Premium audio company Bowers & Wilkins unveiled the latest member of its wireless speaker family today, the T7. Marking the first time the company has ventured into the teeming sea of Bluetooth speakers, the highly portable T7 is loaded with features and top-shelf audio technology to provide hi-fi sound on the go, like only Bowers & Wilkins can.
The size of a “hardcover book,” the highly portable T7 boasts a premium aesthetic with a modern touch. The speaker’s honeycomb bezel is more than just a funky affectation, but an innovation derived from the company’s 800 Series Diamond loudspeakers, which sit in the famed Abbey Road studios. Claimed to be the first commercial application of its Micro Matrix honeycomb structure, B&W says the design allows for a stiffening solid platform for the T7’s drivers to squash cabinet vibration and distortion.
The drivers on board the T7 include dual patent-pending “high-output” bass radiators for rich, powerful bass, as well as dual two-inch drivers. The drivers are constructed from glass fiber, similar to the company’s premium wireless music systems, mounted in a steel basket, and powered by a pair of filterless class D amplifiers to help promote clear, full midrange and treble extension.
For its first jaunt into Bluetooth, B&W has predictably optioned aptX technology, a codec which allows for near CD-quality audio streaming, as well as high quality DACs (digital to analog convertors), and DSP to help shape the sound. The speaker’s interface was also designed in conjunction with Mira Calix, a notable British artist and composer. The T7’s rechargeable battery boasts an impressive 18 hours per charge at normal listening levels.
Of course, all of that premium Bowers & Wilkins technology comes at a premium price, stretching to a whopping $350. The company’s “Listen and you’ll see” tagline seems especially fitting for its latest iteration, and we intend to go ears on soon to see if the T7 is a true sonic advancement in the portable genre, and worthy of its kingly price tag.
If you’re already convinced of the T7’s talents, however, you can pre-order the speaker on B&W’s website now, with a launch date set for October 30th.
[Update: This article has been updated as Bowers & Wilkins issued a correction to its press release, now claiming that battery life for the T7 is as much as 18 hours per charge, instead of 10]
