B&W Formation Wireless Audio Line – First Look

I’ve been hearing a lot about them for months now from my B&W rep. It is clearly aiming for the upper market of wireless customers, shooting just above Sonos and Heos to give premium wireless audio a new name. Because wireless audio products are heavily dependent on software, many issues and features can be fixed or added with a simple update, making the market all that much more competitive. I’ve been working with every product in the new line and now that I’ve had about a week to play with each one, here are my first thoughts on the Wedge, Bar, Bass, Duo, and Audio.

MSRP – $899
Technical features – Apple® AirPlay 2® technology, Spotify® Connect Roon Ready, Bluetooth
Digital Signal Processing – (DSP) Digital amplifier, Dynamic EQ
Drive units – 2x 25mm (1in) double dome tweeter, 2x 90mm (3.5in) FST midrange, 1x 150mm (6in) subwoofer
Frequency response – 35Hz to 28kHz – double dome
Amplifier power output – 2x 40W (tweeter), 2x 40W (midrange), 1x 80W (subwoofer)
Network Connections – (RJ45 Ethernet or Wi-Fi), USB – service only Bluetooth Bluetooth® v4.1, Class 2 aptX HD AAC SBC
Dimensions – Height: 232mm (9.1in) Width: 440mm (17.3in) Depth: 243mm (9.6in)
Weight – 6.5kg (14.3lb)
AirPlay 2 – compatibility 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.

The Wedge is an all in one speaker that takes on the likes of the Sonos Play 5 or Apple HomePod. Unboxing the Wedge, it’s clear to see just how beautiful the 120-degree elliptical design with striking wood accents (in black only) is. It’s an amazing unit that fits nicely in a corner of a room or shelf. Setup was very easy, and it sounds excellent, better than the Play 5 in my opinion. The midrange and bass strong but the highs seemed more veiled than a Play 5 to me. For larger rooms I feel the Wedge would be the better choice as it is capable of higher output than the Play 5. And don’t forget that it supports 96/24-bit high-resolution audio!

The Wedge comes in at nearly double the cost of a Play 5 and is also a bit bigger, but I think it looks much better in almost every way. The Wedge was clearly designed to look as good as it’s sounds. As of now, you can’t use the Wedge as part of a 5.1 system with the Bar or Bass. You also cannot use two Wedges as a stereo zone like you can with Sonos. These features can be added in later with an update but it’s disappointing to see them currently missing.

My verdict – Wait for a sale and some feature updates unless you really love the sound and look. If you want the best-looking standalone speaker solution, look no farther.

MSRP – $1199.99
Technical features – Apple® AirPlay 2® Technology Spotify® Connect Roon Ready Bluetooth In Dolby Digital Digital Signal Processing (DSP) Digital Amplifier Dynamic EQ
Drive units – 3x 25mm (1in) double dome tweeter, 6x 65mm (2.6in) woven glass fiber cone bass/midrange
Frequency response – 40Hz to 28kHz
Amplifier power output – 6x 40W
Power consumption – <6 Watts in standby
Connections – Digital audio in (TOSLink), Network (RJ45 Ethernet or Wi-Fi), USB – service only
Bluetooth – Bluetooth® v4.1, Class 2 aptX HD AAC SBC
Dimensions – Height: 109mm (4.3in) Width: 1240mm (48.8in) Depth: 107mm (4.2in)
Weight – 5.5kg (12.1lb)
AirPlay 2 compatibility – 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.

The Formation Bar is B&W’s all new soundbar. It’s quite a bit longer than other soundbars and matches the width of a 65” TV perfectly. Personally, I prefer my soundbars to blend into the TV and not be seen but the Formation Bar has other ideas, it truly steals the show wherever it is placed. During setup, there were a few app crashes. Then shortly after adding it to a zone, it completely disappeared from the app (maybe it was updating?). After about 30 minutes, it reappeared on its own. I was then able to use the optical connection from my TV to watch a few movies and really hear it in action. Sound was wide and open, but highs felt a bit veiled and it seemed like something was missing at times, almost like the center channel was too powerful. Midrange and bass both sounded great though. It’s a good soundbar, but I feel that the sound quality doesn’t always justify the price.

