(March 8, 2022) Esteemed speaker manufacturer Bowers & Wilkins recently unveiled the third installment of its all-in-one soundbar line, Panorama. Initially launched in 2009 and refreshed in 2013, the new Panorama 3 builds upon past successes by adding Dolby Atmos functionality to an elegant and straightforward speaker solution.
Panorama 3’s latest design offers owners a sleek, futuristic-looking package crafted to fit perfectly under televisions sized 55” or larger (a wall mount kit is included). Standing at 2.5” tall, 5.5” deep, and 47.6” wide, B&W’s engineers used every bit of limited space to deploy 13 different drivers in a 3.1.2 configuration. Across the front, an LCR array carries nine of those speakers, with twin 2” midrange drivers paired with .75” titanium dome drivers for each channel. Across the top, twin 4” bass drivers are flanked by angled Atmos drivers.
In terms of output, B&W says bass capabilities should reach as low as 43Hz (+/- 3dB), which is quite impressive considering the soundbar's overall size. That kind of output is directed by 400 Watts of internal power, divided into 40 Watt allotments for each tweeter, pair of midrange drive units, each bass driver, and each Atmos driver.
Unlike some solutions that promise broad compatibility with a range of codecs, B&W says Panorama 3 is intended to be a Dolby-centric product. That means it natively supports a host of Dolby technologies up through Atmos, but it doesn’t directly support competitive variations like DTS:X. It also doesn’t currently support immersive sound upmixing, leaving stereo content mixed to 3.1. This is partly due to B&W’s desire to keep the Panorama 3 focused on an uncomplex approach, tho the company did state that immersive upmixing could be added as a feature if users demanded it.
Owners can connect Panorama 3 to a television using an HDMI eARC connection or an optical digital cable, shifting the overall control of the unit to a TV or cable box’s remote control. Alternatively, owners can operate the soundbar using a top-mounted physical control panel or built-in Amazon Alexa voice control.
Later this year, Panorama 3 will receive a firmware upgrade that unlocks multi-room functionality with other Panorama 3s, Zeppelin speakers, and B&W’s Formation ecosystem. Music playback leverages a similar streaming platform as found on Zeppelin, bringing popular services like TIDAL, Qobuz, Deezer, and Spotify Connect to the forefront. Owners can also stream music via Bluetooth and AirPlay 2. B&W says that Apple Music compatibility might become a reality someday, but, for the time being, Apple Music users will need to default to AirPlay 2 connectivity.
Priced at $999, the Bowers & Wilkins Panorama 3 soundbar is available for purchase now through Bowers & Wilkins and select dealers. For more information, visit www.bowerswilkins.com/new-panorama3.
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