British Tradition Redefined
MAYBE IT’S because our country is still young, but Americans tend to think of the British as having lots of long-standing traditions. Is that impression still valid? These days, Jaguar Cars is owned by India’s Tata Motors. Mini Cooper, Rolls Royce, and Bentley are owned by German companies. Even Marmite, that most British of toast toppings, is half-owned by the Dutch. Following that trend, it should come as no surprise to learn that a quintessentially British hi-fi company like Bowers & Wilkins is owned by a Silicon Valley, California-based startup called EVA Automation. Engineering and design still takes place at the company’s headquarters in Worthing, England, even if most of the actual production now takes place in Asia.
Bowers & Wilkins’ embrace of old-school tradition continues with the company’s current approach to surround sound. In recent years, the market for home theater audio has split in two directions. Dedicated enthusiasts are embracing new expanded multi-speaker technologies like Dolby Atmos, while more casual users gravitate toward simpler one- and
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