About The Bowers & Wilkins Formation Wedge
B&W's Formation series is a brand new direction for the brand. It includes a range of wireless speakers that includes the Wedge we have here. The Wedge is a beautifully styled wireless speaker that can be used via Bluetooth, including the highest aptX HD standard, as well as AirPlay 2 from iPhone, iPad or Mac computers. It can also be controlled using Roon which can access your iTunes library or NAS drive.
The Wedge is a modern looking design that gives you exceptional sound reproduction from your streaming music. And this versatile wireless powered speaker gives you plenty of options. It can function either as a single wireless speaker or teamed with the Formation Bass, or in multiples for multi-room use – or with any other Formation speaker for a whole home audio system.
The Formation Wedge features the same decoupled double-dome tweeter tech found in the award-winning 600 series speakers. It includes two 1" double domed tweeters with 40 watts of power each, two 3.5" FST midrange drivers with another 40 watts each and one 6" bass driver with a punchy 80 watts giving the Wedge amazing depth of sound for the size.
Acoustic design aside, what makes this range of particular interest is B&W's own mesh network that runs independently from a home Wi-Fi network, keeping the load off it and allowing ultra-tight synchronisation between all speakers on the network. The Formation Wedge runs at up to 24-bit/96kHz resolution, which is best-in-class. This ensures clear, accurate sound and that the Wedge will do justice to your high-resolution music files.
As you'd expect from this iconic manufacturer of conventional hi-fi loudspeakers, the Formation Wedge employs B&W design best practice. The front baffle is covered in luxurious fabric while the rear of the enclosure incorporates one seamless curve of high grade stained plywood. Inside, the cabinet uses the company's Matrix construction – effectively a lattice of cross-bracing to stiffen the structure to minimise sidewall flex. This makes for lower colouration and improved timing. The unique 120-degree elliptical speaker shape was created to hold a full-range of high frequency, midrange and subwoofer components for a true stereo effect, with calculated, angled drivers so sound reaches every part of a room. The Wedge also incorporates Dynamic EQ, a real-time digital signal processing system that optimises the performance of the system.
Simple Multi-Room App Control: Formation wireless speakers are easy to use, thanks to the Bowers & Wilkins Home app. Download it from the Apple App Store or Google Play to your smartphone or tablet. The app walks you through the setup process. It also lets you add other Formation speakers easily as you build up your multi-room audio system. You can assign room names to your Formation speakers, group them to simultaneously play the same song, or play different songs from different sources in each room.
Wireless Options: The Formation Wedge features Bluetooth 4.1 for playing audio sources from a wide variety of apps on your mobile device. Built-in aptX HD and AAC decoding provide high-quality music streaming from compatible devices. Spotify Connect is built-in too, so you can easily stream from this popular service if you have a subscription. Apple AirPlay 2 technology lets you play audio directly from your iPhone, iPad, or Mac computer through the Formation Wedge. That includes soundtracks from YouTube videos and Netflix movies.
Roon Compatible: For serious music lovers, the Formation system is also compatible with Roon, a subscription digital music player for your smartphone, tablet, or computer. It gives you multi-room audio playback for all your Formation devices and more.
Roon accesses your digital music collection from your iTunes library or NAS drive. It also works with your TIDAL subscription. Roon lets you delve deep into your music, showing artist bios, photos, reviews, and lyrics. Roon can also suggest other artists and songs based on your selections, making it easy to discover new music you'll enjoy.
In The News
"Once again, we're introducing world-class modern design – a product that is purposely built for superior acoustics but designed to fit into your home aesthetic and make a statement. And one of the key features is the full home scalability, the Flex lets the consumer expand through the entire home with additional Formation products. Greg Lee, Bowers & Wilkins CEO
Main Features & Specifications
- Design: Wireless Speaker System with Bluetooth, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect & Roon compatibility
- Technical features
- Apple AirPlay 2 – compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch with iOS 11.4 or later, Apple TV 4K or Apple TV (4th Generation) with tv OS 11.4 or later, Mac or PC with iTunes 12.8 or later
- Spotify Connect
- Roon Ready
- Bluetooth In
- Digital Signal Processing (DSP)
- Digital amplifier
- Dynamic EQ
- Drive Units
- 2 x 25mm (1") Decoupled double dome high-frequency tweeters
- 2 x 90mm (3.5") FST midrange drivers
- 1 x 150mm (6") Bass driver
- Frequency Response: 35Hz to 28kHz
- Amplifier Power Output
- 2 x 40W (Tweeter)
- 2 x 40W (Midrange)
- 1 x 80W (Bass)
- Power Consumption: Below 6 Watts (Sleep)
- Connections
- Network (RJ45 Ethernet or Wi-Fi)
- USB – service only (does not play music via USB)
- Bluetooth v4.1, Class 2 - aptX HD, AAC & SBC decoding provides high-quality music streaming from compatible devices
- Dimensions (WxHxD): 440 x 232 x 243mm
- Weight: 6.5 kg
- Manufacturer's Warranty: 1 Year
Note: Features & Specifications Subject To Change Without Notice. E&OE