B&W Bows Home Theatre Solution

13-Sep-05

The latest innovation from B&W Loudspeakers is a slim solution to the challenge of bringing fully cinematic sound to the most carefully designed home theatre installations. With three new models comprising the XT4 left/right towers, XTC center-channel, and XT2 bookshelf/surround-speakers, B&W now offers a range of speakers that will be at home in the most modern or most carefully custom-integrated of home theatres.ìThe XT series arose from our design teamís inquiries to find out just how slim, compact, and visually elegant true B&W-grade sonics could be at reasonable cost,î says B&W Loudspeakers Executive Vice President Chris Browder. ìThis new range of brilliantly accurate speakers gives fans of critical music- and cinema-sound reproduction a combination of sonic and visual-design refinement that previously was simply not available at this level.îThere are three members of the XT family. Its flagship XT4 is a slim, floorstanding three-way tower intended as a front ìmainî or stereo pair, with a pair of five-inch bass units. The compact XT2 is, essentially, a two-way, bookshelf reduction of the towerís design. The XTC is a horizontal center-channel two-way that complements the XT4 and XT2 both sonically and cosmetically. All three models share the seriesí look and six-by-eight-inch cross section.The XT series concept began with a family of totally new, extruded aluminum vented enclosures. These sculptural cabinets deliver the clean, modern looks todayís buyers seek. Though just six inches wide, the XT enclosures rival the performance of much larger cabinets, such as B&Wís more traditional 700-series designs. All three XT models are supplied with foam vent-plugs, permitting a useful degree of cabinet performance-tuning to placement, room acoustics, and individual preference.The XT seriesí transducer set is classic B&W. A Nautilus-derived, 1-inch aluminum-dome tube-loaded tweeter developed specifically for the XTs provides distortion-free response up to 50 kHz in all three models. A refinement of the firmís hallmark, woven-Kevlarô-diaphragm driver in a five-inch formatóalso purpose-designedóhandles bass-midrange reproduction. The XT4 towers add a pair of paper/Kevlar-composite low-frequency drivers for bass to 34 Hz. All three models utilize unusually smooth, first-order ìminimalistî midrange-tweeter crossover circuitry.Satin aluminum exteriors of superb quality, set off by slim black grilles, highlight all three new B&W XT models. The two smaller models, the XTC center and XT2 each include a support adaptable to shelf-stand or wall-mounting use that permits precise angular adjustment and integrates cable-concealment routing. An optional brushed-aluminum floor-stand is available for the XT2. B&Wís XT4, XTC, and XT2 will be available in September 2005, at projected manufacturerís pricing of $2,500 (pair), $800, and $1,000 (pair) respectively. Floor stands for the XT2 will also be available in September, at a manufacturerís suggested price of $300 (pair).

Read More:
http://www.bowersandwilkins.co.uk/