Product details
Bowers & Wilkins – Formation Bar 3.0-Channel Soundbar – Black
Elevate your home entertainment experience with the Bowers & Wilkins Formation Bar. Designed for those who demand superior sound quality without compromising on style, this sleek 3.0-channel soundbar delivers an immersive audio experience that will transform your living room into a cinematic paradise.
Key Features:
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Exceptional Sound Quality:
Experience crystal-clear dialogue and powerful bass with the Formation Bar’s innovative acoustic design. Featuring multiple speaker drivers, this soundbar ensures that every note is rich and every sound is precise. -
Wireless Connectivity:
Enjoy a clutter-free setup with seamless wireless streaming. The Formation Bar supports Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2, and Bluetooth, allowing you to easily connect your devices and stream your favorite music and movies. -
Multi-Room Capability:
Integrate your Formation Bar with other Bowers & Wilkins Formation products for a synchronized audio experience throughout your home. Enjoy the same high-quality sound in every room or customize your listening experience. -
Elegant Design:
Finished in a sophisticated black, the Formation Bar complements any modern home décor. Its streamlined design not only looks stunning but is also engineered to fit snugly beneath your TV. -
Easy Setup:
With simple setup instructions and an intuitive app, you can be enjoying your favorite content in no time. The Formation Bar is compatible with various TV sizes and can easily be mounted on the wall or placed on a console.
Specifications:
- Channels: 3.0
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2, Bluetooth, Optical, Ethernet
- Dimensions: 36.1 x 5.0 x 4.3 inches
- Weight: 14.3 lbs
Why Choose Bowers & Wilkins?
Bowers & Wilkins has a long-standing reputation for producing high-fidelity audio products. With the Formation Bar, you are not just purchasing a soundbar; you are investing in a premium audio experience that will enhance your everyday life.
Transform your listening experience.
Discover the power of sound with the Bowers & Wilkins Formation Bar today!
KarlintonF –
Great sounds, no HDMI ARC. I bought two years ago, but if I would buy it now, i would wait for a new generation speaker.
Formation –
The sound is amazing when it works. The app is awful and the speaker and sub disconnect all of the time. I have had it for a year and a half. At this price I would expect a much better product. Extremely disappointed with Best Buy and B & W. I reached out to Best Buy they said contact the manufacturer. Reach out to B & W they say box it up and send it in for service. Absolute joke for this kind of money. Really wished I had purchased the Sonos
ShannonT –
I love this sound bar! I had bought 2 other sound bars but could only hear sounds not much verbiage. I was looking for a soundbar that you could clearly hear people speaking, not so much birds or music and this one is the best. It projects clear spoken audio, works great for music also, but the spoken audio for older folks like myself is perfect. The app is easy to use and once you set it up you’re good to go. I would highly recommend this sound bar to anyone looking for not so much a movie theater experience (it does give that too) but to hear the television clear without a lot of base and booming.
VincentV –
Style over substance. Among the most stylish and well designed speaker in at any price point the series falls short on performance and or support from B&W. When it works it sounds great,
ScottC –
Super sound! We bought ours open box as my wife wanted a smaller system in our living room, this fit the bill. 1/2 price made it worth while. My wife listed to several sound bars and liked the sound of the B&W over all the others. The bass is what amazes me. We don’t have the sub just the sound bar but in our apartment this sound bar almost has too much bass. It was a bit of a pain to set up, it didn’t like our Sony remote so we bought a cheap RCA remote and it works like a champ. I had it wroking with Alexa but that stopped after a month and I havent been able to get it to work since. Not a big deal to me.
Bajaman –
I’ve been shopping at Best Buy for over a decade and this is my 1st review but I felt it was important to provide a review of the Formation Bar. I have extensive experience with Bowers & Wilkins and have used their products for years. Here are a few of my takeaways:
1. I had a pair of the Formation Flex speakers when they first came out and for the price they were riddled with problems, therefore I returned them. Since then, these products have come a long way and many of the issues have been resolved.
2. I have a pair of Sonos 5’s and a sub, but I wanted to try something new that had higher end sound. The sound from this Bar blows those away, you are treated to a level of detail that few audio products can faithfully reproduce. The music app for the Formation line has come a long way, however if the overall experience using the app is important, Sonos is better.
3. I’m hoping moving forward, Bowers adds support for Apple Music, Amazon Music and Sirius XM for use in their app like Sonos has. Right now they support Tidal, Deezer, TuneIn Radio, Qobuz, Soundcloud & NTS. Set Up overall was a breeze, it took literally 45 seconds to set up the bar and the bass. This was much easier actually than Sonos which I had issues initially setting up.
4. For the price, the app should be better, however I prioritize audio quality over the app experience and the sound does not disappoint. I would assume over the coming months support will be added for a number of the services I listed above because Apple has now made HiFi standard almost overnight and Amazon has offered it for awhile and Spotify will be adding support soon.
In conclusion, if you desire the finest in truly wireless HiFi, you need look no further. The Formation app still has ground to cover to catch up with Sonos but the sound that these products provide is something that Sonos cannot touch!
darthvapor –
We kept spending money on affordable sound bar systems and were never satisfied. B+W has been a long time favorite of mine (so a little partial) but extremely happy to own this instead of 6 or 7 other systems because constantly replacing looking for something better. This is the best on the market and worth the money if you want something to satisfy you for a long time. Adding the sub (also pricey) completes your system for long term satisfaction.
Pros
Sound is the best (especially streaming music)
Ease of set up
Sleek design
Formation software linking products (if you wish to add)
Customer Support
Solid brand name (also used by Lucas Studios)
Cons
No equalizer (they could’ve done a much better job but instead simplified and only offer treble and bass slide controls – maybe they can upgrade)
No remote
Homeowner2019 –
Clear sound, however, pairing it with the subwoofer doesn’t give the full theater sound experience like the Sonos bar and subwoofer speakers provide. I regret purchasing the set. The Sonos bar and subwoofer is more user friendly and the app is easy to use. The B&W app does not provide as many options for the users preferred sound quality and does not have the ability to connect in a variety of ways. I can only control the volume through my phone or iPad, not through my remote control, ughh. I hate that.