B&W Goes Wireless

[Blindamood]

Check out the following article for an overview of the new B&W 'Liberty' system, which provides a 5.1 system of wireless, cable-free speakers based on the XT speaker range.

B&W Liberty Integrated Wireless Entertainment System

[rmht]

1....If you have to plug it in (AC)......it is not wireless.

2....Batteries and quality sound do not mix.

[Aldo]

Maybe it is more complicated to get the AC plugs than the speaker cable itself!

[btf1980]

I really don't like the direction B&W is going with some of their new products. First with the Ipod Zeppelin Dock, and now this, a glorified HTIB. What's next, Bose Acoustimass style speakers? Some things should be left alone for the "lesser" manufacturers.

[Pookie007]

Why don't batteries and sound quality mix? Don't you eliminate the noise with DC? It is wireless because it has a communication path that propagates the signal without a wire between the transmitter and receiver.

I don't know about the dealers in other areas, but the B&W dealer next to me makes less than 10% of their B&W speaker sales on the 800 series. Around 70% is generated by the speakers other than 800s and 700s.

I don't understand why, but they sold out of all the Zeppelins they had for Christmas. I watched in disbelief as a lady bought 2 (one for husband and one for dad).

[george_k]

I really don't like the direction B&W is going with some of their new products. First with the Ipod Zeppelin Dock, and now this, a glorified HTIB. What's next, Bose Acoustimass style speakers? Some things should be left alone for the "lesser" manufacturers.

I sort of agree, I'm also not a fan of the VM series. I assume their strategy is to ensure there's a B&W product in all segments and at all price points and that makes sense to me on that front. But, at the same time I think it's diluting the "prestige" of the brand.

As an analogy imagine if BMW came out with a car priced at what a Honda Civic sells for, yes you get a car built by BMW but it isn't a "real" BMW from a connoisseur's perspective. The average joe might see it as "why should I pay $60,000 for a BMW when I can get one for $15,000"...it adds confusion to the consumers eyes.

This is part of the reason why some companies tend to release products that diverge from traditional products as a seperate brand (i.e. nissan vs infinity)

Just my thoughts...

[RobP]

I really don't like the direction B&W is going with some of their new products. First with the Ipod Zeppelin Dock, and now this, a glorified HTIB. What's next, Bose Acoustimass style speakers? Some things should be left alone for the "lesser" manufacturers.

It all boils down to one thing, Profit.. which keeps a company moving forward.

IMO what B&W is doing is actually a very smart idea, entering an area that was once dominated by companies such as Bose will open up B&W's market. That will spell great things for R&D funds for further product development, which will be applied in the flagship models (800 series, ETC..) and will trickle down to other products.

[george_k]

That will spell great things for R&D funds for further product development

That is assuming they spend those extra R&D dollars and company resources on what matters most to you and me...their upper end loudspeakers.

Their new product introductions require additional money to fund engineering efforts, marketing campaigns, equipment expenditures, additional staff, etc. All this requires money up front (money that they may not earn back from their new products right away)

The end result is that they may need to raise prices and/or lower product costs (e.g. additional outsourced manufacturing and low-cost components).

[RobP]

That is assuming they spend those extra R&D dollars and company resources on what matters most to you and me...their upper end loudspeakers.

Their new product introductions require additional money to fund engineering efforts, marketing campaigns, equipment expenditures, additional staff, etc. All this requires money up front (money that they may not earn back from their new products right away)

The end result is that they may need to raise prices and/or lower product costs (e.g. additional outsourced manufacturing and low-cost components).

True, very good point. Lets hope that they do turn some of that money back into R&D on the higher end products :T

[Mark-n-b]

Lets not forget that this package costs about $15,000! - Hardly entry level.

[Briz vegas]

It has the FST midrange also - interesting - that would make the drivers an improvement over regular XTs

Oh well. I guess we have the b&W boom box already (zepplin) so why not. Active speakers are not inherently bad - not sure about losses from the wireless connection - maybe it is digital which means DAC in each speaker as well. I agree with posts above - if each speaker needs to be plugged in where is the benefit.

[DL86]

You could send high power radio waves of different frequencies which correspond to the resonant frequency of the speaker. The radio waves would contain the source material modulated onto it. A circuit inside the speaker could be used to then filter the carrier wave and leave the source material intact thus leading to the speakers and crossovers. A different frequency for each channel could be used. would work much like a radio except higher power. If you can power a 60W light bulb 2m away, why can't you do the same with a speaker? Instead of wire inputs you would have antennas on your speakers LOL

Then you would have true wireless speakers.

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2007/wireless-0607.html