Bowers & Wilkins has revealed the Panorama 2, a discreet, high-performance soundbar.
Panorama 2 improves on the audio performance of the original Bowers & Wilkins Panorama, as well as adding new features and enhanced connectivity.
Panorama 2 is the result of intensive research by Bowers & Wilkins engineering team at its UK Research and Development division in Steyning, West Sussex. It includes technologies originally developed for high-end speakers such as the 800 Series Diamond, and uses them to bring a new level of performance to sounders, the company says.
Panorama 2 features completely new Bowers & Wilkins engineered drive units. The new low frequency drivers have improved linearity for greater dynamic performance and lower resonance for deeper extension. The midrange drive units have wider dispersion characteristics, which helps to improve the virtual surround performance. The tweeter has been improved, too, for smoother integration with the midrange.
Of the nine drive units housed within Panorama 2’s rigid casework, five are utilized in the active centre speaker: two bass woofers, two midrange drivers and an aluminum dome tweeter featuring Bowers & Wilkins Nautilus tube-loaded technology. The other four drive units provide the rest of the sound, and each one is located within its own enclosure to maintain a purity of performance. All the drive units are powered by six class D amplifiers, providing a combined power output of 175Watts.
Panorama 2 also has improved connection options, with the introduction of the latest HDMI connectivity. The three HDMI inputs and single HDMI output allows Panorama 2 to serve as the hub of your home entertainment system.
Panorama 2 retains the original’s aesthetic, and in terms of design and dimensions it is almost identical. However, it is now even easier to use thanks to a new proximity-sensing control panel and more intuitive On Screen Display (OSD). When Panorama 2 is operating the display is completely black, but when the user’s hand gets close, it slowly illuminates, allowing the user to control Panorama 2 directly. Panorama 2 is set up and configured through the OSD, and the menu system is designed to be so simple it can be used straight out of the box, without having to read the manual.
