The Bass will be $999. One of the unique features of the formation series is the ability to easily move the audio from one zone to the next by simply pushing the Formation button on the device you want to pull the music over to. Ads are what helps us bring you premium content! It’s a standalone wireless speaker, but is also optimised for multi-room integration with other Formation series models, such as the excellent B&W Formation Duoactive stereo speakers. It delivers a big front soundstage and has plenty of amplification. March 2020. We have become accustomed to a quick tap or voice command and the tunes start flowing. This is a great wireless product and nothing comes close to it right now. Formation products feature B&W’s proprietary wireless mesh system, which partners with your home wi-fi but works independently to enable hi-res streaming and a basically imperceptible o… 2x Perfected Speaker Synchronization. B&W's made some interesting decisions concerning the latter - decision that it only just gets away with. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! I had installed the app on my iPhone 8 earlier and the software immediately recognized the two Formation products. However, B&W Formation products work on their own, exclusive wireless mesh network, which they create throughout your home, only using your home network as a last resort. I love the industrial design of the Devialet Reator, but have only listened to to the briefly. Verdict: B&W Formation Duo With entering the world of wireless and multiroom Bower & Wilkins have delivered a proper statement. Once the speakers were unboxed and on stands, you simply plug them in and download the app. Along with review samples of the Formation Duo finished in white, Bowers & Wilkins provided a pair of matching stands ($799.99/pair) finished in silver gray (also available in black). It was not as quiet as the big rig, but with the power conditioner in place, it wasn’t noticeable. The setup process was seamless. That places a heavier reliance on the drive units alone to produce the bass but with the potential for a cleaner, tighter sound at those lower frequencies. I did try using it to stream Spotify and Tidal, but the client wasn’t my favorite. No crappy PA speaker would ever offer the level of detail and tonality. The combination of DSP and dedicated amps have been able to achieve a level of low-frequency energy that was potentially the best I have experienced in a bookshelf speaker. Even though between the two apps, every detail and function is covered, we would like to see a stronger, more comprehensive Formation app to take care of everything. Typically, with a sealed enclosure, the bass roll-off is shallow and can go out for days. This successfully worked with both Roon and Spotify in my testing. While we'd certainly prefer a single app to handle every function, the multi-room feature set is at least complete and the current, imperfect software arrangement is more than made up for by the superb audio performance. I can imagine someone who has their Duos in one location where they listen, and their turntable and records in another location. Something that I could recommend to friends and family who are looking to build a small engaging setup that is available at a fraction of the cost of my reference room. Merry Christmas from Part-Time Audiophile, Sonner Audio Names Avantgarde Hong Kong the Exclusive Distributor for China, Hong Kong, Macau, Pacific Audio Fest Registration Now Open | Announcements, Maxima Amator, the New Addition to Sonus faber’s Heritage Collection, Bowers & Wilkins Formation Duo Review – Fielder Marketing Blog. A small stage was assembled for Dan’s band to play and would house the Duos. Introducing Bowers & Wilkins Formation Duo – the first wireless speakers that live up to the exacting audiophile standards of Bowers & Wilkins. Spiked feet for use on carpets, and rounded feet for bare floors, are both supplied. It is not always possible to put your sources near your speakers depending on how your room is configured. Grippy and with the kind of authority and punch you’d expect in high-quality floorstanders, it’s the ideal backdrop to the artful lead guitar and vocal detail every time Simon and his backing singers kick in. Excellent clarity and richness. Hardware is only half of the equation where streaming is concerned, with software also crucial. Thank-you for the suggestion. The dedicated B&W Duo stands (£699) aren’t cheap, but they complete the look beautifully. Using Roon, I could quickly switch back and forth between streaming music on my Alexia’s via my dCS Vivaldi + Dan D’Agostino stack vs. streaming directly to the B&W Duos. We had an idea, what if we took the B&W Formation Duos to the club and used them to debut his record? I think they are right up your alley. There is no doubting Sonos is a premium product, however… On this first wireless assault B&W were sure not to miss out the needs of home cinema fans. