Bowers & Wilkins has created some very interesting speaker products over the years. Now, the company is packing all of that cool sound into a much slimmer package. B&W just announced the Panorama 2 soundbar.
Designed as an upgrade to 2009's Panorama soundbar, the Panorama 2 promises a better performance and an easy setup. Just connect the soundbar via HDMI and operate the unit through the new proximity-sensing control panel and enhanced user interface.
B&W says that this one-box solution can boost any TV viewing experience, without having to fill the room with speakers. That comes by using some of the same technologies developed for the company's 800 Series Diamond speakers.
Other features include new B&W engineered drive units, new low frequency drivers and a new tweeter. Also, the midrange drive units boast wider dispersion characteristics, which can improve the speaker's virtual surround performance.
According to B&W, the Panorama 2 features a total of nine drivers -- five of which are used in the active center speaker. Those include two bass woofers, two midrange drivers and an aluminum dome tweeter, all with the company's Nautilus tube-loaded technology. The remaining four drive units each have their own enclosure. All nine are powered by six class D amplifiers, to crank a total output of 175 watts. The Panorama 2 also has the latest Digital Signal Processing (DSP), three HDMI inputs and single HDMI output.
Bowers & Wilkins recommends adding the PV1D subwoofer, for a complete (but compact) home theater audio package.
Bowers & Wilkins will start selling the Panorama 2 later this month, with an MSRP of $2200. The PV1D subwoofer is sold separately, in matte black and matte white finishes for $1700.
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