VERDICT
HOME CINEMA CHOICE SEPTEMBER 2019
IT SEEMS AN age since Bowers & Wilkins
fi rst unleashed its Zeppelin wireless speaker on
an iPod-wielding world (2006 to be precise).
Now, belatedly, it’s back with a successor, the
rather prosaically named Wedge.
It's part of a wider, wireless ecosystem
from the brand, dubbed Formation. The line
also features a soundbar, subwoofer, stereo
speaker pair and audio hub, which can induct
existing hi-fi components into the Formation
network. The range uses a mesh Wi-Fi system,
which means all products connect directly to
each other and not individually to your router.
The idea is to provide a stronger, more stable
network connection. If you invest in more than
one Formation product, they also share
network settings, which speeds up installation.
The design could prove divisive, not least
because it’s not really wedge-shaped at all.
Patterned with
polygons, this
120-degree elliptical
speaker would
probably look more at
home on a plinth than
a speaker stand. You
get the feeling that
Bowers & Wilkins is
trying hard to look
futuristic.
Bluetooth v4.1 and
AirPlay 2 are joined
by Ethernet/Wi-Fi.
It’s also compatible with Spotify Connect and
Roon, with more services promised (Tidal is
available via AirPlay 2 or Roon).
The Wedge doesn't support voice
interaction with Google Assistant or Amazon
Alexa, so it would have been nice to have
a 3.5mm jack onboard to link to a third-party
AI device. An optical digital input (or HDMI
ARC) for TV audio would have been a
welcome touch too.
Behind the fancy wrap-around cloth fascia
are four drivers, plus 6in subwoofer. Positioned
to deliver the widest possible stereo
soundstage and designed in-house by Bowers
& Wilkins, these drivers are mounted in their
own stiff , decoupled enclosures. The array
comprises two 1in double dome tweeters,
borrowed from the brand’s 600 Series
loudspeakers, and twin 4in midrange units.
An app is required to set the Wedge up,
but there are touch controls for Play and
Volume on its top panel, activated by a
proximity sensor.
Core to the Wedge’s performance is a
32-bit/192kHz DAC (streaming is capped at
24-bit/96kHz).It takes two to tango
Up and running, it immediately becomes
apparent that this is a stereo sound system
and not just another monophonic all-in-one.
The soundstage is expansive. The title track
from Slayer’s South of Heaven proves theSPECIFICATIONS
DRIVERS: 2 x 1in double dome tweeters; 2 x
4in midrange; 1 x 6in woofer ONBOARD
POWER (CLAIMED): 2 x 40W (tweeters); 2 x
40W (midrange); 1 x 80W (subwoofer)
CONNECTIONS: Ethernet; USB (service)
REMOTE CONTROL: No DIMENSIONS: 440(w)
x 243(d) x 232(h)mm WEIGHT: 6.5kgFEATURES: Integrated Wi-Fi; Bluetooth (v4.1)
aptX HD; Apple AirPlay 2; Spotify Connect;
Roon Ready; DSP; Dynamic EQ; Formation
Wireless mesh technology; syncs with other
Formation products; 35Hz-28kHz claimed
frequency responseB&W Formation Wedge
« £900 « http://www.bowerswilkins.com
WE SAY: This stylish all-in-one speaker presents
a huge high-fi delity soundstage from a tiny
footprint, but its technical chops come at a price.58 B&W FORMATION WEDGE/£9 00
The Wedge uses a 2.1 speaker confi guration, with
onboard power rated at a total 240WThe speaker brand is back in the desktop audio game
with its innovative Formation Wedge wireless sound system.
Steve May counts the cost
A slice of B&W
PRODUCT:
Premium wireless
multiroom speaker
POSITION:
B&W's flagship
all-in-one wireless
model, and part of
its Formation range
PEERS:
Dynaudio Music 5;
Harmon/Kardon
Citation 500AV I NF O
point, with Tom Araya's vocals locked dead
centre, and groove metal guitars akimbo.
Similarly, the sprawling orchestral sweep
of The Journey, from the Hans Zimmer
penned soundtrack of Tears of the Sun,
sounds so much bigger than you might
imagine given the form factor.
Strange Love, by Simple Creatures,
persuades the Wedge to drop some deep
DSP-assisted bass beats, but there is a limit
to just how low it’ll go – you can off er
a helping hand by bringing it close to a
boundary wall. B&W will also sell you that
Formation wireless subwoofer to reach
required depths, but that’ll set you back
a further £900.
If you steer clear of deep bass you’ll be
okay though. The Southern rock of One Horse
To w n, by Blackberry Smoke, puts the Wedge
fi rmly in its happy place. The country licks and
Jack Daniels honky tonk piano sits perfectly in
its mid-range sweet spot.
It’s not a big speaker, but it isn't short of
volume. Onboard amplifi cation is rated at
40W apiece for tweeters and midrange, and
80W for the woofer.Formidable all-in-one
The Formation Wedge is a formidable
all-in-one, capable of fi lling any reasonably
sized living space with crisp, potent audio.
The price ticket is lofty for what you get,
particularly compared to rival boxes from
Harmon/Kardon and Dynaudio, and we’d
like to have seen more accommodating
connectivity, but as the hero in a Bowers &
Wilkins multiroom system, it makes quite
the statement Q