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. Norah’s voice had that roughness I want, but something wasn’t perfect, almost a little edge to it (as compared to when I played it to the big rig), but I’m being picky. Both Spotify Connect and Apple Airplay 2 are built in, so the Formation Duo speakers will appear in Spotify and (if using an Apple device) most other streaming apps. No cables required outside of a power cable. Visit our corporate site. All rights reserved. There’s missing crunch to the sound when listening to White’s guitar scratch its solos. The crossover is done in the digital domain, which provides an interesting upgrade path, allowing B&W to continually improve the speaker using firmware updates. With Ariel Ramirez’s mass Miss Criolla, sung by José Carreras, these speakers prove that there’s no need for any wiring. If you're using an Android phone or an app that's not AirPlay compatible, you can still send music to the Duo speakers using Bluetooth, right up to the higher quality aptX HD standard if your player supports it. If I closed my eyes, I would how expect these speakers to be 3 to 4 times in size. Once bolted to the grey-bottomed Duos, it’s difficult to tell where the stand begins and the speaker ends. This is one we are really looking forward to hearing as Bowers & Wilkins subwoofers have historically given us amazing sound for the money. The piano had weight; Kandace’s voice was piercing through the mix. Please support this website by adding us to your whitelist in your ad blocker. If you want to go down the multi-room route, it's well worth considering the Formation Audio (£599), which connects to your existing hi-fi system, integrating all of your traditional wired sources (such as a CD player and turntable) into the wireless network while also outputting streams to your standard amplifier. Missed a post? However, due to the B&W Formation Duo speakers’ sealed cabinet structure, the bass was sometimes a little on the lean side and could have benefitted from more depth. I dropped it back in place and that more quiet background returned. For package this size, they did not disappoint. Pressing the formation button allows you to mirror music in any other zone. My favorite accessory was the Formation Audio. They can be mass loaded with sand to improve stability. When people would visit, I would always start playback using the Duos, but never mention it. There is a pair of 2.4GHz receiver/transmitters for communication with the music source, another pair working at the 5GHz bandwidth for multi-room communication with other Formation products and Bluetooth as well. Colleen) it’s clear that these speakers have real energy. Bowers & Wilkins, an industry-defining wired speaker manufacturer, has set a new bar for wireless streaming speakers with their new Formation line. Once your Formation system knows those credentials it will discover any Formation products you add to your home. Bowers & Wilkins Formation. It was in the lower octaves where the speaker really shined with the bass sliding under everything. They are capable of great power in the loud moments and a soft beauty for the quieter passages. Mystified at how good they sounded, I cut over and played the track on the Alexia’s to just remind myself of the differences with the voice and instruments at the start. We play the White Stripes’ Ball & Biscuit and Meg White’s drumming is exposed in all its bald glory, with the jangling too-loose snares seasoning Jack White’s thrummed chords. That is, if I am using Spotify or Roon on my Formation Duo, I could walk over to the Formation Wedge in my dining room and press the Formation button. The low notes of that organ have this visceral sound, just the way I like it. When Bowers & Wilkins announced the Formation Duo Bookshelf system (website) taking cues from the 705 D2 and 805 D3 series, it got my attention. The Formation Series are either going to work or not work for you depending on what you plan to use as content. It was only a matter of time, but now with the Formation Duo Bowers & Wilkins has made a … RECOMMENDED REVIEW . The big driver for me is simplicity and performance. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Simply plug them in and stream your heart out. The spring of the bass guitar, the razor sharp hand claps, the high hats and buzzing electro-synth samples time so beautifully together that it’s impossible not to nod along. The Formation app, Bowers & Wilkins Home, is available for both iOS and Android and should be installed before you power on your Formation products for the first time. Instead, it should reveal the ‘true sound’ of the performance. Thank you. They’re not quite there for that 100 per cent authenticity of sound. From the first bars of Seeya by Deadmau5 (feat. We moved onto Mac Miller playing “Complicated” on Tidal in MQA. Simply connect your favorite turntable, CD player or another device to its audio input, and you can stream that to any Formation device on your network. There’s also a single Formation button for cycling through inputs. Hit the. (Watch for my in-depth review.) The bass texture was lovely, but I wanted a little more detail around her voice. The lows produced were pretty impressive for compact speakers. B&W’s proprietary wireless system reduces any latency of playback between products to one millisecond to ensure that there’s no audio drift between stereo pairs, something needed for the kind of performance expected at this level. Bowers & Wilkins Formation Bar Soundbar Review The Bowers & Wilkins Formation Bar looks gorgeous, is very well made and sounds fantastic for a three-channel soundbar. 2x Perfected Speaker Synchronisation. The B&W Formation Duo connected speakers proved to be both dynamic and generous. