Bowers & Wilkins

Bowers & Wilkins

Also known as: B&W, B and W, Bowers and Wilkins

Unclaimed

Founded in 1966 by John Bowers and Roy Wilkins in Worthing, West Sussex, England, Bowers & Wilkins is a British audio company known for its high-end loudspeakers and headphones. The company grew out of a post-war radio and electronics shop, evolving into a loudspeaker manufacturer after Bowers became involved in designing PA equipment for local schools and churches. A bequest from a patron, the...

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Founded in 1966 by John Bowers and Roy Wilkins in Worthing, West Sussex, England, Bowers & Wilkins is a British audio company known for its high-end loudspeakers and headphones. The company grew out of a post-war radio and electronics shop, evolving into a loudspeaker manufacturer after Bowers became involved in designing PA equipment for local schools and churches. A bequest from a patron, the former opera singer Miss Knight, helped fund the transition to dedicated speaker production, and the company's first commercial loudspeaker, the P1, debuted in 1967.

Bowers & Wilkins is best known for its flagship 800 Series loudspeakers, which serve as studio monitors at Abbey Road Studios and other major recording facilities worldwide. The company pioneered several key audio technologies, including Kevlar speaker cones (introduced in 1974), the Matrix anti-resonance enclosure, and synthetic diamond dome tweeters. The Nautilus, launched in 1993, remains one of the most iconic and recognizable speaker designs in hi-fi history, with its distinctive tapered-tube cabinet engineered to eliminate internal reflections. Other notable products include the Zeppelin wireless speaker and the 600 and 700 Series loudspeakers aimed at home theater and hi-fi listeners.

Beyond loudspeakers, Bowers & Wilkins produces a range of headphones and earbuds, including the Px8 and Px7 over-ear noise-cancelling headphones and the Pi series of wireless earbuds. The brand also has a presence in automotive audio, providing in-car sound systems for BMW, McLaren, and Aston Martin vehicles. Artists and figures associated with the brand's Society of Sound initiative include Peter Gabriel, Dave Stewart, and Cassandra Wilson.

Bowers & Wilkins has 22 products cataloged on Equipboard, including Headphones & In-Ear Monitors, Active & Passive Monitors, and Home Subwoofers. Their gear is featured by 8 artists, with the strongest followings in Electronic, Rock, and Stage & Screen. Notable users include James Newton Howard, Underworld, and Peter Gabriel.

Artists Who Use Bowers & Wilkins

James Newton Howard uses 3 Bowers & Wilkins products

James Newton Howard

Keyboardist, Composer · Mama Lion

Underworld uses 1 Bowers & Wilkins product

Underworld

Music Producer · Freur

Peter Gabriel uses 1 Bowers & Wilkins product

Peter Gabriel

Singer, Keyboardist · Genesis

Caribou uses 1 Bowers & Wilkins product

Caribou

Music Producer

John Powell uses 1 Bowers & Wilkins product

John Powell

Composer

Galantis uses 1 Bowers & Wilkins product

Galantis

Music Producer

Ian Carey uses 1 Bowers & Wilkins product

Ian Carey

Music Producer · Soul Providers

Jake McMurchie uses 1 Bowers & Wilkins product

Jake McMurchie

Composer · Michelson Morley

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