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News Release
Contact: John or Lucette Nicoll
Nicoll Public Relations, Inc.
Phone: 781-762-9300
E-Mail: john or [email protected]
N. Reading MA - May 13, 2014 – In their largest Sound System ever,
Bowers & Wilkins takes acclaimed hi-fi speaker technology and develops it for
a festival audience. Bowers & Wilkins Sound System draws upon almost 50
years of acoustic excellence to produce a brand new PA system that combines
the range and clarity of a top-end hi-fi speaker with the raw power required
to deliver sound to thousands of festival-goers. Sound System is a one-off
commission and will not be commercially produced.
Imagine, the best sound you ever heard from a hi-fi system. Now imagine
that sound scaled-up to the point where it can fill a 1,000 capacity festival
venue. That’s the Bowers & Wilkins Sound System, and while it is, for now, a
one-off commission for Barcelona’s Primavera Sound (one of Europe’s most
eclectic and innovative music festivals), it is being engineered with all the care
and attention normally lavished upon a commercial Bowers & Wilkins product.
Sound System utilizes a number of core Bowers & Wilkins technologies,
including: Decoupled Double Dome aluminum tweeters found in the awardwinning CM10; Rohacell® bass drivers based on those in the CT800 Custom
Theatre range; FST™ Kevlar® midrange drivers from the 800 Series Diamond;
Flowport™ technology to aid bass loading; and each of the encloses is
constructed from birch plywood and braced with Bowers & Wilkins Matrix™
strengthening system.
Sound System is a four-way active loudspeaker design, which for its debut
appearance at Primavera Sound in Barcelona will comprise four stacks. Each
stack stands over 3.2 meters tall (10.5 feet), and encompasses 12 separate
enclosures, spilt into three frequency types, with a complement of 8 x 15”
bass drivers, 8 x 10” mid-bass drivers, 4 x 6” FST Kevlar midrange drivers and
16 x 1” Decoupled Double Dome tweeters.
Sound System crossover frequencies are 80Hz, 350Hz, 3.5kHz with active DSP
filters feeding multiple Class D stereo power amplifiers combining to produce
an output totaling 30kW. A Sound System module of four LF enclosures is
capable of an extraordinary 120dB at 8m. At Primavera Sound, the four Sound
System stacks will be deployed in a 1,000 capacity geodesic dome.
Reduced distortion
Sound System overcomes the problems of dynamic compression inherent in
traditional PA systems by adapting the acoustic design of Bowers & Wilkins’
flagship
hi-fi
and
studio
speakers
in
a
massively
enlarged
format.
Conventional horn-loaded technology is replaced by hi-fi style direct radiating
transducers, resulting in dramatically reduced distortion and a much cleaner
sound.
Hi-fi driver technology
Each Sound System stack features four mid/high frequency enclosures,
incorporating an FST Kevlar midrange driver and four Nautilus™ tube-loaded
high frequency drivers. As with Bowers & Wilkins’ most advanced hi-fi
speakers, these drivers are decoupled from their cabinets to shield them from
the effects of cabinet resonance and produce a sound that’s pure, detailed
and precise.
Extraordinary bass
The foundation of each Sound System stack is its four rock solid, fully braced
low frequency enclosures, which incorporate established Bowers & Wilkins
bass driver technology in the form of Rohacell bass drivers and multiple
Flowports along with tried and tested Matrix reinforced cabinet construction.
Capable of an extraordinary 120dB, Sound System delivers bass that’s not
only amazingly powerful but also totally controlled.
Each of the four Sound System low frequency enclosures incorporate two
380mm (15”) drivers featuring Rohacell composite diaphragms. The drivers are
customized versions of those used in Bowers & Wilkins’ reference CT800
system. Multiple Flowports take care of bass loading in the 300 Liter fully
braced, birch plywood cabinets. The upper bass is also well served, with each
stack boasting four low/mid enclosures. Each of these contains two 250mm
(10”) Rohacell drivers. This approach delivers seamless continuity between the
solid deep bass and the refined midrange performance of the FST Kevlar
midrange drivers dedicated to the midrange.
Enhanced directivity Sound System’s 12 driver enclosures are connected using
angled mounting hardware, producing arrays that generate the ideal acoustic
dispersion pattern for the listening environment. Meanwhile midrange and
high frequency drivers are arranged so that vertical directivity can be finely
controlled – vitally important in a live sound context.
The Bowers & Wilkins Sound System will make its debut at the Bowers &
Wilkins + Boiler Room stage at Primavera Sound, Barcelona (May 29th – 31st
2014). Globally acclaimed DJs Jamie xx, John Talabot and Pional will headline
the stage across the three days of the festival, pushing the Sound System to
its limits in a 1,000 capacity Igloo tent that will feature 360º projections from
renowned British moving-image artists, creating a multi-sensory effect that
will place the audience into a truly immersive experience.
Specifications Sound System stack stands over 3.2 meters tall, and comprises
12 separate enclosures, spilt into three frequency types:
4 x low-frequency enclosures:
8 x 15” (380mm) Rohacell bass drivers
4 x low/mid frequency enclosures
8 x 10” (250mm) Rohacell mid/bass drivers
4 x mid/high frequency enclosures
4 x 6” (180mm) FST Kevlar midrange driver
16 x 1” (25mm) Nautilus Tube Decoupled Double Dome aluminum
tweeters
The Bowers & Wilkins Sound System at Primavera Sound features four stacks:
32 x 15” (380mm) Rohacell bass drivers
32 x 10” (250mm) Rohacell mid/bass drivers
16 x 6” (180mm) FST Kevlar midrange driver
64 x 1” (25mm) Nautilus™ Tube Decoupled Double Dome aluminum tweeters
Note to editors
This release, product brochure and high-resolution images are available at: http://nicollpr.com/bw_press.html
Trademark acknowledgements
Kevlar is a registered trademark of DuPont.
FST is a trademark of B&W Group Ltd.
About Bowers & Wilkins
Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) is Britain’s leading exporter of loudspeakers, and is also the number-one imported brand in
North America. Since 1966, B&W’s “Quest for Perfection” has resulted in a succession of technical loudspeaker
innovations that have satisfied the world’s most demanding listeners. B&W’s rave reviews and universal acceptance as
the monitor for classical music recordings have helped B&W become the dominant premium loudspeaker company
throughout the world. http://www.bowers-wilkins.com
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