Bowers and Wilkins Formation Wireless Series Launched
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- Опубликовано: 26 апр 2019
- We spent some time with the new Bowers and Wilkins Formation suite of speakers and devices at the products launch event in Mayfair, London.
On demo was the new Formation Bar which is a 3 channel soundbar device, the Formation Bass which is a subwoofer system.
Plus there is the stereo Formation Wedge that has the all-in-one form factor but with stereo sound along with the Formation Audio device that turns your old sources into wireless devices that can interact with the other Formation Products.
Finally, there are the Formation Duo speakers which are active powered units with advanced DSP and EQ onboard to produce a high-end B&W sound wirelessly.
We interview Andy Kerr from B&W to find out more about the devices and why they have been developed. We give Bowers and Wilkins the chance to tell our audience about what they see as the strengths and unique features of their products at this launch event. We will follow this up with independent and unbiased reviews of the products when they become available.
You can read the full press release and news story on AVForums -www.avforums.com/news/bowers-...
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The Formation Duo speakers looks really nice. :)
Andy is a gentleman. B&W are brilliant.
For those of you who is asking about the surroundsound all you need is the formation bar the bass and the formation flex a pair of them or you can possibly even do four
I’m impressed
The Wedge sounds wonderful, as does the Duo. Haven't heard the bar yet.
Thats a bold choice not to include some kind of HDMI connectivity, for the normal consumer it is a extra cable and a reason not to buy this product..And if it doesn’t have HDMI is it cheaper then the competitors??? Because they do not have to pay licensing fees?? It is a really weird choice not including HDMI in a AVR component, i think it will hurt them in the long run..
Not really an issue. People have been buying the Sonos Playbar for years and it's optical. He's 100 % correct right now HDMI isn't all that important for a soundbar. If people really want a high performance Atmos system they're going the AVR passive speaker route.
@@MurchyMurch not only that but HDMI gets old really quick, and this is a quaillity product that´s supposed to last for a few years.
@@linusnilsson2679 And a lot of tv's that are worth buying have optical/coax/RCA/3.5mm out I use the 3.5mm/headphone out of my tv to my analogue receiver, because my standalone DAC died. (getting a new one)
Disagree. I think B&W customers understand that less is more. I'm ok with the optical cable.
The main L&R speakers are beautiful.
Is this a competitor product for KEF LS50w?
I just don't understand why they didn't develop support for 24/192, only 24/96?
Why no Dolby Atmos??
I've been testing the Formation stuff for a while now. It obviously outperforms anything else I've heard with one exception, the center channel in the Bar needs a boost. Hopefully this will come soon in a software update.
J Herberger Thanks for the info. Can you please elaborate on how a software update might boost the center channel. Do you suggest that the volume on the center speaker is too low and might that not compromise the high volume and maybe the ability to understand conversations?
How would you compare a pair of Duos + Audio in the living room connected to TV and stereo versus the Bar ?
Any news on the sourround speakers?
All you need is the formation bar the formation base and a pair or even four of the formation flexes
They are fantastic but expensive ! If you can tell to BOWERS AND WILKINS Tto make more affordable version of these ! Thank you!
11:13
And what was your inspiration for this design?
well our engineer had just finished watching Hitch Hikers Guide to The galaxy and he loves Vogan's.
And what about the stands?
well clearly we just couldn't be arsed.
Experimwnt54, You are a pathetic armchair reviewer. Go and listen to the speakers, twat.
@@nespressoman its called youtube bro. People comment. Its how this platform works. Hope you get the hang of it sometime soon 👍
I wondered who bought that ugly stick I sold on eBay. Looks like it was B&W
experiment54 bloody hell buddy, your his ex wife I’m assuming by your bitchy-ness.
@@Morgan1367 Its feedback bro. And lack of it is how they ended up with such an ugly product
HDMI is not necessary. You don't have handshake issue with optical it just works. Many of our customers want hidden cable now. So that means you're either punching a hole in the wall and running code compliant Romex or you're hiding cables. Hiding optical is much much easier than an HDMI cable.
Should have included HDMI....
Also why do they have to look like that! The classic 600 and 700 series looks much nicer...
Tell B&W that. They might take it into consideration.
Really rare to hear some completely articulate the product. Makes me want to open my wallet.
🤔🤓😁
Makes me want to close mine, since they make there cheaper speakers in China.
That's Y he's the MARKETING GUY :-) it would be nice to hear the tech guys, because I know he's talking BS, when he's mentioning "our own solution" & not backing ANYTHING with facts figures/stats etc
A few things bug me about this release... Number one... the flagship speaker manufacturer in the world (IMHO) makes this line in China. Not worth the price tag when they skimp on quality of assembly like that. Second: No HDMI... Optical outputs on TVs are one of the most fragile outputs on the TV, burning out first and getting damaged with surges/grey outs/lightening strikes. My current Sony TV's optical out hasn't been working for years. HDMI is more stable and the features ARE worth it to the US market (me). Dolby sound processing: The arguably most popular series in the world right now is The Mandaorian and this system can not process the Dolby that was recorded with the movie. Why would we spend so much money on an outsourced speaker system made in Chian, with no HDMI and no Dolby sound processing capability. Certainly, all of the B&W products that I've owned have sounded far better than any other similar products. I am just getting ready to ship back my Bose 700 system due to popping in the subwoofer and the absolutely awful control app that is really just a streaming music app with the Bose controller in the bottom right as a far after thought. Absolutely awful! (The Mandalorian: Dolby Digital and Dolby Atmos; Blade Runner 2049: Dolby Atmos | Auro 11.1 | DTS (DTS: X)| IMAX 6-Track | 12-Track Digital Sound(IMAX 12 track)| Dolby Surround 7.1 | Sonics-DDP | SDDS). Tell me Bowers & Wilkins is going to get these sound processing encorperated and GIVE US THE OPTION on wether we use an optical cable or HDMI to control our systems. Tell me B&W is going to contract someone who knows theater technologies like Dolby and DTS and get those in there correctly so we feel like we are getting that lost money that you are absorbing by making these speakers in China!!!!!!!!!
