Bowers & Wilkins' M1, the heart of the company's Mini Theater packages, has been one of the major success stories for the company. But Bowers & Wilkins believes that the company always looks for ways to improve its products and with the all new M1 ultra compact loudspeaker, performance has been enhanced.
The M-1 loudspeaker can be a key component in 5.1 packages, acting as it does as all five speakers in a surround set up - a table-top stand lets the center speaker sit horizontally. But it's also a stereo solution, as one of the upgrades from the out-going M-1 is this speaker's full range performance.
In order to achieve these improvements the M-1 has been completely redesigned internally, although only styling differences are visible externally. It features all new drive units, including an in-house designed tweeter, and a bass/mid-range driver that uses the new Anti-Resonance Plug first seen on the PM1 loudspeaker.
The mechanics of the M-1 have been updated, with improved speaker cable terminations and a more robust connection to the stands - a table-top stand and wall bracket are supplied in the box, while, a floor stand is available as an optional extra.
The PV1D, the subwoofer, gets a dramatic update. While it retains its acoustically principled "pressure vessel" structurally inert shape with opposed balanced drivers canceling cabinet resonance, the PV1D now moves to the digital platform developed for the flagship Bowers & Wilkins DB1 subwoofer and includes a dynamic EQ circuit. This provides increased flexibility and performance enhancements that, coupled with new drive units and amplification, lead to dramatically improved output. In fact, the PV1D has a +/-3db specification of 7.5Hz.
A new OLED display and touch button array provide easy access to a number of pre-sets and tuning options, while a custom version of the SubApp PC software provides more advanced set-up options.
The third element in the Mini Theatre series is the ASW608 subwoofer. While this model remains the same acoustically, it is now available in the same Matte White finish as the M-1 loudspeakers.
Two possible 5.1 system configurations of the upgraded Mini Theater series are the MT-60D and MT-50. These systems provide users with compact, discreet packages.
Mini Theater is available early 2012 and costs:
M-1 - $250/ea.
PV1D - $1,700
ASW608 - $500
M-1 floor stand - $150/ea.
MT-50 - $1,750
MT-60D - $2,950
