86%
Bowers & Wilkins Formation Audio
Bring your existing system right up to date with Formation Audio wireless audio streamer. Access 24-bit/96kHz hi-res audio on your hi-fi, include it in a multi-room set-up, even stream analog sources like turntables to Formation wireless speakers.
Renew your system without changing it
New wireless options
Love your system? Bring it up to date. Formation Audio allows you to stream 24-bit/96kHz hi-res audio to it, easily.
Analogue streaming
Let analogue sources join in your wireless experience. Audio can stream any format you like to Formation speakers.
Perfect conversion
Formation Audio flawlessly converts analog to digital, and digital to analog – so your music always sounds its best.
Multiroom-enabled
Bowers & Wilkins wireless speakers allow you to seamlessly connect and stream high-performance sound in every room of your home. Using Panorama 3, Zeppelin or Formation Series, you can build your musical ecosystem and use it to play your favorite songs and albums effortlessly with the Bowers & Wilkins Music app.
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Formation Audio — Wireless Audio Hub
The Bowers & Wilkins Formation Audio is a compact, well‑built streaming hub that brings legacy sources into the Formation ecosystem with high‑performance ADC/DAC conversion, Toslink and RCA I/O, Ethernet/Wi‑Fi and support for AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, aptX HD and Roon Ready. As Audiophilepure highlights, setup is effortless and the unit’s industrial design is stellar, while the Formation platform’s low latency helps preserve spatial and dynamic detail—an ecosystem strength noted by Gordon Brockhouse. Ideal for listeners who want to feed turntables, CD transports or older line‑level components into a modern wireless system and unlock hi‑res playback via Roon, the Formation Audio delivers transparent, convenient connectivity—though it sits squarely in the premium accessory tier rather than as a budget option.
Pros
- Integrates legacy components into the Formation ecosystem with Toslink, analogue I/O and onboard ADC/DAC, making hard‑wired sources usable with Formation speakers.
- Broad streaming and protocol support (AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, aptX HD, Roon Ready) that enables networked and hi‑res playback workflows.
- Strong industrial design and easy setup—reviewers praise the unit as a polished, user‑friendly hub that fits day‑to‑day use.
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Cons
- Positioned and priced as a premium accessory; several reviewers consider it relatively expensive for a streamer/hub.
- Ecosystem and software limitations mean owners who want true hi‑res playback often need Roon (additional cost) and may find the native app set limited.
Digital Performance
86/100
Specifications list high-performance ADC and DAC, plus Roon Ready, AirPlay 2 and aptX HD support. Reviewers do not report jitter, glare, or digital artifacts; SoundStage commentary about the Formation platform's low latency (applied to the ecosystem) supports the impression of sound-preserving, bit-clean streaming performance, so the score reflects competent to very good digital conversion and transport performance despite lack of direct measurements.
Sound Quality
83/100
Most explicit imaging praise in the review set refers to the Formation Duo speakers rather than the Audio hub. The platform (Formation) is noted for low latency and excellent multi-device synchronization, which likely helps preserve the speakers' holographic imaging, but there is no direct reviewer A/B or measurements isolating the hub's independent contribution — hence a modestly strong score rather than an extreme.
Build Quality
88/100
Audiophilepure calls the Formation Audio a "stellar piece of product design" that is easy to set up and live with; the product is compact and well-finished. Given B&W's engineering pedigree and the reviewer praise for design and day-to-day usability, the unit rates highly for construction and fit-and-finish for a network hub-style product.
Features Connectivity
90/100
Very well equipped: Ethernet/WiFi, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Roon Ready, Bluetooth (aptX HD/AAC/SBC), Toslink optical in, 2x RCA analogue in, 1x RCA digital out (coax), 2x RCA analogue out, ADC/DAC onboard. These network, streaming-protocol and input/output options (plus Roon Ready and aptX HD) justify a strong score for connectivity and features.
Value for Money
78/100
Audiophilepure explicitly calls the unit "overpriced," and while the Audio is framed as effectively required to integrate legacy components with Formation speakers, that necessity does not fully justify the price in the reviewer's view. Given the mixed sentiment (useful but regarded as pricey), this is a mildly negative value assessment.
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