Household British hi-fi brand Bowers & Wilkins is best known for its long-standing ranges of hi-fi speakers, such as its 800 Series Diamond series. It has kept up with modern times by branching out into wireless speakers and headphones and the like. And in more recent times, we've seen B&W create speaker systems for TVs, cars and projectors. Now, the firm is partnering up with computer and device manufacturer, Lenovo, to improve the sound of its laptops.
The interesting move (which follows hot on the heels of Bowers' very recent partnership with Formovie to kit out the audio of a laser projector) sees B&W's new speaker systems bring the promise of ‘True Sound’ to the new Lenovo Yoga 9i (7th gen) 2-in-1 laptop. Indeed, the latest Lenovo Yoga 9i convertible 14-inch model will become the world’s first laptop to feature a bespoke Bowers & Wilkins sound system.
Announced at CES 2022, Lenovo's premium Yoga 9i should bring a superior audio experience over the previous iteration, thanks to Bowers & Wilkins' involvement.
So, what exactly is B&W bringing to the party? Well, the Lenovo Yoga 9i features what Bowers is calling an "improved Rotating Sound Bar". To drill down into what that actually means, B&W has engineered a four-speaker system – featuring bespoke pairs of tweeters and mid/bass woofers – into the thin body of the Yoga 9i.
Two speakers for the Lenovo Yoga 9i sound system are integrated into the laptop's 360-degree rotating soundbar hinge and are designed to always face the user, while two additional sideways-firing speakers are fitted along the edges of the product. Bowers says it has produced a large scale, high resolution, low distortion and accurate sound that projects far beyond the enclosure and brings new realism to the on-screen content.
Elsewhere, the Lenovo Yoga 9i convertible laptop boasts an up to 4K OLED VESA HDR touchscreen display. It is expected to be available globally from March, with prices starting at $1399 (roughly £1034 or AU$1952, although official pricing for these regions is not yet known).
Considering recent collaborations with a laser projector manufacturer and BMW's iX electric car, it seems Bowers & Wilkins is keen on branching out and cultivating new and fruitful relationships.
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