect this system will have on the sticker price (being that it's included and all), but seriously, if you're making space in your garage for this, you and your Centurion Card ain't sweatin' a thing.





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