Bowers & Wilkins, the renowned British audio brand, has unveiled its all-new state-of-the art sound bar, the Panorama 3. Designed to get the most from the latest in immersive spatial audio, the elegant Panorama 3 is an all-in-one solution offering outstanding, room-filling sound with films, TV shows, games and your favorite music.
A Rich Heritage in Film Sound
For over 40 years, artists, composers and recording studios the world over have trusted Bowers & Wilkins loudspeakers to help them create the movie soundtracks that have shaped a generation. From films as world-famous as Return Of The Jedi and Raiders Of The Lost Ark through to epics such as The Lord Of The Rings and The Avengers, Bowers & Wilkins speakers have played a crucial role in the creation of each iconic score.
So it’s no surprise that with the same team of Bowers & Wilkins acoustic engineers defining
the sound quality of the new Panorama 3, the brand’s first Dolby Atmos sound bar, great sound
is guaranteed.
A Strong Legacy of Excellence
Bowers & Wilkins introduced its first sound bar, the Panorama, back in 2009. Named in tribute to two iconic film technologies from the golden age of cinema – Panavision and Cinerama – the Panorama defined a new concept for sound bar design. Unlike most rivals, it was conceived as a premium, no-compromise product offering the best possible sound quality from a single speaker, with no need for an external subwoofer or other add-ons. In 2013 we updated that successful original premise with the improved Panorama 2, which featured upgraded drive units for even better sound, plus HDMI inputs for easier connectivity.
The new Panorama 3 builds on the proven heritage of its two forebears. As with those models, it has been specifically designed to offer great sound from just one elegant component, with no need for an external subwoofer. At just 2.5” high, 5.5” deep and 47.6” wide, its elegant design and low profile makes it easier to install, easier to set up and easier to live with than most rivals – but despite its slim proportions, Panorama 3 still features 13 individual drive units arranged in a 3.1.2 configuration. The result is a room- filling, powerful sound no one-box rival can match.
Immersive Spatial Audio
Panorama 3 is the first Bowers & Wilkins sound bar to feature true Dolby Atmos upwards-firing drive units. Specifically engineered by Bowers & Wilkins to excel with spatial audio soundtracks and carefully angled on the top of the sound bar enclosure to deliver optimal immersion, these 50mm drive units are accompanied by a sophisticated Dolby Atmos decoder and processor to deliver great sound from spatial audio soundtracks on TV, film, game and music streams. The same decoder will also handle Dolby Digital and Dolby TrueHD audio streams, where present.
The twin Atmos upwards-firing drive units complement the Panorama 3’s forward-firing array of drive units, which is arranged in a classic left, center, right (LCR) configuration, each with twin 2” midrange drivers partnered by fully decoupled .75” titanium-dome tweeters. Finally, there are twin 4” subwoofers mounted in a substantial acoustic volume that forms the majority portion of the enclosure, ensuring deep, extended bass with no need for an external subwoofer.
Panorama 3 is among the most powerful sound bars in its class, with a total of 400W of output: 40W to each tweeter, 40W to each pair of midrange drive units, 40W to each subwoofer and 40W to each Dolby Atmos Elevation drive unit.
Installation and set-up is easy with Panorama 3. Its low profile makes it easy to place on a piece of furniture in front of your TV without obstructing the bottom of your screen: alternatively, a metal wall bracket is included in the box if you prefer to mount your sound bar on the wall. Connection is simple: just one ARC/eARC HDMI connection is all you need to link your Panorama 3 to your TV and to share the sound from any other sources you may also have, such as a set-top-box or games console. Once connected via HDMI, you can use your TV or satellite/cable box remote to control the Panorama 3’s volume and power functions. An optical digital input is also provided for older TVs: if connected in this way, Panorama 3 can learn key TV remote control commands to ensure a seamless user experience.
Streaming in High Resolution
As you would expect from a brand with such a rich history in stereo sound, the Panorama 3 also excels with music. It includes both AirPlay 2 and aptX Adaptive Bluetooth, so both iOS and Android users can easily stream their favorite music to it from their mobile devices. Spotify fans can also enjoy the convenience of Spotify Connect, ensuring both high-quality sound and convenient, easy operation. And for high-resolution listening plus the most seamless user experience, the new Panorama 3 also supports the Bowers & Wilkins Music App, giving listeners instant access to a host of streaming services including Deezer, Last.fm, Qobuz, Soundcloud, TIDAL and TuneIn – and the list of available services is set to expand still more this year.
Panorama 3 also includes simple capacitive-touch ‘hidden until lit’ buttons on its top surface for instant control should you not have your phone immediately to hand – and it also features built-in Alexa, giving effortless voice control over your listening.
Finally, and like its iconic Zeppelin stablemate, Panorama 3 has been engineered to last. Its powerful digital ‘brain’ can be upgraded over time, with multi-room capability planned for introduction shortly after launch. That will make it compatible with both other Panoramas or other Zeppelins in a multiroom environment or, if you prefer, a multiroom system based on Bowers & Wilkins Formation products.
Commenting on the launch, Stephanie Willems, Brand President of Bowers & Wilkins, said, “We are thrilled to launch the new Panorama 3, our first Dolby Atmos sound bar. It combines all the performance and pedigree of a Bowers & Wilkins product with the best in elegant design and effortless usability. I’m sure our fans will love its class-leading combination of room-filling sound and comprehensive features.”
Sleek, smart, easy to install and thrilling to listen to, the new Panorama 3 is the sound bar you’ve been waiting for. With it, you can finally experience all the movies, TV shows and music you love as they were meant to be heard.
The Panorama 3 is available from March 3rd for $999 USD from the Bowers & Wilkins website and select dealers.
