1 post tagged “wilkins”
OK, it's heavy, and it requires unpacking instructions - including flipping the box upside-down to get the speakers out of the box instead of lifting it.
Everything is packed very nicely, with reverence. The speakers are wrapped in a soft cloth-like shipping fabric, the remote, tilt base, power cord and manual are in a separate box with a velvet-like tray. The packaging could have been designed by Apple, but not quite enough cleverness.
The remote is much smaller than I thought - about the size of TEN's round remote, but elongated. Took me a bit of effort to remove the shipping tab from the battery compartment - I had to read the instructions to make sure I wasn't going to break it in the process.
I docked my black 5th generation iPod - its the same model they use in the product photograpy ;-) Included is a product brochure with lots of verbage about how great Bowers & Wilkins is. Must be there to assure the new owner that s/he has made a great purchase.
(I'm thinking I should have video taped or at least photograph the unpacking and setup process - could be made to look like a ceremonial unveiling)
Nice long power cord - must be like 8-10 feet long.
Clearly, this is no Bose iPod speaker. It's Ford vs. Mercedes-Benz. No wait. Ford vs. Aston-Martin. Let's get our nationalities right.
So.
The sound? Hmm...
It's close to 3am. I don't think the neighbors would appreciate me blasting the music. I try to find "quiet" pieces - piano, vocal, etc. The eclectic collection varies. One piece sounds kind of rough, another sounds crisp and fresh. At first I am confused. Then I realize, of course - a very good quality speakers - near perfect - should almost disappear. I am not hearing the speakers - I am hearing the recording. All of a sudden, on certain pieces, I am thinking that the microphone is in the wrong place - (I'm no recording engineer) - the stereo separation on Yo-Yo Ma's Meditation is lacking and the cello a bit boomy. Whoa - am I sounding like some audiophile critic here? Like a partially blind man suddenly given perfect vision. Some things will look gorgeously better, other things may look much less appealing in such sharp detail.
I can hear the bow being drawn across the strings. I can almost hear the pedals on Helene Grimaud's quiet piano passages. I can hear a new depth in Diana Krall's voice on Case of You. She sounds more sensual, more feminine. But some pieces I like better, others I see some flaws. Damien Rice sounds like he's in the room with me. Some electronica pieces - Japanese - sound very nice - very precise and flawless. All very revealing.
Or is it just my imagination? Projections to justify such an expensive purchase, along with expectations for the brand. A venerable brand it is - reference speakers at top studios - like Abbey Road - for 40 years. Or these are simply the best speakers I've listened to in a long time. Makes me want to listen to most of my library to see what I hear anew.
five stars. hat's off to b&w. and my sympathies for having to deal with Apple. But maybe this is why Apple discontinued their own Hi-Fi speakers. They can't have one of their products be positioned under a third-party's.
