Bowers & Wilkins presents the Panorama 3 soundbar which – in their words – provides “the ultimate immersive audio experience.
British audio brand Bowers & Wilkins is releasing a new advanced soundbar, the Panorama 3. According to the manufacturer, this elegant soundbar offers an all-in-one package with unrivalled, room-filling sound for movies, TV, games and favourite music: ‘For over 40 years, artists, composers and recording studios around the world have relied on Bowers & Wilkins speakers to create generation-defining soundtracks. From world-famous films like Return Of The Jedi and Raiders Of The Lost Ark to The Lord Of The Rings and The Avengers. Bowers & Wilkins speakers have played a crucial role in the creation of iconic movie scores. The same team of engineers is behind the amazing sound of the new Panorama 3, setting the bar high in the world of soundbars’.
Long history
The first Bowers & Wilkins soundbar appeared on the market in 2009. It was named after the iconic film technologies from the heyday of cinematography – Panavision and Cinerama – and – B&W reports – set a new standard for soundbar design: ‘The Panorama was designed as a premium product; nothing had been compromised, it produced the best possible sound quality from a single speaker. No external subwoofers or add-ons were required. In 2013, the successful first design received an update. With updated drive units, the Panorama 2 brought even better sound, and new HDMI inputs provided even easier connectivity’.
No need for external subs
‘The new Panorama 3 stands on the shoulders of giants. As with previous models, it is specifically designed to deliver great sound from a single component; external subwoofers are not required. At just 65 mm high, 140 mm deep and 1210 mm wide, the Panorama 3 has a distinctly elegant design. Its low profile makes it easy to install. Despite its elegant proportions, the Panorama 3 still contains 13 individual drive units in 3.1.2. arrangement. ‘The result is room-filling, powerful sound that no box can match,’ says Bowers & Wilkins.
Immersive spatial audio
Panorama 3 is the first-ever Bowers & Wilkins soundbar with true Dolby Atmos upward-facing drive units. Developed specifically by Bowers & Wilkins for what they say are ‘superior spatial soundtracks, these 50mm driver units are carefully angled on the top of the soundbar enclosure to ensure ultimate sound. Accompanied by an advanced Dolby Atmos decoder and processor, they deliver great sound for spatial soundtracks from TV, movies, game and music streams. The same decoder can also process Dolby Digital and Dolby TrueHD audio streams, if present’.
400 Watts in total
The dual, upward-firing Atmos drive units complement the forward-facing setup of driver units on the Panorama 3. It is arranged in a classic left, center, right (LCR) configuration, each with two 50mm midrange drivers, paired with fully decoupled 19mm titanium-dome tweeters. Finally, two 100mm subwoofers are mounted in a substantial acoustic volume that makes up the bulk of the enclosure, which the manufacturer says provides deep, extended bass without the need for an external subwoofer: ‘The Panorama 3 is one of the most powerful soundbars in its class, with a total output power of 400W: 40W to each tweeter, 40W to each pair of midrange drive units, 40W to each subwoofer and 40W to each Dolby Atmos Elevation drive unit’.
Easy to install
The new soundbar is easy to install. Thanks to its low profile, it can simply be placed on a piece of furniture and even in front of the TV, without hiding the bottom of the screen from view. Panorama 3 can also be mounted on the wall with an included metal bracket. Connecting is simple: one ARC/eARC HDMI connection is all that’s needed to connect Panorama 3 to the TV and share the sound from any other sources, such as a set-top box or game console.
High resolution streaming
The Panorama 3 features both AirPlay 2 and aptX Adaptive Bluetooth, so both iOS and Android users can easily stream their favorite music from their mobile devices to the Panorama 3. Spotify fans can also enjoy the convenience of Spotify Connect, which guarantees both high-quality sound and easy control. And for high-resolution listening and the most seamless user experience, the new Panorama 3 also supports the Bowers & Wilkins Music App, which gives listeners instant access to a wide range of streaming services, including Deezer, Last.fm, Qobuz, Soundcloud, TIDAL and TuneIn. The list of available services will continue to expand this year.
Control
The Panorama 3 has nice ‘hidden until they light up’ buttons on the top, for immediate operation if there is no phone within reach. It also features built-in Alexa, for effortless voice control during music playback.
Upgradable
Like the Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin, the Panorama 3 is designed to last. Upgrading is possible, and the multi-room feature will be introduced shortly after launch. This will make the Panorama 3 compatible with other Panoramas or other Zeppelins in a multi-room environment or, if you prefer, with a multi-room system based on Bowers & Wilkins Formation products.
Happy
Commenting on the launch, Stephanie Willems, Brand President of Bowers & Wilkins, said, “We are very pleased to launch the new Panorama 3, our first Dolby Atmos soundbar. It combines the performance and distinguished pedigree of a Bowers & Wilkins product with the best in elegant design and effortless usability. I’m sure our fans will love its industry-leading combination of room-filling sound and comprehensive features.”
The Panorama 3 will be available from March 23 for €999 on the Bowers & Wilkins website and at selected dealers.