"See the oppression inherent in the system!"... Yeah, these are included in the Formation line yet they can't be used for TV/Movie audio. And I think this guy is using the same survey system as the Democrats use here in the USA because no one I know prefers optical over HDMI eARC and all the benefits that come with it, like 7.1 instead of the 5.1 limit with optical. Optical is more lossy and lower bandwidth, which is why it's limited to 5.1 in your movie setup. But the DUO can't even be included in your movie setup with the Bar... only the Flex can. No eARC, so no CEC talk back to the TV, which means you can't turn your TV off with your remote (if the bar had one) or Apple Home app or any other similar smart home app. With no eARC HDMI you don't get Dolby Atmos, , Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS HD, or DTS:X....or any of the future decoding that comes with wider bandwidths of HDMI, to include HDMI 2.0 with even greater bandwidth options. Optical doesn't have the bandwidth for it. So with the Formation TV setup, which DOES NOT INCLUDE THE DUO SPEAKERS... yes that's right.. you can't even use the DUO in your TV/Movie setup... only the Flex can be used for rear channels, you're limited to just 5.1 and Dolby Digital. Dolby Digital is written up as "lossy" as well. I don't know anyone here in the USA who wanted optical for their movie surround experience. Every article you'll read today states that HDMI ARC is the "best audio choice". Higher bandwidth; communication back to the TV (CEC); and output from your TV that is not compressed because it uses ethernet technology. Most TVs audio output is compressed. HDMI ARC is not. Even my Sony Blu-Ray player can use Dolby True HD and DTS HD Master Audio, which the Formation bar can not utilize through it's optical input. These are great LOOKING speakers with a lot of potential. Not engineering them to be included in your TV/movie experience is incompetent. I'd like mine to sit next to my living room TV. I'd like to stream my Apple Music library and maybe a future Roon account to the Formation mesh system throughout my home, but I won't do it at that price if when I sit down to watch a favorite movie, like Blade Runner 2049, I can't utilize Dolby Atmos, nor can I use my TV remote and see the volume slider on my TV indicating Formation volume. The Formation Bar needs an eARC input, period. The Formation system needs to allow the DUO speakers to be used with the Bar, Bass and Flex for a more... NO NOT MORE... THE BEST AVAILABLE... immersive movie/TV experience. Who wants to pay that much money to think, "I could be hearing Dolby Atmos but this sytem won't do it". Looks like it's going to be a long time before B&W fixes this problem, if they do at all. Sound bars for TV's need to be able to play ALL the current movie encoding. They need the widest bandwidth to do that. That is HDMI and eARC. And HDMI 2.0 is on the horizon with even greater bandwidth which allows more FPS viewing of 4k and 8k video sound. The only negative to HDMI is it is susceptible to EMI but that can be prevented with proper shielding to the wires, like aircraft use. B&W is way behind and way over priced for this huge error. This is the easiest, "No", I've ever had to make with my audio systems. Come on B&W, don't half-ass it! Provide an HDMI 2.0 input and upward firing speakers (for Dolby Atmos) in the next version of your Formation system, if there is any!
02:48 anytime someone says we dont lose a great deal you know they have cut corners to maximise profits.
04:14 what does that even mean? more corner cutting or trying you into some propriety crap?
04:50 great question that reveals a lot of truth about the product
B&W - How To Cut Corners and deliver a less than Stella product.
enjoy those champagne parties on yachts in the med with high class hookers why dont you.
no im not talking about the sales man here im talking about the men behind the scenes who pocket the most cash.
experiment54 You do talk a lot of bullshit. Go and listen to the speakers and then make your ridiculous fucking comments.
@@nespressoman im commenting on the video bro. Thats how youtube works. Not commenting on how the speakers sound as like you rightly point out to do that I'd have to go and listen to them BUT they aren't released yet anywhere near me.
Hope you get the hang of youtube soon 👍
09:57 thats a nice way of saying its ugly 😂
10:12 😂 brave?! it doesn't take bravery to make something ugly. It takes incompetence and laziness. Sounds like someones taking a leaf out of apples excuse playbook.
DUO are very ugly, I will buy the bar and subwoofer. It would be useful to play minimal techno in your reviews, that's what makes people buy
Essentially we have produced a product with limited connectivity and is non expandable. So buy it now... when you realise that you can't connect current or legacy devices etc... and when we update it we will charge you more... your the customer.... your made of money. Personally I am fed up with all of these hi-end products that have built in obselance and almost treat the end consumer with contempt.
How about making something modular that you can add components to... like PC's still do have... cards that can be inserted etc. It's not green... consumer friendly etc.
You can buy lower end items that have more features and pair them with other speakers... when companies like B&W make style systems .... they mean expensive and limited in purpose.
And the award for ugliest pair of loud speakers of the year goes too.....
MBL Speakers
These duo speakers look extremely plasticity and cheap