Bowers & Wilkins Panorama 3 Review
True Score
Experts
Consumers
Expert Rankings
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With a remarkably loud design, the B&W Panorama 3 provides a room-filling listening experience. Unfortunately, its narrow 3D surround soundstage makes it inadequate for enthusiastic movie and TV show lovers.
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What Is Not on the Box
What the brand doesn’t always tell you…
our Verdict
Professional reviewers love the balanced sound profile and intuitive touch controls on the B&W Panorama, endorsing it as adequate for movies, music, and TV shows. During testing, experts at RTINGS marveled at its remarkably loud design, providing adequate sound to fill a large living room.
Digital Trends editors praised this soundbar’s low latency, seeing no noticeable delay between the video and audio feeds during TV dialogue. Smart features such as built-in Alexa and a companion music app simplify configuring and controlling the system.
One flaw experts found on this soundbar is that it downmixes surround sound to stereo, so it doesn’t have a wide soundstage for serious gamers and movie buffs. Additionally, it lacks the kind of EQ presets on more advanced models, although it comes with bass and treble sliders.
If you need a model with advanced sound customization features, check out our Denon Home Sound Bar 550 review today.
Reasons to Buy
- The very loud design is great for large living rooms
- Bass and treble sliders enable fine-tuning the sound profile
- Stylish design adds a touch of sophistication
- Built-in Alexa offers effortless voice control
Reasons to Avoid
- Lacks full HDMI connectors
- Downmixes 5.1 surround sound to stereo
- Lacks graphic EQ for customizing settings
Specifications
- Bluetooth Enabled–
- Depth–
- Dialogue Enhancement Feature–
- Energy Star CertifiedYes
- HDMI ARC–
- Height–
- Subwoofer–
- Surround Sound Supported–
- Voice Assistant–
- Wall Mountable–
- Weight–
- Width–
- Wireless ConnectivityBluetooth
- Works With–
Overview
The B&W Panorama 3 is a 3.1.2-channel mid-range 2022 model soundbar that offers advanced voice control for both casual users and home theaters. This system has built-in Alexa, allowing users to control the sound of their voice, and it ranks up there with the best speakers in the industry today.
With Dolby Atmos support and a decent 3.1.2 setup, this unit is a good upgrade for users with stereo systems. Optical, Ethernet, and HDMI ARC ports provide hassle-free connectivity. Users can stream audio content wirelessly via Airplay, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth.
However, it lacks a dedicated subwoofer and consequently delivers sup-par bass. Read to the end of this B&W Panorama 3 review and check out the top soundbars today.
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Product Comparison
 |  |  | ||
| True Score | 80 | 64 | 85 | |
| Market Context | – | With built-in Alexa, the B&W Panorama 3 is easier to control than the Bowers & Wilkins Formation Bar, which doesn’t have voice assistant functionality. The Panorama 3 also has an HDMI connector, unlike the Formation. Featuring a 98.4 dB maximum SPL, the Panorama also gets louder than the Formation Bar, which has a 96.0 dB maximum SPL. Check out our Bowers & Wilkins Formation Bar review for details. | Featuring a five-channel surround system, the Sonos Arc provides a more immersive soundstage than the B&W Panorama 3, which has a three-channel surround system. However, the B&W Panorama 3 gets louder, boasting a higher 98.4 dB SPL than the Sonos Arc, which has a 96.6 maximum SPL. | The Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar MAX is a better speaker than the B&W Panorama 3 because it has a more immersive 5.1.4 system that provides a more immersive experience than the 3.1.2-channel B&W Panorama. The Sennheiser also supports 5.1 PCM via its HDMI input, but the B&W Panorama 3 doesn’t. That said, the B&W Panorama 3 has built-in Alexa, unlike the Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar MAX, which doesn’t have built-in voice assistants. |
| Voice Assistant | ||||
| Surround Sound Supported | ||||
| Wireless Connectivity | ||||
| Bluetooth Enabled | ||||
| Wireless Subwoofer Connectivity | ||||
| Dig Deeper | – | Read Review → | Read Review → |
All Stores
- $999.00
Availability
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$999.99Availability
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Score Card
E
Expert Score
*.75
We place a 75% weighted value on Expert Test Scores
C
Customer Score
*.25
We place a 25% weighted value on Customer Scores
True Score
Any product with a True Score above 80 is a Absolutely Fresh
Expert Score Breakdown
Publications with higher Trust Scores are given more weight
ATrust Score
67The Bowers & Wilkins Panorama 3 is fair for mixed usage. It’s a premium-looking standalone… read more- D
Trust Score
80Bowers & Wilkins’ entry into the Atmos fray with the Panorama 3 is a largely… read more - D
Trust Score
90Really, you can look at this one of two ways. The ‘glass half-full’ position to… read more - D
Trust Score
70PROS: Exceptionally powerful., Elegant design., Amazon Alexa built-in., Hi-res audio compatibility., Strong low-end bass., Stirring… read more - D
Trust Score
90The Panorama 3 is the best soundbar Bowers & Wilkins has made so far, and… read more - F
Trust Score
NRLIKE: Great build quality., Sleek and stylish appearance., Up-to-date Dolby surround processing., Wireless streaming features.,… read more
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