BOW THE WIZARD 2

Pre owned. In good condition. Shows some minor signs of wear. Includes Wand remote control and original packaging.

The BOW Wizard II is a top-loading CD player. Designed to perfectly match the Wazoo integrated amplifier, the Wizard II reflects Bow Technologies’ philosophy of valuing the CD format, still considered a benchmark for audio quality and signal integrity, free from compression or data reduction. While many brands have shifted focus to other formats, Bow chooses to refine the traditional CD player, creating a device that combines luxury, precision engineering, and Scandinavian elegance.

The design is by Bo Christensen, renowned for his impactful architectural creations, and stands out for its natural metal aesthetic, crafted with meticulous attention to detail and finish. The absence of a front tray, thanks to the top-loading mechanism, allows for a clean and visually striking front panel, dominated by a central display with green numerals for track and time, flanked by indicators for key functions such as standby, pause, and repeat. The overall appearance evokes an industrial design object where form and function coexist in perfect harmony.

The top-loading mechanism uses a stabilizing puck placed on top of the CD, ensuring reading stability. To protect the laser lens and internal compartment from dust, a padded disc with a leather-covered underside is provided to be left in place when the player is not in use. This open-well construction also reduces static build-up, further improving mechanical performance.

The remote control, crafted from a solid block of aluminum, is a distinctive feature of the design. Elegant and robust, it integrates 14 buttons allowing full control of the player and also the volume of the paired amplifier. A small green LED indicates activation of numerical mode for direct track access, while the top of the unit features buttons for primary transport functions.

The rear panel offers comprehensive and well-organized connectivity. It includes both RCA and balanced XLR analog outputs, along with three digital outputs: 75-ohm coaxial RCA, 75-ohm coaxial BNC, and 110-ohm AES/EBU on XLR. Completing the setup are the IEC mains input, power switch, and a slot reserved for potential future upgrades.

At the core of the system is a heavily modified and optimized Philips CDM12 Pro die-cast mechanism, stripped of components deemed potentially detrimental to sound quality. Bow employs the I2S transfer bus to separate audio data and clock signals, minimizing jitter, and powers the transport, digital, analog, display, and microprocessor circuits separately with seven independent regulated power supplies. The internal construction is solid and precise, designed to ensure mechanical stability, isolation, and long-term reliability, following production standards inspired by critical medical and military equipment.

The continuous-calibration Bitstream D/A converter is engineered for high precision and can be upgraded to 96 kHz/24-bit oversampling, including the addition of a digital input to connect external sources such as a DVD player. This modular structure makes the Wizard II a long-term investment capable of evolving over time.

In listening tests, the player stands out for remarkable transparency, rich detail, and precise transient response. Playback is crystalline and analytical, able to reveal every nuance of the recording and highlight the quality of the original master. Proper installation, adequate break-in, and pairing with high-quality electronics and cabling are essential to fully realize its sonic potential, placing it in competition with significantly more expensive equipment.

Technical specifications:

• High-end CD player in silver finish
• Top-loading mechanism with stabilizing puck placed on the CD
• 24-bit/192 kHz D/A converter
• Remote control included
• Digital outputs: coaxial RCA; coaxial BNC; AES/EBU XLR
• Analog outputs: XLR; RCA
• Dimensions: 434 × 110 × 360 mm
• Weight: 11 kg