Bowers & Wilkins Launches XT8

The XT Series arose from our desire to offer a high performance theater system that would look completely at home alongside flat panel TVs. An immediate hit with consumers around the world, the XT Series brought B&W quality into a market category associated with mid-fi sound. The engineers at B&W are never content to rest on their laurels, however, and they have further improved the XT concept in the form of a new flagship, the XT8, to provide even better performance through upgraded materials and crossover design.

The new XT8 replaces the XT4. The XT4 will be discontinued when current stock is exhausted. The new model is substantially improved in the midrange area through the employment of our FST™ (Fixed Suspension Transducer) technology. The FST has proven superior in reducing standing waves on the cone’s surface thereby reducing distortion and improving overall clarity and imaging. In conjunction with the midrange change, the 1st order mid/tweeter crossover components have been upgraded to complement the characteristics of the FST Kevlar® design.

The XT8 carries forward our Nautilus™ tapered-tube aluminum dome high-frequency driver in a “tweeter-on-top” position. The Nautilus tube virtually eliminates internal resonance and the on top placement of the tweeter helps prevent cabinet time smearing effects that occur when a high frequency driver is placed on a large cabinet baffle. This design is a proven performer and is capable of producing an extremely smooth top end with a three-dimensional sense of space. The twin long-excursion 5” woofers are comprised of a paper/Kevlar composite that provide extended bass with a quick response to handle the large transients often mixed into movie soundtracks. The crossovers are minimalist designs featuring very high quality components that are matched to the drivers through sophisticated computer programs and then verified through listening tests.

The captivating cabinet design doesn’t just look good; it is engineered to improve the sound as well. The gracefully curved aluminum cabinet is better at bearing high internal back-wave pressures from the drivers than a rectangular one. The resulting reduced cabinet resonance improves sound quality that is perceived as tighter bass and a more focused midrange.

More Information on the XT8:

• Photos of the B&W XT Series
• Product Information for the B&W XT Series

Allwired Technologies is an Authorized B&W Dealer.