CES 2008: The Bowers & Wilkins Liberty Wireless System

Recognized throughout the world for their iconic loudspeakers and the excellence of their sonic performance, Bowers & Wilkins have surprised the audience once more at the CES 2008 with their newest wireless system, codenamed Liberty. For many years now, Bowers & Wilkins have been known for their massive Hi-Fi loudspeakers and for their high-end gear, all wired to the most distinguished amps and being the ultimate delight for the most discerning of the audiophiles.


The last years have brought a wider vision for Bowers & Wilkins as far as the products with a less high-end destination were concerned: first of all it was the automotive division equipping the new Jaguar models and many other consumer-oriented pieces of gear; now, the Liberty system brings Bowers & Wilkins among the Hi-Fi manufacturers with a wireless option among their offer.

The Bowers & Wilkins Liberty is a system based on the XT series loudspeakers and comes with new and serious technology. The Liberty comprises the XTW 2 bookshelf speakers, XTW 8 floorstanding units, the XTW center channel and the PVW 1 subwoofer, all for a complex and very neat 5.1 installation in your room. Each of these speakers comes with an integrated Class D amplifier for convenient placement and easy setup; made from extruded and brushed aluminium, the cabinets have been engineered as one-piece enclosures for the best sound available.

The wireless connectivity is carried out via the CP1 central unit which sports a dynamic allocation of frequencies, unlike the 2-channel communication with (usually) fixed frequencies, the CP1 module constantly searches for the less trafficked band and uses that for minimal interference and maximal sound quality. The Bowers & Wilkins Liberty addresses 5.1 channel systems and has two more channels in reserve for a potential secondary zone.

There is no word on pricing for the Bowers & Wilkins Liberty yet, but the launch is expected somewhere in fall 2008.

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