Bowers & Wilkins factory visit, Worthing, UK
We were recently given the very special opportunity to travel to the Bowers & Wilkins headquarters in Worthing for some product training and a tour of the factory. Every room of the tour reflected a common atmosphere that made us feel warm and welcome, even in some of the more clinical (and highly impressive) laboratory testing rooms of the factory.
Product aside, the quality of Bowers & Wilkins as a company is immediately obvious; whether they were answering phones in the office or polishing cabinets in the factory, it was evident that every employee we encountered understood that they are a crucial part of the Bowers & Wilkins process and took an enormous level of pride in that fact. It’s this level of pride, engineering innovation and design prowess that I believe enables Bowers & Wilkins to manufacture some of the most impressive loudspeaker systems in the world.
When Bowers & Wilkins partnered with Rotel to form Rotel Europe, Bowers & Wilkins moved the production of the entry and mid-level Bowers & Wilkins ranges (the 600 series and the 700 Series) to the Rotel factory in China to make the process more efficient. We were told that the methods and quality of production in China mirror that of the factory here in the UK. This is evident by the sheer number of CM and 600 series loudspeakers that have been sold over the years (I also personally own a pair of CM1 bookshelf speakers myself)
The higher end 800 series and the flagship Nautilus loudspeakers are built entirely in the UK, however, and it was the build-process of the 800 series that we were fortunate enough to be able to experience.
Multi-Layered, Weighty, Cabinets
The cabinets of the 800 series loudspeakers are constructed from multiple layers of beech wood, pressed in to a single, curving unit. As well as being aesthetically interesting, this curve has anti-resonant qualities, which creates a strong and firm structure for the driver units to perform at their best. The cabinets are all polished by hand to ensure a deluxe finish where care and attention to detail is obvious upon the first glance.
Intricate Matrix
The internal matrix of the loudspeaker acts as a skeleton for the unit, further increasing the anti resonant capabilities of the 800 series speakers. The matrix provides extreme rigidity and allows the speaker to stand firm under pressure.
Specially Chosen Components
A huge amount of thought and care has gone into deciding the internal elements of the 800 series, as well as the best way to optimise the performance of these elements. The capacitors shown in the image above are one such element. These are designed specifically and exclusively for Bowers & Wilkins by Mundorf in Germany. Other specialised components include the use of their diamond tweeters, the rigid support matrix and high quality internal cabling.
Diamond, Platinum Tweeters
The image above shows one of the 800 series tweeters, the material of choice being pure synthetic diamond. Bowers & Wilkins use synthetic diamond for their 800 series tweeter units due to the combination of extreme rigidity and lightness; they believe that there is no better material for reproducing high frequency signals. These laser-precision cut diamonds are then cleaned in four stages within an ultra-sonic tank. Then, they’re tested for any minute imperfections, before finally being coated with a protective layer of platinum.
The image shows a rejected tweeter and in an effort to show the truly fragile nature of it, I was asked to tap it gently - the result ended with the tweeter popping beneath my finger, sending small shards of it sprawling across the desk. As the units are so fragile, they are transported using specialised cases between two delicate rubber-like membranes to protect the tweeter. All the diamond tweeters are individually transported this way, and each one is given its own unique serial number so that every aspect of its production process is traceable, right down to the former that the synthetic diamond was initially grown on.
Recertification Process
We have no issue selling recertified Bowers & Wilkins products because of the extensive level of assessments that these units have to go through before they enter our stock room. We were actually able to briefly watch the recertification process in which the skilled engineers were testing or cleaning various products to a phenomenal standard. Read our blog post dedicated to this recertification process here.
The factory visit was an excellent experience for us. Bowers & Wilkins products have always been a favourite in-store, both with ourselves and with our customers. The visit allowed us to truly confirm the positive opinions that we've always had of Bowers & Wilkins products as well as learn new and interesting facts about new and old speaker units and accessories.
It was a genuine pleasure to finally put a face to the many voices we speak to on a regular basis, and we were made to feel welcome and valued. We take the same level of pride in selling Bowers & Wilkins products as the company do in manufacturing them.
Huge thanks to Ian, Paul, Rebecca, Stuart, Andy, Steven, Stephen, the girls at the office and anybody we may have missed from Bowers & Wilkins for looking after us so well.
