Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) T7 Review & Video – Wireless Speaker worth $350?
Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) T7 Review
I’ve been wanting to do the Bowers & Wilkins T7 Review for a while –B&W as most call them, have been around for decades. HiFi aficionados know them well as an iconic English speaker brand that can be found in some of the best recording studios and home stereo set-ups around the globe.
The T7 isn’t their first foray into wireless speaker either –if you’ve probably seen their famous Zeppelin model over the years that remains to be a solid at home performer with it’s distinctive design. The T7 has been out since 2015 and it their first attempt at something portable. At $350 the competition is fierce with competition from the likes of the Libratone Zipp, Bos SoundLink Revolve both of which we have reviewed.
At first glance, the T7 speaker seems to have the DNA of a B&W. It has a premium look and feel an and careful attention to aesthetics, design, touch, and feel. B&W use a “Micro Matrix” design, which looks like a transparent honeycomb frame around the speaker. B&W says it’s designed to improve the sound by making it a resonance-free structure; it also looks good The speaker is heavy enough to feel substantial, but also light enough to be portable and fit in a suitcase or bag with ease. The rubber trim around the top/bottom and has a nice look and feel to it as well and offers a bit of protection, although it’s not a speaker that screams rugged -take-me-to-the beach like others.
Features
There are four standard control buttons on the top enabling you to pair, play/pause, and adjust the volume up/down. There’s a blue LED to one side, which shows when you’re connected. The inputs are minimal, with power, Aux mini plug, and a mini USB for firmware updates. Overall things are kept really simple, straightforward and easy. There is no App to use or download. On the downside, it only used Bluetooth and AptX, with no Wi-Fi or Airplay option. There’s also no port to charge your phone or device. B&W says you’ll get ~18 hours of playback (75 percent volume, rock music) – but that feels like a conservative estimate.
Bowers & Wilkins T7 Review
Sound
The B&W T7 delivers detailed crisp and clear sound with adequate bass. The speaker really excels in the highs and mids, but starts to lose it’s composure bit once you start pushing it hard on more bass heavy tracks. It delivers a solid engaging listen, and the more I listened the more I liked it. Let’s be clear, this isn’t going to rock shake the house down as it’s aimed at a listener with more refined taste and music needs such as business travel use. If you are looking for more brute bang for the buck there is plenty out there that can handle all your pool party needs etc. If you’re someone who listens to a lot of classical, jazz, guitar-based rock you are going to appreciate the B&W’s finesse.
Pros
- Crisp Detailed Sound
- Well designed/built
- Long Battery
Cons
- Other speakers may have a bigger sound/presence for the money
- Bass may not satisfy everyone
- No pairing, No charging capability
Bowers & Wilkins T7 Review Summary
Overall, the Bowers & Wilkins T7 Wireless/Bluetooth speaker is a fine performer and likely best suited to someone who appreciates the level of finesse at which it is able to operate at. It’s not a party speaker in any sense, but it will satisfy those who want something small and high-quality.
Full specs and technical details can be found at B&W
Read the full list of our Top Speakers for 2017
