Bowers & Wilkins Formation Bass - Audio Soundbar Manual

Formation Bass is a network connected, wireless subwoofer designed to provide extremely high performance low frequency enhancement of Formation Duo, Formation Wedge and Formation Bar speakers. Formation Bass is configured and controlled using the Bowers & Wilkins Home app. The app is available for both iOS and Android devices.

It is only possible to install and configure a Formation Bass using the Bowers & Wilkins Home app.

Formation Bass will enable you to:

• Enhance the low frequency performance of Formation Duo, Wedge and Bar speakers.

The Bowers & Wilkins Home app is required to connect your Formation Bass to your home network and also to establish connection with other Formation products in your home. The Bowers & Wilkins Home app also provides some control and configuration functions during use. Before you begin your Formation Bass installation please download and install the Bowers & Wilkins Home app on your iOS or Android device. The Bowers & Wilkins Home app requires iOS V11.4 or later, or Android V8.1 or later. Bluetooth, and WiFi services must be enabled on your iOS or Android device. You will also need to know your WiFi network password.

Note: Location Services must be enabled on Android devices during the Formation setup process. This is because Formation products use a low power form of Bluetooth (BT-LE) for service communication which on Android devices is only switched on when Location Services are enabled. Bowers & Wilkins do not use any location services data for marketing purposes.

Software version - V1.4

www.bowerswilkins.com

Formation Bass Carton Contents

Formation Bass
Mains power cable set appropriate for your territory
Document pack

Installing Your Formation Bass

Location

Your Formation Bass requires a mains power supply to operate so must be located within reach of a mains socket. If your Formation Bass speaker is to use a wired connection to your home network it will need to be located within reach of an appropriate network (Ethernet) cable.

Your Formation Bass speaker should be placed on the floor in reasonably close proximity to the Formation speaker it is partnered with. In the case of a Formation Wedge or Formation Bar, a subwoofer location directly beneath the speaker, or at least adjacent to a common wall, is likely to produce the best results.

In the case of a Formation Bass partnered with a pair of Formation Duo speakers, the best results are likely to be obtained if the Formation Bass is placed between the Formation Duo speakers or in the vicinity of one of them. Placing a Formation Bass to the side, but still to the front of the listeners, is an acceptable compromise if domestic considerations dictate. The Formation Bass should not be located behind the listening position. Diagram 1 illustrates subwoofer positioning.

Diagram 1
Positioning

Note: Take care when handling your Formation Bass not to damage the driver diaphragms located on each end of its enclosure.

Connections

Diagram 2
Formation Bass rear panel

In addition to a mains power socket your Formation Bass carries an Ethernet socket for connection to a router should a wired network connection be preferred to wireless (WiFi).

Note: The USB socket located on the Formation Bass rear panel is intended for service and diagnostic use only. It cannot be used for any other purpose.

The Formation Bass has no wired audio connections and will configure itself automatically during the setup process to access network audio streams and to enhance bass appropriately depending on the characteristics of the partnered speaker. When partnered with a Formation Bar, the Formation Bass will automatically switch to reproducing the low frequency effects (LFE) channel of Dolby Surround encoded material.

Switch On and Off

With all connections made, and the Bowers & Wilkins Home app installed on your mobile device, your Formation Bass is ready to be set up. Your Formation Bass has no mains power switch and, following a short start-up routine, will be operational as soon as it is connected to mains power. It will play an audio prompt when its startup routine is complete.

When a Formation Bass that has not been previously used is first switched on it will automatically enter setup mode to enable its connection to your home network and to any other available Formation devices. Setup mode is indicated by a slow amber pulse illumination of the Form touch button . The Formation Bass will also appear in the Bowers & Wilkins Home app as available for set up after selecting 'Add Formation product' from the app Settings page.

Your Formation Bass manages its operational state and power consumption entirely automatically and will switch to a power saving mode after twenty minutes of inactivity. There is no need ever to switch off your Formation Bass, however should you wish to do so, simply disconnected it from mains power. Your Formation Bass will retain its settings without mains power.

You can restart a Formation Bass speaker by a short press and release of the reset button located on its rear panel . Pressing the button will switch the Formation Bass off and on again. All settings will be retained when your Formation Bass restarts. You can also restart your Formation Bass via the Bowers & Wilkins Home app Settings page.

If you wish to reset your Formation Bass to its default settings, press and hold the reset button for five seconds. On restart, your Formation Bass will enter setup mode. All settings will be deleted when your Formation Bass resets. You can also reset your Formation Bass via the Bowers & Wilkins Home app Settings menu.

