- 240W total system power (80W x 3)
Provides quality sound for your favorite movies, shows, games and music. - Three 1″ tweeters
Enhance the frequency range of audio playback to ensure crisp voices and dynamic soundtracks. - Dolby Digital decoder
Reproduces multichannel audio to deliver a cinematic audio experience. - Bluetooth music streaming
Makes it easy to enjoy tracks stored on a compatible Bluetooth-enabled device (not included). - Sleek appearance
Fits seamlessly along most HDTVs for a streamlined look. - Inputs
Includes Toslink. - Wall-mountable design
For versatile placement options. - 40Hz – 28kHz frequency response
Ensures a wide range of accurately reproduced sound.
-36%
Bowers & Wilkins – Formation Bar 3.0-Channel Soundbar – Black
$624.00 Save:$350.00(36%)
Available in stock
Description
Additional information
| Weight | 12.1 lbs |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 4.2 × 48.8 × 4.3 in |
| Cable(s) Included | Power |
| Product Depth | 4.2 inches |
| App Compatible | Yes |
| Number Of USB Inputs | 0 |
| Color | Black |
| Bluetooth Enabled | Yes |
| Manufacturer's Warranty - Labor | 2 years |
| Input(s) | Ethernet |
| Works With | Amazon Alexa |
| Maximum Frequency Response | 28 kilohertz |
| Number Of Optical Audio Inputs | 1 |
| Manufacturer's Warranty - Parts | 2 years |
| Number of Drivers Included | 9 |
| Number Of Tweeters Included | 3 |
| Product Weight | 12.1 pounds |
| Model Number | FormationBar |
| Number of HDMI Inputs (Total) | 0 |
| Voice Assistant Built-in | Not Applicable |
| Wall Mountable | Yes |
| Tweeter Size | 1 inches |
| Woofer Size | 2.6 inches |
| Wireless Multi-Room Audio | Yes |
| High Resolution Audio | Yes |
| Wireless Multi-Room Technology | Apple AirPlay 2 |
| Satellite Speakers | Optional (sold separately) |
| Output(s) | None |
| Mounting Hardware Included | Yes |
| Number of Channels | 3 |
| Surround Sound Supported | Dolby Digital |
| Product Height | 4.3 inches |
| ENERGY STAR Certified | No |
| Product Name | Formation Bar 3.0-Channel Soundbar |
| Number of HDMI Outputs (Total) | 0 |
| RMS Power | 240 watts |
| Brand | Bowers & Wilkins |
| Color Category | Black |
| Woofer Material | Fiberglass |
| Product Width | 48.8 inches |
| Remote Control Included | No |
| Wireless Connectivity | Bluetooth |
| Minimum Frequency Response | 40 hertz |
| Number Of Woofers Included | 6 |
| UPC | 714346330331 |
Reviews (50)
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Chill –
The B&W name is 1 of the best speakers around and they nailed this soundbar. It sounds great by itself or even better when paired with the rest of the formation series!!
L022 –
This soundbar is really good. The clarity is incredible and it is pretty loud by itself. Adding the formation bass subwoofer makes it even better. The soundbar is expensive but worth it in my opinion.
Summer –
Love bowers and wilkins. Not easy to connect to my tv.
Donna –
high quality but not compatible with Samsung TV .only uses optical cable which caused issues with our tv
Maha –
Good sound bar. Initial hiccup in setting up. But overall, good sound bar.
BWSoundbar –
The sound is amazing, crisp and clear. I wanted to invest in something that would last me for a couple of years and that was also easy to install. I added the formation bass for overall sound and both are great! Highly recommend this product! Get it before Biden raises your taxes.
Nick –
Very good sound quality. I like my new B&W sound bar
fourxmotion –
I used with soundbar with the companion bass unit and the system was terrible. Sound was weak, music would play in 3.0 and not 2.0 and the sound would drop out constantly. If you want a good soundbar for music and movies check out the B&O Stage; far superior.
Dough –
Bought this for my computer. This Soundbar puts out unbelievably quality sound. My music Library sounds better than ever.
JamesC –
Great quality, great sound, looks amazing on display and the app is very easy to use and love I can keep adding to it. Only issue is pricey but is a name brand.
Suzanne –
Excellent sound, easy to install. The Bluetooth is not ideal but still works very well
Hom34lone –
Incredible sound bar, it is high fidelity product, way better than Sonos and Bose by far.
Sonos –
Stopped working after 2 days. Connectivity was awful. Got the Arc instead and happy I did.
