About The Bowers & Wilkins 805 D4 Speakers
The 805 D4 Stand Mount Loudspeaker is the most compact model in the 800 Series Diamond range, but it's still packed with advanced technologies, including that all-important Diamond dome tweeter and Solid Body Tweeter-on-Top. It's proof positive that small can still be beautiful.
Solid Body Tweeter On Top: The latest incarnation of Bowers & Wilkins's iconic Solid Body Tweeter-on-Top housing features an elongated form with a longer tube-loading system, producing an even more free and open sound with high frequencies. As before, the carefully decoupled housing is milled from a single solid block of aluminium to better resist resonance.
Reverse Wrap Cabinet: Instead of a flat-fronted speaker with a curving back, Bowers & Wilkins's cabinets are formed from one continuous curve, held together with a spine of solid aluminium. Fewer joins make for a stiffer, more inert structure, and a curved front means less baffling around the drive units. So sound dispersion is improved, and cabinet reflection is reduced.
Matrix™: Matrix™ bracing uses interlocking panels to reinforce loudspeaker cabinet walls in all directions internally, reducing resonance and creating a more believable soundstage. Every model in the new 800 Series Diamond benefits from an upgraded Matrix design that combines solid plywood construction with aluminium bracing to reinforce key stress points.
Continuum Cone™: Thanks to its composite construction, the Continuum™ cone avoids the abrupt transitions in behaviour that can impair the performance of a conventional drive unit. The result is a more open, neutral performance that delivers voices and instruments with precision and transparency.
Aluminium Top-Plate: Every stereo model in the new 800 Series Diamond range has a significantly upgraded cabinet design with an all-new aluminium top section for even greater stiffness. The same design also provides a perfect mounting point for all-new Leather by Connolly cabinet detailing, with luxurious black leather for dark cabinets and light grey for lighter finishes.
Crossover: All stereo models in the new 800 Series Diamond range now use rear-mounted crossover designs mounted on stiff aluminium spines. This isolates the sensitive capacitors from the unwanted effects of air pressure within the enclosure and makes for a very effective heatsink to ensure optimum performance when in use.
Leather by Connolly: The top section of every stereo model features an aluminium top-plate, covered in all-new Leather by Connolly trim. Bowers & Wilkins use luxurious, full-grain black leather for Gloss Black and Satin Rosenut finishes, and a light grey leather for White and Satin Walnut.
Finishes: The Bowers & Wilkins 805 D4 is available in a range of beautiful finishes to match your décor. The Gloss Black & Satin Rosenut models come with black grilles & black Connolly leather on the top plate. The White & Satin Walnut models come with light grey grilles & light grey Connolly leather on the top plate.
Bowers & Wilkins 805 D4 Reviews
"The 800 D4, takes every element of the vaunted D3 up a notch. All models in Bowers & Wilkins latest flagship series, including the 805, get a cabinet with more aluminum, a rear-mounted crossover that yields greater internal volume, an elongated "turbine" for the diamond-coated tweeter, handsome leather trim, and a biomimetic (versus fabric) midrange spider mechanism. The resulting sound is pure 800: resolving, musical, and self-effacing. The drivers and cabinet are so quiet that the subtlest musical flourishes emerge. And despite being stand-mounted, the 805 goes surprisingly deep, with satisfying punch and low-end timbral complexity." The Absolute Sound Magazine: 2023 Editor's Choice Award
"The Bower & Wilkins 805 D4 are easy speakers to recommend. They're beautifully made and packed with technology. We get the impression that the engineering team behind their design really delved into the details to eke out every ounce of performance they could.
The result is arguably the most insightful and detailed sounding pair of speakers at this level. They deliver a sound that's balanced, wide open and packed to bursting with detail. Outright clarity is class-leading and vocals sound focused and refined.
If you're lucky enough to be buying at this level, make sure the 805 D4 are on your shortlist." What Hi-Fi? - Best British Speakers 2023
"Normally, I tend to sit on the fence when it comes to changes from one version to another; there is generally an improvement with each iteration, but it's usually not so big as to make the previous edition sound bad. There are a few exceptions, however, and the 805 D4 is one of the biggest. The 805 D3 is a great loudspeaker, and you can see and hear why it was so popular… right up until the moment you hook up a pair of 805 D4. It takes all the things the 805 D3 does right and makes them a lot better.
The change is not clichéd veil lifting, but what happens in the run-up to visiting the optician for a check-up; you spend a few months with nearly the right optical prescription and then are wowed as you get fitted with lenses perfect for you. That moment of sonic clarity and focus you get from the D4 in the wake of the D3 is striking. It's worth restating that the 805 D3 is an extremely competent and good sounding loudspeaker, but it's thoroughly outclassed by its progeny.
Sometimes a change is little more than a step, but in the Bowers & Wilkins 805 D4 it's a giant leap. Whether or not you follow the fortunes of the little reference speaker from the brand, the Bowers & Wilkins 805 D4 has entered the race as one of the best stand-mount loudspeakers in audio right now." Hi-Fi+
"Small stand-mounted speakers are experiencing a resurgence, and over the past few years quite a few have graced my listening room. Each impressed me in different ways, but for this Golden Ear Award, I wanted to select a small speaker that, above all, could be widely recommended. In that respect, nothing I've heard surpasses the Bowers & Wilkins 805 D4.