Network Setup

• With your Formation Bass in setup mode, with its Form button illumination pulsing slowly amber, launch the Bowers & Wilkins Home app on your iOS or Android device. The app will guide you with prompts though the setup process.
  Note: Formation Bass employs a Bluetooth connection to the device running the Bowers & Wilkins Home app during the setup process. Bluetooth signals have a relatively short range and can be interrupted by room boundaries, so we recommend that your Formation Bass and Bowers & Wilkins Home app device remain in close proximity during the setup process.
• The Bowers & Wilkins Home app will first search for Formation products in setup mode and display a screen inviting the selection of one. Tap to select your Formation Bass. If you have already set up a Formation product and are adding an additional one, select 'Add Formation product' from the app Settings menu.
• The Bowers & Wilkins Home app will next invite you to name the "space" in which your Formation Bass is to be used. A list of default space names is provided but you can also create your own. When you have selected, or created, a space name, the app will ask you to touch the Form button on the top of your Formation Bass to confirm the selection.
• If a wireless network connection for your Formation Bass is to be used, the next setup stage will connect your Formation Bass to your home WiFi network. The app will ask you to confirm the correct WiFi network and ask you to input its password. Alternatively, if your Formation Bass is connected to your network router using an Ethernet cable, this stage of the setup process will be bypassed.
  Note: If you already have other Formation products connected to your WiFi network, Formation Bass setup will not require you to input the WiFi password.
• With WiFi network configuration, and space selection complete, your Formation Bass is ready for use. Your Formation Bass will play an audio prompt to confirm successful set up.

Using Your Formation Bass

The Basics

Once installed and configured, your Formation bass will operate entirely automatically. The only adjustment you may need to make is of subwoofer volume relative to the partnered Formation speaker. This will depend on personal preferences and the acoustic character of you listening room. To adjust Formation Bass volume, open the Bowers & Wilkins Formation app and tap on the settings icon to open the Settings menu. Now tap on the 'Formation Bass' to open its settings page and use the volume slider to make adjustments.

Note: Please remember that your Formation Bass subwoofer is capable of low frequency volume levels that have the potential to cause nuisance. If in any doubt, reduce the volume.

Spaces

Spaces are a core concept of the Formation product family. A Formation "space" is a room or a specific area in your home in which you listen to music. Each space can include different combinations of Formation products. The possible configurations are displayed in Diagram 3

Diagram 3
Space configurations

Form Button illumination

The Formation Bass Form button illumination changes to indicate a variety of operational states. The illuminations are displayed in Diagram 4.

Diagram 4
Form button illuminations

The Bowers & Wilkins Home App

With your Formation Bass configured and connected to your network, the Bowers & Wilkins Home app will open to its Home screen where the Formation Bass space and any other available Formation spaces will be listed.

Tap on a Formation space to select from any available streams or inputs. If there are no streams available, open a streaming app, Spotify for example, and select an item to play, then select the Formation Space from the list of available playback devices. Now, when you return to the Bowers & Wilkins Home app, the Spotify stream will be listed on the Formation Bass space page.

The Bowers & Wilkins Home app Home page has a Settings icon in the top right corner. Tap the icon to open the app Settings menu. The Settings menu provides options to configure and reset your Formation devices and re-name your Formation spaces. App and Formation device firmware updates are also initiated from the Settings menu.

Finding Your Way Around the Bowers & Wilkins Home App

The Bowers & Wilkins Home app will search for available Formation spaces when opened then display its Home page with the spaces listed.

Beneath each space the app will display its current activity. Tapping on an active space will open a "now playing" screen that enables volume and play/pause control.

The 'now playing' screen also provides an 'Available Spaces' option that enables the stream playing in the selected space to be transferred to another space or played in multiple spaces. The 'Available Spaces' screen also provides the opportunity to control volume, both globally across all spaces, or in individual spaces.

The Bowers & Wilkins Home app Settings page is opened by tapping on the settings icon. The initial Settings menu lists each space and the number of Formation devices present in each one.

Tapping on a space listed in the Settings menu provides access to its Space and Formation device settings. Tap the Space name to access the space settings and tap the device name to access the device settings. The device settings available will depend on the device in question.

Note: If the Settings icon on the Bowers & Wilkins Home app displays an amber dot (icon + dot) this indicates that a Formation firmware update is available. The firmware update process is initiated from the Settings menu. You should always aim to keep the Bowers & Wilkins Home app and your Formation devices up to date with the latest version and firmware. Not only will this help ensure the most reliable performance, it will ensure that you benefit from new Formation features.

Cleaning

Should your Formation Bass need cleaning you can wipe its top surface with a clean, lint-free cloth and brush its grille with a soft brush. If you wish to use any cleaning fluid, apply it onto the cleaning cloth and not directly onto the Formation Bass. Test a small area first, as some cleaning products may damage some of the surfaces. Avoid products that are abrasive, or contain acid, alkali or antibacterial agents.

Support

Should you require further help or advice regarding your Formation Bass please visit the Formation support site here www.bowerswilkins.com/support.

Environmental Information

This product complies with international directives, including but not limited to the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) in electrical and electronic equipment, the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of Chemicals (REACH) and the disposal of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). Consult your local waste disposal authority for guidance on how properly to recycle or dispose of this product.