Medics –
Sound bar is good, loved with sound, but connectivity is biggest issue, wish they had better ways to resolve this issues, poor app, i was trying not to return, but felt helpless as they have no customer support if you run with any issue,
Techknow –
Just not worth it. Limited support. Sorry B&W this was not thought out well at all.
xd99 –
hardware is good, but app is the worst I’ve used, only way to control volume is through the app and most of the time you cannot even connect to devices from app.
Prat –
Amazing sound. I doubt the quality of build though, if its long lasting. Its been 9 months since I have had the formation bar and bass. The bar is starting to heat up and distorted sound from one side of the speaker. My main problem is with the B&W company itself which has the worst customer service I have seen EVER. My thoughts as below to B&W were mentioned in an email and i got no response.
Firstly, with a product like Bowers & Wilkins the product should not fail performing its primary function “High Quality Sound” within the first year. B&W is considered to be elite in sound technology and should last a lifetime with respect to sound.
Secondly, If your product fails to perform its primary function, It should be replaced and the company should not be opening it up to fix and repair within the first year AT LEAST. This leads to customers having less faith in the product itself. If secondary functions like the bluetooth or WIFI fail to function, I understand sending it in to repair or replace, but not the Sound.
I totally understand if you would like to verify if the problem exists or not and the need to send the sound bar in.
Third, I would like to address my disappointment in servicing policies as I was not happy about the process of shipping the sound bar on my expense to your facilities, considering it’s still under manufacturing warranty. This process should be covered under the customer service quality gate of the company with a quick turnaround time for customer satisfaction. The lead time that was given to me was 30 days for servicing + shipping back and forth, honestly I am looking at approximately a month and a half, which is kind of ridiculous considering how new the sound bar is.
All in all I was immensely impressed with the B&W sound but I am deeply dissatisfied with customer service with the company standing by its product.
techguy3000 –
The app is supposed to make it easy to connect music to your Formation soundbar. However, the soundbar itself is horribly designed because it requires the app and is completely intertwined with it. The tv remote can turn the volume up and down but if the tv is turned down to zero, the soundbar is still playing sound! You must use the app to turn the master volume up and down. This has caused roughly 4 million headaches in my house – from sound playing when no one wants it to the speaker being SUPER LOUD when the tv volume shows 25%.
I hate this soundbar. It would be 75% better if they could fix the software on it so it did not require the app. That extra 25% would be to provide an HMDI input instead of solely optical. What is this, 2003? I’d return it if I could but instead I’ll be forced to sell it. The sound is no better out of this soundbar and bass combo than Bose or even Sony or JBL.
Does the new app connect to play music? Maybe. But the downfalls of the soundbar are worse than you could imagine.
Sounds –
Sounds good. However it’s a glitchy interface. Constantly trying to adjust the volume and sometimes the volume just cuts out. Customer support is difficult and this is my second BW sound bar, retuned the other thinking it was defective, nope, it’s the BW sound bar that just does not stand up well. Especially for that price point.
Bajaman –
I’ve been shopping at Best Buy for over a decade and this is my 1st review but I felt it was important to provide a review of the Formation Bar. I have extensive experience with Bowers & Wilkins and have used their products for years. Here are a few of my takeaways:
1. I had a pair of the Formation Flex speakers when they first came out and for the price they were riddled with problems, therefore I returned them. Since then, these products have come a long way and many of the issues have been resolved.
2. I have a pair of Sonos 5’s and a sub, but I wanted to try something new that had higher end sound. The sound from this Bar blows those away, you are treated to a level of detail that few audio products can faithfully reproduce. The music app for the Formation line has come a long way, however if the overall experience using the app is important, Sonos is better.
3. I’m hoping moving forward, Bowers adds support for Apple Music, Amazon Music and Sirius XM for use in their app like Sonos has. Right now they support Tidal, Deezer, TuneIn Radio, Qobuz, Soundcloud & NTS. Set Up overall was a breeze, it took literally 45 seconds to set up the bar and the bass. This was much easier actually than Sonos which I had issues initially setting up.
4. For the price, the app should be better, however I prioritize audio quality over the app experience and the sound does not disappoint. I would assume over the coming months support will be added for a number of the services I listed above because Apple has now made HiFi standard almost overnight and Amazon has offered it for awhile and Spotify will be adding support soon.
In conclusion, if you desire the finest in truly wireless HiFi, you need look no further. The Formation app still has ground to cover to catch up with Sonos but the sound that these products provide is something that Sonos cannot touch!