Start with the easy-on-the-wallet price. Thanks to its broad product range (some of which are very affordable and, thus, higher volume) and its recording studio business, Bowers & Wilkins has the ability to conduct extensive R&D and to pass along economies of scale. The 805 D4 is a case in point. Even with their matching stands, we're talking under AUD$17k a pair. Competitive speakers with this level of technology, materials, and performance can run twice as much.
Next, consider that the 805 D4 isn't picky about amplifiers. Nor does it insist on regimented placement; you can have the speaker out in the room or tucked close to the wall behind it. The result is that you can deploy this speaker in most any system or room with impunity.
Finally, the 805 D4's sound and musicality are nothing short of sterling. Like all the best small two-way speakers, the D4 disappears completely and throws a soundstage with uncannily tight imaging. However, unlike most of its ilk, the Bowers & Wilkins has bass quantity and quality to kill for. The quality side of that equation includes precise attacks, an absence of overhang, and so much timbral information that no two bass instruments sound alike. In a similarly impressive feat, the 805 D4 can create a soundstage with a scale unheard of from a speaker of its size.
As Bowers & Wilkins followers know, the company isn't interested in creating a particular sound; rather, it is into building good drivers and giving those drivers the best possible environment in which to thrive. The 805 D4 is firmly in keeping with that tradition. Its cabinet is extremely quiet—if not quite to the degree of the significantly more expensive Acora, Stenheim, and Magico equivalents—and the drivers are more linear and well behaved than ever. These virtues free the speaker to deliver a wide dynamic range, plenty of rhythmic pizzaz, and plenty of musical flourishes.
The 805 D4 is also excellent at rendering subtle details, and thankfully it does so in a natural, unshowy way. I suspect this is down to the diamond tweeter. It may not be as extended as some tweeters (especially ribbons), but it's incredibly smooth and never etched. Add in a beautifully finished, décor-friendly appearance, and you've got a speaker that's both a cinch to live with and supremely satisfying musically and sonically. That makes the 805 D4 easy to recommend indeed." 2023 Golden Ear – The Absolute Sound
Our Take On The Bowers & Wilkins 805 D4 Speakers
Would love to have the luxurious Bowers & Wilkins 800 Series Diamond speakers in your home but can't quite accommodate one of the floorstanding models? The 805 D4 will be music to your ears. Of course, where circumstances allow, we strongly recommend the matching FS805 D4 speaker stands which help the 805 D4's sound their very best. But sometimes you want the best but only have limited space to put your beautiful speakers. In typical fashion, Bowers & Wilkins have thought ahead to just such a scenario and have no problem with you mounting the 805 D4's on a cabinet or bookshelf. They even supply special foam bungs to put in the port for near wall situations which are actually in two parts so you can choose to just partially block the ports for a little more bass output if desired. Talking of desire, we think that's exactly what you'll feel when you encounter these gorgeous gems. They're small enough to cuddle and we don't doubt you'll be tempted to do just that as you enjoy the beautiful sound they produce and gaze at the luxurious curved design of aluminium, wood and soft leather that virtually defines the word premium. Enjoy.
Main Features & Specifications
- Design: 2-Way, 2-Driver Stand Mount Speaker
- Diamond Tweeter
- Solid Body Tweeter-on-Top
- Continuum™ Cone FST Mid/Bass
- Anti-Resonance Plug
- Matrix™
- Flowport™
- Bass Reflex Vented Box System
- Drive Units
- 1 x 25mm (1") Diamond Dome Tweeter
- 1 x 165mm (6.5") Continuum Cone Bass/Midrange
- Frequency Range: 34Hz to 35kHz
- Frequency Response: 42Hz to 28kHz (+/-3dB from reference axis)
- Sensitivity: 88dB (on axis at 2.83Vrms at 1m)
- Harmonic Distortion: 2nd and 3rd harmonics (90dB,1m on axis)
- <1% 90Hz – 20kHz
- <0.3% 120Hz – 20kHz
- Nominal Impedance: 8Ω (minimum 4.6Ω)
- Recommended Amplifier Power: 50W – 120W into 8Ω on unclipped programme
- Max Recommended Cable Impedance: 0.1Ω
- Available Finishes
- Gloss Black with black grilles & black Connolly leather on the top plate
- Satin Rosenut with black grilles & black Connolly leather on the top plate
- White with light grey grilles & light grey Connolly leather on the top plate
- Satin Walnut with light grey grilles & light grey Connolly leather on the top plate
- Included In The Boxes: 2 Mid/Bass grilles, 4 Terminal link wires, 8 Self-adhesive plastic pads, 2 Two-part foam port plugs, 1 Cleaning cloth
- Matching Bowers & Wilkins FS805 D4 Speaker Stands Highly Recommended
- Dimensions (WxHxD): 240 x 440 x 373mm
- Weight: 15.55 kg each
- Manufacturer's Warranty: 5 Years
Note: Features & Specifications Subject To Change Without Notice. E&OE