When you add in the Formation Bass though, this really becomes a better system with fantastic lows. I then wanted to hear how this system sounded on my Duos but discovered you cannot share a source or create a new group zone like you can with Sonos. The Bar’s optical input stays with the Bar unless you have a Formation Audio connected to the Duos’ zone. It also cannot be set up in a 5.1 configuration. I really hope these features are added soon.

My verdict – Like or dislike the style, it’s a good soundbar, but the price is steep and there’s no 5.1 option (yet).

MSRP – $999
Technical features – Digital Signal Processing (DSP), Digital amplifier Dynamic EQ
Drive units – 2x 165mm (6.5in) long-throw bass unit
Frequency response – 20Hz to 150Hz
Amplifier power output – 250W
Power consumption – <6 Watts in standby
Connections – Network (RJ45 Ethernet or Wi-Fi), USB – service only
Dimensions – Height: 254mm (10in) Width: 281mm (11.1in) Depth: 260mm (10.2in)
Weight – 12.5kg (27.6lb)
AirPlay 2 compatibility – 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.

The Formation Bass really blew me out of the water. It is an excellent wireless subwoofer, actually the best I’ve heard, with a low and tight sound. Adding it to the Bar creates a great sounding 3.1 system but takes the price to $2200. The overall design is quite unique and appealing to the eye, but that could be considered its weakness. A Sonos Sub, for example, can easily be hidden under or behind a couch, whereas the Bass cannot. It’s also not as kid or pet friendly as the Sonos Sub where the drivers are better protected. The bass has the drivers on each side fully exposed, with no grilles. Keep it safe!

Setup was very easy, it always stayed connected and the bass was great. I would highly recommend getting one if you plan to use the Bar a lot as it adds a much-needed low-end boost.

My verdict – Great sounding and looking sub, but keep it away from pets and kids, expensive

Model – Formation Duo
MSRP – $3999 a pair
Technical features – Apple® AirPlay 2® technology, Spotify® Connect Roon Ready, Bluetooth In Digital Signal Processing (DSP), Digital amplifier, Dynamic EQ
Drive units – 1x 25mm (1in) Carbon dome high-frequency, 1x 165mm (6.5in) Continuum cone bass midrange
Frequency response – 25Hz to 33kHz
Amplifier power output – 2x 125W
Power consumption – <6 Watts in standby
Connections – Network (RJ45 Ethernet or Wi-Fi), USB – service only
Bluetooth – Bluetooth® v4.1, Class 2 aptX HD AAC SBC
Dimensions – Height: 395mm (15.6in) Width: 197mm (7.8in) Depth: 305mm (12in)
Weight – 10.6kg (23.4lb)
AirPlay 2 compatibility – 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.

Wireless 805s? That was my first thought when I saw the Formation Duos. Unboxing them, I quickly noticed they have a much more refined and modern look than the 805s. Setup was a breeze and I also got to assemble the stands (not included) to set them on. I really love their overall look. In the app you pick which one is left and which one is right and you’re on your way to wireless audio bliss. Not much to it, very easy setup!

My verdict – Expensive, but the best wireless audio listening experience I’ve heard to date

Model – Formation Audio
MSRP – $699
Technical features – Apple® AirPlay 2® technology, Spotify® Connect Roon Ready Bluetooth, High performance analog-to-digital converter (ADC), High performance digital-to-analog converter (DAC)
Power consumption – <6 Watts in standby
Connections – Digital audio in (TOSLink), Analog in (2x RCA), Digital audio out (1x coax), Analog audio out (2x RCA)
Network – (RJ45 Ethernet or Wi-Fi), USB – service only
Bluetooth – Bluetooth® v4.1, Class 2 aptX HD AAC SBC
Dimensions – Height: 44mm (1.7in) Width: 215mm (8.5in) Depth: 263mm (10.4in)
Weight – 1.0kg (2.2lb)
AirPlay 2 compatibility – 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.

The Audio is about the size of an iPad and has the same unique aesthetic as the other Formation products. It’s a simple to use media streamer and multi-room system that, unlike Sonos, offers 96/24 bit high-res audio streaming. It offers similar connections to most other streamers like optical out and analog in/out. I found the unit easy to use and set up and had no issues other than a few minor app crashes and one instance of lost connectivity while playing.