Noproduct –
Excellent, very clear and loud. Medium to small size room is recommended.
ndesign –
excellent quality speaker but having issues with the app so will see…
there’s a long delay after tv is turned and volume on tv does not work consistently.
Formation –
The sound is amazing when it works. The app is awful and the speaker and sub disconnect all of the time. I have had it for a year and a half. At this price I would expect a much better product. Extremely disappointed with Best Buy and B & W. I reached out to Best Buy they said contact the manufacturer. Reach out to B & W they say box it up and send it in for service. Absolute joke for this kind of money. Really wished I had purchased the Sonos
Maria –
Sounbar is good quality and very stylish, but their app is pain the … But after googling the problem to connect it to Verizon TV remote was solved. Overall is ok. Not sure if it worth full price but we got an open box model.
Buyer1 –
This is my second review of this garbage. So I have had B&W look at my product. I told them exactly what’s wrong with the speaker getting too warm, sound cutting out, and the speaker creating loud static noise. Because the support people didn’t hear it when they got it they automatically shipped it back. Support is terrible. Support keeps blaming my WiFi for the sound cutting out when I have the latest router and it’s fully updated. I don’t recommend this to anyone. At this point I want my money back for this whole system. It’s complete trash for the price!! If I could post a video of the static and issues I would. I highly recommend go with Sonos, or any other brand. Don’t spend your money on this garbage!!
Keiron –
Normally I’d give high marks to all of my B&W products but this has not been a smooth sailing. This speaker has given me numerous problems since purchase. The latest issue is my formation bar light flashes red and will not create the mesh network, so my formation bass is currently useless because the bar will not communicate with it. I have to find a Best Buy that has one in stock and try to get an exchange. It’s a shame the sound is excellent but the speaker is plagued with reliability issues.
Homeowner2019 –
Clear sound, however, pairing it with the subwoofer doesn’t give the full theater sound experience like the Sonos bar and subwoofer speakers provide. I regret purchasing the set. The Sonos bar and subwoofer is more user friendly and the app is easy to use. The B&W app does not provide as many options for the users preferred sound quality and does not have the ability to connect in a variety of ways. I can only control the volume through my phone or iPad, not through my remote control, ughh. I hate that.
DHar –
Product worked for a few months. It then started cutting out and making loud static noises.
We were asked to return it to Bowers & Wilkins to be “serviced.” They sportingly offered to provide us with a shipping label, only after some back and forth. Then we asked for a box to ship it in. Fools that we were, we had gotten rid of the packaging, assuming the product would work. Several weeks later, we received a box.
We shipped the sound bar back to B&W. Several more weeks later, we received the bar back. No explanation was offered as to what was done to fix it.
It worked again for about six or seven months. Then it started making a loud static noise again.
We asked for a refund. Sorry, no refunds. Only service. B&W can send you a prepaid shipping label. This time, B&W promised to replace the faulty one with a “new” sound bar. They insist on receiving the faulty one back first, however. Hmm….
BBUY –
BBUY Magnolia representative Nate was a great help. The sound bar sounded great, but in the end I returned it because it was not compatible with my TV remote.
Billk –
This the second Formation Bar I have gotten the first one started to make cracking noises so I returned the first one and now the second one I could not get the remote to work but with the app the volume worked and I was also was back a forth with Bowers and Wilkins tech support and we just could not get the remote to work so the second one is going back also .I really did what the remote but because it worked great with my other Formation speakers that work with no problems.
Lynn –
The speaker system is very poor. Do not recommend I have contacted the company no luck, contacted Best Buy which they don’t support and had to pay someone to come out. The speakers do not stay connected and all speakers will quit working for no reason. Not even a year old would gladly return to BestBuy.
Covidispoliticalmove –
It’s not so much the bowers and Wilkins sound bar but it’s the staff.. I have been shopping at the sawgrass location for many many years. The only reason why I shop there is the incredible customer service I get. They are like always 100% on helping and caring for my needs. The store management treats me like royalty everytime I come in. They great me by my first name and know pretty much my prior purchases so they know how to assist me when I’m looking to add to my home theater or my family goodies. I greatly appreciate the management team and the highly trained staff at this location. Even when a newbie helps me they always seem to do fact finding first then drill down to save time. I’m in the upper part of the sales industry and I would love to hire some of the employees from this store myself. Great job to the staff at sawgrass.. AND A VERY SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO ULY. HE IS THE MAN. Oh and the sound bar is amazing also.
