Bowers & Wilkins has introduced a pair of newAirPlay speakers, the A5 ($500) and A7 ($800). Both systems are nearly identical on the outside, and feature the same black and silver finish as the MM-1 media speakers.
The A7 has a pair of 25-watt 1-inch Nautilus “tube-loaded tweeters , two 25-watt 3-inch drivers for the mid-range and a 50-watt 6-inch woofer, while the A5 leaves out the woofer and uses a smaller speaker array of two 20-watt tweeters and two 20-watt mid-range drivers.
Both speaker systems are independently driven, and both systems feature an audiophile-grade DAC boosts music streams to a maximum 24-bit / 96kHz sample rate. The units feature WiFi and Ethernet connectivity and 3.5mm inputs for hooking in sans wireless, but B & W have forgone the 30-pin docks. Check out the video and full press release…
FULL PRESS RELEASE
Air your tunes
Bowers & Wilkins launches Wireless Music Systems
Announcing Bowers & Wilkins Wireless Music Systems, two new, dedicated AirPlay® speakers to join the award-winning Zeppelin Air. A7 and A5 feature outstanding audio performance and Apple AirPlay wireless streaming. The range expands choice for people looking for premium acoustics coupled with simple, wireless access to music.
Bowers & Wilkins Wireless Music Systems comprises two new products that combine effortless wireless streaming with Bowers & Wilkins sound quality. The A7 and A5 Wireless Music Systems marry the experience gained from close to five-decades of Bowers & Wilkins audio expertise with Apple’s AirPlay technology to deliver the convenience and freedom of wireless music, without compromising on sound quality.
The two new products join the highly-regarded Zeppelin Air in featuring the simple to set-up and use AirPlay technology, which allows you to stream music wirelessly from your iPhone® or iPad®. It’s quick and easy, very high quality, retains the rich app experience, and works from the palm of your hand. Plus, many customers already own nearly everything they need to enjoy its benefits: a wi-fi network and an iPhone, iPad, iPod touch® or a computer running iTunes®. This intuitive technology is made even more straightforward with the free Bowers & Wilkins Setup App, downloadable from the App Store. Adding further Wireless Music Systems is easy, too, allowing music to be taken from room-to-room.
A7 is the ultimate Wireless Music System: the beneficiary of nearly 50 years of Bowers & Wilkins experience in advanced acoustics, unwavering attention to detail by some of the finest engineers in the industry, and smart implementation of audiophile-grade electronics including Digital to Analog Converters capable of up-scaling audio to 24bit/96kHz.
A7’s generous dimensions provide room for a 6-inch dedicated bass driver and allow it to deliver impressively full and controlled bass, even in large living rooms. We believe it’s the best-sounding AirPlay speaker available. And with no dock or control panel to break its clean lines, A7 is a model of discretion.
For people looking for great wireless audio combined with minimal visual impact that fits anywhere in your home, from living room to bedroom or kitchen, the versatile A5 is the ideal choice. As you would expect from Bowers & Wilkins, it delivers a remarkably rich and detailed acoustic performance, with the kind of spacious, room-filling sound you’d expect from a much larger speaker.
Completing the trio of Wireless Music Systems is Zeppelin Air. This iconic AirPlay speaker offers the best of both worlds: wireless streaming via AirPlay, and a digital iPod and iPhone dock that delivers the very best sound available from an iPod speaker dock.
Whether you want to stream wirelessly or dock your device, Bowers & Wilkins Wireless Music Systems offer great sounding options for any room in your house.
A7 will be available October and is priced at $799.99
A5 will be available October and is priced at $499.99
Zeppelin Air is available now and is priced at $599.95
