British audio brand Bowers & Wilkins have added a fifth speaker to its Formation lineup of high-res wireless streaming products ahead of the range’s release, set to go up against Sonos and Bose and seek to best them on sound quality.
The recently unveiled Formation range is now made up of five wireless speakers and a streaming hub.
The newly revealed Formation Flex will be the cheapest Formation product and is designed to compete with other multi-room compact mono speakers like the Sonos One and Bose Home Speaker 300.
The Flex will be priced higher than its competitors, but Bowers & Wilkins is looking to differentiate on quality and versatility.
The Formation range uses a Bowers & Wilkins-developed mesh network to stream high-res audio (up to 24-bit/96kHz) in multiple rooms, as well as allow speakers to synchronise with one another.
They can also stream from other sources via Apple Airplay 2, Spotify Connect, Roon, and Bluetooth (with aptX HD).
The speaker can be used on its own, paired with another to create a stereo system, and combined with other Formation speakers such as the Bar and Bass to create a wireless home theatre system.
Like others in the Formation range, the Flex looks to out do its rival aesthetically as well, combining glass, fabric and aluminum for a premium look and feel.
A pair of 50 watt amplifiers power the Flex’s 4-inch bass/mid-range driver and 1-inch tweeter.
The speaker’s touch controls illuminate when in use and disappear when they’re not being interacted with.
Bowers & Wilkins also plans to release wall brackets and floor stands for the Flex.
Local release and pricing is still to be confirmed but the Formation range is expected to be available from select Bowers & Wilkins dealers next month.
