B&W – Bowers and Wilkins – produce speakers that sound so good it could be considered porn for our ears. June 8 B&W announced a new model, the PM1 Prestige Monitor loudspeaker, music to our ears. The PM1 Monitors are packed to the rafters with technology and design brilliance, B&W has pushed the boundaries to make the PM1 something special, in the process delivering an extremely high performance audio experience in a stylish and refined package.

B&W speakers are synonymous with audio quality, amazingly accurate sound reproduction. During movies you will be looking over your shoulder, checking if that knock on the door was real or in the movie. Don’t be mistaken speakers of this quality make a difference. There’s 45 years of speaker manufacturing experience and technology built into these speakers and it shows. B&W has long worked with many sound engineers across many famous studios in order to improve his speakers performance. This has led to B&W speakers being used by classical music studios, Abbey Road has used B&W speakers since 1988.

The PM1 speakers are a compact speaker designed to produce the most accurate reproduction of a recording possible. John Bowers the company founder was passionate about being able to listen to recordings that matched the quality of a live performance. From the day he founded the company this was his goal. As an avid fan of classical music he attended many live performances in London and had set himself a high benchmark. All of the patented technology in the PM1 is aimng towards this goal.

B&W has improved on the already impressive 8 series speakers with a number of new technologies introduced with the PM1. Carbon Braced Tweeter domes increase tweeter responsiveness, combined with the current technology such as De-coupling, Tapering Tubes and Tweeter on Top, all combining to isolate the tweeter from the bass vibrations of the main speaker cabinet. All of these technologies add up to the most accurate sound possible. The famous B&W yellow Kevlar driver has even been tweaked with new Anti-Resonance Plugs helping to produce a smoother more refined sound. Even the speaker cabinet is full of B&W innovation with an internal wooden structure designed to brace the speaker box from flexing and vibrating, distorting the sound. This is the Matix, a B&W patented technology that consists of a wooden matrix of supports. All of this technology is wrapped in an eye-catching compact design with the tweeter tube on top of the speakers gives it a little steam-punk feel.

B&W was started in 1966 when Bowers & Wilkins Electronics was founded and their original shop opened. From the outset B&W has aimed to provide the most accurate sound possible but in an aesthetically pleasing cabinet. They have continued the trend theme with the PM1, looking like a Victorian era music box with the curvaceous tweeters sitting on top of Kevlar drivers in the main cabinet. The speakers are both classic and hi-tech in design, a nice balance.

B&W PM1 Prestige Monitor loudspeakers, quite possibly the most refined small loudspeaker Bowers & Wilkins has ever produced, that’s no easy benchmark. A technological powerhouse of a speaker that will win your heart one note at a time. Be warned though, don’t have a test listen to these speakers unless you can afford them, you will buy them if you hear them. The PM1’s will help you re-discover you music collection in it’s intended fidelity, hi-fidelity.

The Bowers & Wilkins PM1 is available from approved stockists in July.

• PM1 costs £1995 / $2800 USD per pair.
• PM1 dedicated stands cost £400 / $ 550 USD per pair.

For more information B&W Press Release, B&W Homepage