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Our first listen to the B&W 800 D3 was a few years ago at Music Matters at Definitive. Here before us is the B&W Duo, a pair of wireless active speakers and a highlight of the company’s Formation family of multi-room products, which includes a soundbar, a sub and even a spiritual successor to the iconic, single-box Zeppelin. In other words, Roon is definitely the best solution currently available, even though it's a cost option. I think they must have sold a few pairs of Duo’s that night. To my ears, that was the start of a fresh B&W sound that was more neutral and offered a pleasing tonality. Catching the eye with its unusual design, it offers a measured, room-filling performance. The Duos are deadly precise speakers with excellent precision and a speed of performance that makes you want to dig out tune after tune. Post setup, your options to stream music are as follows: Apple Airplay 2, Bluetooth (with AptX support), Spotify Connect, TIDAL, Roon, Qobuz (via Roon). The woofer and tweeter are bi-amplified; each speaker enclosure contains a dedicated set of amplifiers. We did a soundcheck, and the small Duo’s filled the room. B&W's made some interesting decisions concerning the latter - decision that it only just gets away with. He wanted to ensure that whatever sound re-enforcement was used to play his new album at the party did justice to many months of hard work. On Saturday, February 29th, I headed over to Do The Vault Speakeasy. B&W seems to have worked some magic as the speakers are rated to go down to 25hz in an incredibly small cabinet. There is a dedicated B&W Formation app but it’s really just for set-up and EQ use. The Formation Audio serves as a 24/96 A to D converter for analog sources you connect to it, as well as supporting digital sources via Toslink. It largely works really well, although things can still get a little complicated at times – name zones in both Roon and the Formation app and they won’t necessarily line up. Although I am blessed with an incredible reference listening setup, it’s complicated. In fact, you’ll find little else around the backs of the cabinets because the B&W Duo speakers are wireless. Their stereo imaging is as on-song as the Spanish tenor. The Formation Duo from Bowers & Wilkins is their flagship wireless loudspeaker designed for discriminating audiophiles. B&W Formation Duo − Features The Formation Duo uses B&W’s patented Formation Wireless technology, a mesh network similar to Sonos. The design starts with a B&W Continuum woofer that was used in both the B&W 705 and the larger B&W 805 D3. Best B&W speakers 2019: budget, premium, bookshelf and floorstander, Best budget record players: USB, Bluetooth, Best USB turntables 2021: budget to premium vinyl-spinners, Best waterproof speakers 2021: budget, portable, smart. So, perhaps it’s worth considering the Formation Duo not as a pricey bookshelf speaker, but rather as a complete system. Spotify is my go-to for playlists, and integration was seamless. Next up was Kandace Springs, playing “Angel Eyes” with Norah Jones on Qobuz in FLAC 24/96. The first screen found the Formation Duo, followed by providing my wireless information, then by pressing the formation button on the left and right speakers to identify them, and voila. This track seemed to bring out the best in the Duo’s in the mid-range and low-frequency region. These appear to be a tour de force; Linn claims “best wireless speakers in the world.” Half again the cost of the Formation Duos. The B&W Duo’s spent a majority of their time in my reference room, placed just inside my Wilson Audio Alexia Series-2. While the Duos deal admirably with Spotify’s MP3s and Tidal’s FLACs, these speakers will show up any lack in quality from the source material. There was a problem. Please look into the Linn Series 3 “wireless” speakers. The Formation Series was the first major project after B&W was purchased by Eva Automation in 2016. Posted on August 1, 2020 by Mohammed Samji in Digital, Loudspeakers // 5 Comments. (Watch for my in-depth review.) No idea WTF is on this site? Bowers & Wilkins Formation System is a recent development in a self-powered and streaming type of music system that comes from the highly regarded and prestigious firm of Bowers & Wilkins.The design is multi-faceted and has numerous speaker choices and applications to make it very user-friendly. The Formation Duos are wonderfully accomplished and sophisticated wireless speakers. Bowers & Wilkins may have arrived rather tardily to the multi-room party, but at least it's making a big entrance. Open the app and it searches for any Formation products in pairing mode and allows you to name the space they’re in, whether that’s living room, kitchen or whatever. The event went off without a hitch, and it was exciting to see a small bookshelf take on center stage. The rounded edges prevent snagging and offer a sleek appearance, while the included assembly hardware makes setup quick and easy. It also makes the Duos less fussy than typical rear ported designs when it comes to placement near to walls. All this leads me to the subject of this review, the new Bowers & Wilkins Formation Duo. The drive units are a paired combination of other successful B&W products. We listen to the Bowers & Wilkins Formation Duo wireless speakers. You can couple the Bass to the Bar, Wedge, or Duo. My feet were tapping, and my head moving, and no other notes were required. The Formation Duo packaging doesn’t disappoint, delivering a minimalist and clean feel as the box opens up with each speaker individually packaged in a … Local Seattle musician for “ Late September Dogs. ” known for their quality. 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