Bowers & Wilkins T7 review

Bowers & Wilkins has used technology developed for its loudspeakers that have filtered down to the T7. One of those is Micro Matrix technology, which the company developed in conjunction with Jaguar for one of its concept cars. The honeycomb bracing never made it into an automobile customers could actually buy, but is used in the T7’s outer cabinet. The bracing helps provide a solid platform for the T7’s drive units, reducing unwanted resonance, while the rubberised base helps dampen vibrations and adds a small degree of protection. It’s also provides an attractive frame around the speaker’s front grille.

The T7 supports Bluetooth aptX for less-lossy audio and there’s also a 3.5mm auxiliary connection for wired devices. There’s no NFC built-in for quick pairing, which is a shame. To do away with the generic Bluetooth jingles you commonly hear with other speakers, Bowers & Wilkins has also partnered with musician and composer, Mira Calix, to create unique jingles for when you turn on the speaker and pair it with your device, which is a nice change.

Inside the T7, two force-cancelling high-output auxiliary bass radiators take care of the lower frequencies, while two 50mm drive units made from glass fibre handle the mid-range and high-end. The sound from the T7 was surprisingly wide and open, with music filling a medium-sized room and aided by the T7’s unusually large dimensions for a compact portable speaker. Bass is also very well represented with genuine impact without overpowering the mids and treble and the speaker cabinet didn’t rattle or vibrate at all. A lot of Bluetooth speakers struggle with the lower-frequencies so this was an impressive achievement.

In a song such as Tidhar by the Touré-Raichel Collection, which is a complex acoustic track that combines string instruments and piano, the T7 was able to respectably produce the quieter and more intricate detail that often gets lost on poorer speakers. Likewise, vocals have excellent clarity.

Bowers & Wilkins has created an impressive first Bluetooth speaker that looks stunning. However, at £300 it is expensive even if it does sound wonderful. It’s a great choice if you need the portability and built-in battery, but at this price it enters the territory of multiroom audio systems, such as the Samsung SHAPE M5, that have far more ways of streaming music and will allow you to add more speakers over time.