Expert’s Rating
Pros
Cons
Our Verdict
In my examination of AirPlay - enable speaker system , I ’ve found it to be mostly the type that , with sound quality , you get what you pay for . Which mean that Bowers & Wilkins ’ $ 800A7 — the most expensive AirPlay system I ’ve yet review — should sound very , very sound . gratefully , it does n’t let down : It sounds incredible .
The A7 cuts an imposing figure on your shelf or tabletop : The 12.6 - pound unit of measurement measures 14.2 in broad , 8.7 inches tall , and 6.3 inches deep . It ’s a openhanded , rounded - corner rectangle with a wraparound , black - textile speaker grille , sweep - chrome accents across the top , and a thin aluminum banding that wrap around three sides of the unit . The enclosure is made of methamphetamine hydrochloride - filledABS .
The A7 itself sports few buttons . integrate into the leftmost edge of that metal band is a mightiness button ; on the correct side , also incorporate into the banding , sit down two volume controls . The subtle button are geniune , tactile ones — they click — which is a prissy reprieve in an era when too many speaker manufacturing business opt for pinch - sensitive capacitive buttons or else .
Across the bottom fundament of the A7 are a power jack , a 1/8 - column inch ( 3.5 mm ) auxiliary input port , a USB - B port , an ethernet mariner , and a Reset button . you could pullulate music to the A7 via Wi - Fi or wired ethernet ; alternatively , you could hear to USB audio from your Mac or Windows PC , or to another audio seed using the auxiliary stimulus .
Like many AirPlay speaker , the A7 put up more than one version of “ off . ” In sleep mode , the A7 remains connected to the connection — you could wake it up remotely by play music on your AirPlay - connected iOS twist or electronic computer . In standby modal value , the speaker is fundamentally turned off — you’re able to wake up itonlyby press out the power button on the unit itself .
There ’s an light-emitting diode on the front of the A7 that indicates its current status : off when in Standby mode , dim red when asleep , bright red when on , purple when streaming via AirPlay , gullible when playing via USB , and orangish when spiel from the auxiliary input . The light-emitting diode scud other colors to show volume fitting , errors , and such , but you ’ll never keep all that straight ( and you really do n’t require to unless you ’re troubleshooting , in which case you may refer to the manual for detail ) .
You link up the A7 to your wireless internet by usingB&W ’s iOS app;by using the appropriate app for your Mac or Windows PC ; or by connecting your computer to the speaker system via ethernet and then visiting the A7 ’s IP address in your browser app of choice . I used the iOS and Mac apps , which are straightforward and make frame-up dim-witted .
The A7 ships with an oblong remote control that feels a bit like an rethink . Though the overall figure is similar to that of the remote for the company ’s premature iPod , iOS , and AirPlay speakers , those remote were made of metallic element and charge plate ; but the A7 ’s remote is all lightweight plastic . You get a fistful of tiny buttons : king , intensity up and down , previous , next , maneuver / pause , and an input selector ( to wheel through AirPlay , USB , and auxiliary ) . While the button layout is fine , the remote control feel more like something you ’d get with a much less expensive system .
The real fun start once you begin listen to the A7 . The speaker uses a pair of 1 - column inch , Nautilus - tube-shaped structure aluminum tweeter ; a pair of 3 - inch midrange drivers ; and a 6 - inch Kevlar - reinforced subwoofer . The subwoofer use a 50W amplifier ; the other drivers each get a 25W amplifier .
The outcome of all that power under the cowling ? unbelievable , bass , full , loud , and all-inclusive sound . We often utter about speakers as having room - fulfill audio . The A7 certainly offers that , as it can get plenty loud . But there ’s more to the A7 than that : Though plunking yourself down in a plum tree position directly in front of the speaker sure affords you a premium listening experience , the A7 offers great sound from a surprising length , and even off - center .
And there ’s more to the A7 ’s audio than dynamism and soundstage . You roll in the hay how when you put on a couplet of enceinte headphones , you hear nuances and instrumentation in your medicine that you had n’t noticed before ? The A7 is the rare tabletop utterer that can accomplish a standardised impression . The sound is watch glass clear , the bass is powerful without being obnoxious , and the overwhelming sense is that you ’re hearing the medicine the elbow room it was meant to be heard .
Bottom line
The A7 ’s audio bests that of even the impressiveG-17 Air(rated 4.5 out of 5 ) and the Altec Lansing InAir 5000 ( 4.5 out of 5 ) . Acoustically , it ’s a terrifying speaker , and the best sounding of all the AirPlay speakers I ’ve reviewed . It also look sharp , if a turn understated . It ’s gentle to configure , wanton to use , and a delight to heed to — all of which , in turn , makes it easy to recommend .
