Audio Advice Live

Bowers & Wilkins had three separate demo experiences at Audio Advice Live 2023. The company exhibited its 801D3 flagship loudspeakers, powered by Classé electronics, as well as 700 series S3 speakers; a demo of great relevance to me since I have 700 series speakers in for review. And a powerhouse home theater performance with Marantz handling power and processing.

High-Performance Home Theater
For an immersive 9.4.6-channel, Dolby Atmos compatible audio-visual demo system, Bowers used five CT 7.3 custom loudspeakers, four CT 7.4 loudspeakers, and six CCM 7.5 in-ceiling speakers. Complementing these were four CT SW 15-inch home theater subwoofers to enhance the action.

The setup was powered by an AV10 receiver, an AMP10, and four CDA-2HD amplifiers. A Marantz AV10 processor and AMP10 amplifier fed the speakers. For visuals, a Sony XW7000ES laser home theater projector was paired with a Stewart Filmscreen WallScreen.

This demo room stood apart from some of the others in that Bowers and Wilkins put up black drapes and positioned the speakers for optimal distance and direction, and therefore dispersion. And used an acoustically transparent screen with the center channel speaker located behind it.

So, even though there's no physical home theater, there are more of the ingredients of a home theater in this demo than found in some of the other rooms. The overall effect is to highlight the high performance of all the gear involved in this system.

Dennis Young, who was with me reporting on rooms, said of the demo "Playing A Quiet Place basement monster scene, the Atmos speakers did not call attention to themselves, creating images, not directly from the overhead immersion speakers, but between the Atmos and bed layers, panning sound all around the room as the monster searched for the pregnant woman hiding in the basement, the properly-located sounds adding to the tension of the moment."

So, even though there's no physical home theater, there are more of the ingredients of a home theater in this demo than found in some of the other rooms. The overall effect is to highlight the high performance of all the gear involved in this system. Long story short, it looked and sounded excellent and gives you an idea what it is what you are spending hard-earned money for.

Indeed, Bowers and Wilkins home theater demo is a perfect example of why this audio show is different from your typical audio show. This home theater system is pretty much identical to what you would see at an industry trade show like CEDIA (Custom Electronics Design and Installation Association) or CES, but it’s open to the public for the cost of show admission.

The 801 D3 Flagship
During my brief stay in the room, I heard Aretha Franklin, "Spanish Harlem" which is a 1970 recording/1971 release that is a Hi-Fi stereo mix. Listening, of course there's the star of the show, Aretha's voice. The track just flowed, nice and smooth. And then comes in the piano and the strings and Spanish guitar and in all, the jam had me tapping my toes while thinking about how a five decade-old recording sounds so good.

Time constraints prevented enjoying an in-depth demo session, but I would consider this all decidedly high-end two-channel territory. Which is always fun, and hey that's one of the cool things about audio shows is hearing esoteric gear you won't find in your local Best Buy.

My greater interest is in the other two-channel Bowers & Wilkins 2.1 demo room at the show featuring 703 S3 towers and a DB3D subwoofer.

703 S3 Tower and DB3D Subwoofer 2.1 System
It is always interesting to hear speakers I have at home in a show environment. It gives me a useful reference point. In this case a 2.1 system with 703 S3 towers and a compact, dual-opposed DB3D subwoofer running off a Marantz Model 30 integrated amp offered a textbook example of a premium, mid-sized audiophile-quality stereo.

The demo session included a guitar rendition of "Kashmir" by Marcin, which was not the only time I heard the track at the show. I can see why, well-recorded acoustic guitar tends to show off the qualities of a good system. (check out the video, Marcin's guitar skills are indeed supreme)

What stood out is not just the seamless blending of the speaker and sub, but also the compact size of the sub relative to its output. The DB3D is a compact stunner, delivering drum-tight bass for music that sounds natural, effortless.

Now I'm home listening to a 5.4 system featuring four DB3Ds and a pair of 703 S3 towers up front. With music, it achieves the same rarefied levels of fidelity I heard at the show. Bowers & Wilkins may have its critics but based on what I heard at this show and also in my own home, I have no idea what they are talking about.