B&W A7 review
Ditch cables for the magic of wire-free sound with the best AirPlay speaker we've heard yet from Bowers & Wilkins
Bowers & Wilkins’ Zeppelin will perhaps remain the most iconic iPod dock of all time, but there are those for whom the blimp-like design is just a bit too showy.
That’s where B&W’s new flagship AirPlay speaker comes in: an altogether more subtle object, albeit a rather beautiful, bomb-proof one with nought but a brushed metal strip to break up the black mesh. And behind that black mesh are five drivers and a big woofer waiting to rock…
sound
Wow. The A7 rocks. It chucks out an amazingly wide, spacious sound that can fool you into thinking you’re listening to a pair of solid stereo speakers rather than a single, neat box.
The A7 has the detail and dynamics of a ‘proper’ hi-fi, and the large woofer and big cabinet produce boat-loads of deep, punchy bass.
set-up
B&W’s AirPlay Setup app isn’t as simple as the likes of the Libratone app, used to control the excellent Zipp, but it’s far more straightforward than other rivals like the Loewe AirSpeaker’s clunky affair. With AirPlay, USB and aux-in connections, this 150W speaker is mains only too, unlike the lighter, more portable Libratone Zipp which has a four hour built-in battery.
verdict
The A7 will fill your room with delicious sound. It’s seriously awesome – then again with AirPlay speakers from Loewe, Pioneer and Libratone between £300 and £500, it should be for the price.
Review by Tom Parsons
Stuff Says…
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