Casey –
Good sound but the app used to control it is mind bogglingly bad. Couldn’t take it more than two weeks before we returned this product. Save yourself a lot of heartache and avoid the soundbar like you would the plague.
SeaWall99 –
If a speaker sounds great as I claim, how can I give the product a one-star review? Because the app loses my system’s components randomly, and this leads to the system being available less than 10 percent of the time. $1300 is a lot of money to spend to look at a speaker. That’s right. Most of the time you can only look at the speaker because the app that you must use to configure the Formation bar (and subwoofer in my case) keeps losing my configuration for no apparent reason. This app is one of, no, wait, it is THE most horrible piece of software I’ve ever had the displeasure of using. I sure hope B&W fired every single engineer who looked at this buggy app and then said, “Looks good to me! Approved!!”
SpringsCards –
Great sound bar; however, rather pricey when compared to the competition. I would also highly suggest only getting this soundbar if you have the budget for subwoofer as well, which is also pricey. The soundbar is high quality and sounds great, with great highs and mids, but really must be paried up with the B&W subwoofer
DCPJR –
Easy setup and app works flawlessly. Love B&W. Waiting on subwoofer
I have a rather large room (no carpet) and it fills the room well but really need the sub
Thincer –
The sound quality from this sound bar is exceptional and unlike the new version and other high quality sound bars it looks great too! With every penny!
LeonardC –
Totally disappointed after 2 years and 1 month the formation bar
Starts crackling sounds and fading in and out with my Flatscreen,
Payed $75 to ship out to B&W and they would’nt honor any type of warranty, on top of that They asked for my credit card
To pay to have it shipped back. For the money I paid for the formation bar and subwoofer $2500 you would think a prestiges
Company like B&W would be reasonable. I wouldnt recomend
Their speakers particularly the formation line.
JHawk –
Fantastic Sound, fills entire room with a rich sound. Moves, music and regular TV all sound great on it. Definitely add the sub for a true immersive experience! I had no issues with set up or app usage.
ScottC –
Super sound! We bought ours open box as my wife wanted a smaller system in our living room, this fit the bill. 1/2 price made it worth while. My wife listed to several sound bars and liked the sound of the B&W over all the others. The bass is what amazes me. We don’t have the sub just the sound bar but in our apartment this sound bar almost has too much bass. It was a bit of a pain to set up, it didn’t like our Sony remote so we bought a cheap RCA remote and it works like a champ. I had it wroking with Alexa but that stopped after a month and I havent been able to get it to work since. Not a big deal to me.
RobertD –
really starting to get miffed off on this product. It worked perfectly for a ~1 year. then whenever I had the other systems sleep, or just went to turn it on it was un-responsive. Sound from optical cable was working as the BASS/FLEX units worked fine. I have had this unit in for repair twice…luckily still under warranty. THREE trips to the repair (use that term loosely “United Radio”). after a month + they are sending a replacement. great sound, look for another product
Fozz –
I had some issues setting it up but once I got it added and paired with the subwoofer the performance and sound has been flawless. We use this as a TV soundbar with an optical cable and as part of home sound system with other B&W formation speaker and Airplay.
Tomas –
Had issues syncing this up and didn’t have the connection ports that I needed. Great if it works for you but didn’t for me.
Aurum83 –
Probably the most disappointing product I’ve ever had. The soundbar and subwoofer constantly disconnects from the system. You have to control the volume vis app and it’s terrible. Stay away. Go for Sonos.
Jason –
If u have a wedge speaker then this cannot be added to any space that contains it. That configuration is not supported.
VeryLoyalBestBuyCustomer –
Terrible app. Product had so many issues in the first year and stopped working after 11 months. To fix it we have to send it to B&W service. Shipping is not included in warranty. Best buy was not helpful
Felix –
The Formation Bar is not reliable and very difficult to use. Every time is a complicated process and sometimes impossible to make it work. Customer service is not a great help. It is not worth the money. The App is not friendly and again very difficult to use. B&W should recall the Formation Bar and retire it from the market.
HappyAsAClam –
Love the sound. Deep bass and clear lyrics. Beautiful.
KarlintonF –
Great sounds, no HDMI ARC. I bought two years ago, but if I would buy it now, i would wait for a new generation speaker.
VincentV –
Style over substance. Among the most stylish and well designed speaker in at any price point the series falls short on performance and or support from B&W. When it works it sounds great,