Bowers & Wilkins M-1 Satellite Speaker - Black - Each

One Small Speaker, Sold One at a Time

The M-1 is a two-way satellite built to go where a full-size cabinet cannot. A 1-inch metal dome tweeter sits above a 4-inch woven glass fibre cone, and the crossover between them is set at 4 kHz.

B&W supplies both a wall bracket and a table stand in the box, and describes the M-1 as equally at home on a shelf or a wall. It is sold one speaker at a time, so you buy the number your room actually needs.

One Speaker, Several Jobs

Buy two for stereo. Buy one for a center channel. Buy four or six for surrounds, or mix all three roles in the same room, which is the advantage of a speaker that is voiced to match itself.

The Numbers, and What They Ask of You

Frequency response runs 64 Hz to 23 kHz within 3 dB, and the quoted range reaches 55 Hz and 50 kHz at minus 6 dB. Sensitivity is 85 dB. Nominal impedance is 8 ohms, with a minimum of 4.0 ohms.

Harmonic distortion stays under 1 percent from 120 Hz to 30 kHz. B&W recommends 20 to 100 watts into 8 ohms on unclipped programme, which most receivers and integrated amplifiers will supply without any fuss at all.

How Little Room It Takes

On its table stand the M-1 measures 9.8 inches tall, 4.5 wide and 6.4 deep, and it weighs 5 pounds. That is small enough to sit on a bookshelf, a sideboard, or a wall bracket without dominating anything.

What Reviewers Are Saying

Brian Alvarez reviewed the M-1 for Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity on February 11, 2013: "There are few speakers at any price that are as beautifully executed from a design perspective as the M-1."

On the tweeter he wrote: "In the M-1 the tweeter is so free of distortion and harshness that the effect of that brightness is to reveal extra levels of detail." B&W still lists the same drivers and crossover today.

Who Is This Bookshelf Speaker Best For?

• You are filling awkward positions — under 10 inches tall on its stand and 5 pounds, with a wall bracket supplied, so it goes on a wall, a shelf or a sideboard rather than needing floor space
• You are building a surround system in stages — sold individually, so you can add one surround speaker at a time and end with a set that is voiced to match itself
• You need one speaker to play several roles — the same model works as a front, a center or a rear, which keeps the tonal character consistent all the way round the room
• Your amplifier is an ordinary receiver — 20 to 100 watts into 8 ohms is a wide, forgiving window, and one of our AV receivers will drive a full set of these comfortably
• Plan on a subwoofer for film — a 4-inch cone reaches 55 Hz at minus 6 dB, which is respectable for the size but leaves the bottom two octaves to a subwoofer

How Does It Connect to Your System?

The M-1 is passive, so it takes speaker cable from your amplifier or receiver and needs no mains power of its own. Run the same length of cable to every speaker in a set where you can.

Use the supplied table stand on a shelf, or the supplied bracket on a wall, and aim each speaker toward where you sit. For surround duty, get them at or a little above ear height.

Pairs Well With

What finishes the setup. These are the categories most M-1 owners shop next.

• Subwoofers — for everything below the 55 Hz mark
• The matching M-1 floor stands — 38 inches, for free-standing placement
• AV receivers — 20 to 100 watts into 8 ohms is the window
• Speaker cables — more runs than usual in a surround set, so buy accordingly

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this one speaker or a pair?

One speaker. Order two for stereo, or as many as your surround layout calls for. We list it this way because it ships one to a box.

Can I use it as a center channel?

Yes. The same M-1 works as a front, a center or a surround, which is the point of buying them one at a time.

What comes in the box?

A wall bracket and a table stand are both supplied. The 38-inch floor stands are a separate purchase, for when you want the speaker free-standing.

Do I need a subwoofer?

B&W says the M-1 works with or without one. For film, add one: a 4-inch cone quoted to 55 Hz is not going to carry an action soundtrack by itself.

What amplifier power does it need?

B&W recommends 20 to 100 watts into 8 ohms on unclipped programme. Sensitivity is 85 dB, so do not run a full set off the smallest receiver you can find.

What if I mainly want a stereo pair for music?

Look at our bookshelf speakers instead. A larger cabinet sold as a pair will always do more for two-channel music than a satellite can.

See It in Action

Bowers & Wilkins introduces the Mini Theatre series the M-1 belongs to:

The Listening Post spends thirteen minutes unboxing and setting up a pair:

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Learn More

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