Bowers & Wilkins 801 D5

£43,000.00

Engineered for recording studios and discerning listeners alike, it uses their most advanced technologies to deliver reference-quality sound. Available from Sept. 2026

Bowers & Wilkins 801 D5

Flagship floor standing loudspeaker

Bowers & Wilkins 801 D5

The 801 D5 is an icon refined, the pinnacle of Bowers & Wilkins performance. Engineered for recording studios and discerning listeners alike, it uses their most advanced technologies to deliver reference-quality sound.

From its Diamond dome tweeter and optimised drive units to Space Frame Bracing and an upgraded plinth, its purposeful mix of evolution and innovation is housed in an elegantly crafted and beautifully finished cabinet, shaped by the science of sound. Available in Stealth Black, Warm White, Light Walnut, or Dark Walnut, with matching Leather by Connolly trim, it’s an icon of both performance and design. Born of their 60-year obsession with creating the perfect loudspeaker, 801 D5 delivers Bowers & Wilkins most realistic and accurate listening experience yet.

Others play back music. Theirs brings music to life

Musicians record with it because they trust it. Engineers mix with it because it tells the truth. Listeners keep it for life because nothing else comes close. For generations, the 800 Series has been the loudspeaker of choice in the world’s most revered recording studios, helping create some of the greatest music and scores ever heard.

Ultimate drive unit technology

Pairing their most advanced and innovative drive unit technology, the 801 D5 delivers Bowers & Wilkins purest sound ever. The Diamond dome tweeter pushes break-up frequency to 70kHz, delivering exceptional clarity, precision and openness, and the ContinuumTM cone delivers voices and instruments with lifelike detail.

800 series Diamond Tweeter

Optimised for pure performance

Every model in the new 800 Series Diamond range benefits from enhanced technology. An upgraded Matrix™ design reduces resonance and creates a more believable soundstage, while aluminium Space Frame Bracing and an all-new aluminium top section within the cabinet help deliver an even more spacious and immersive sound.

Crafted to be better by design

The 800 Series Diamond looks this way for a reason. Its shape is dictated by the science of sound. The cabinets are formed from a single continuous curve, locked in place by a solid aluminium spine, so cabinet reflections are reduced. Complemented by the Tweeter-on-Top and Turbine Head, musical performance is always as precise as possible.

801 D5 headed

Bowers & Wilkins 801 D5 Technical Specifications

Dimensions:
Height: 1221mm (48.1 in) including tweeter and plinth
Width: 372mm (14.6 in) cabinet only, 447mm (17.6in) including plinth
Depth: 556mm (21.9in) including grille and terminals, 597mm (23.5in) including plinth

Net weight:
106.4kg (234.6lbs)

Technical features

  • Diamond dome tweeter
  • Solid body Tweeter-on-Top
  • Continuum™ cone FST midrange
  • Anti-Resonance plug
  • Biomimetic Suspension
  • Turbine Head
  • Matrix™
  • Aerofoil™ base cones
  • Flowport™

Description – 3-way vented-box system
Drive units

  • 1x ø25mm (1in) Diamond dome high-frequency
  • 1x ø150mm (6in) Continuum cone FST midrange
  • 2x ø250mm (10in) Aerofoil™ bass

Frequency range -6dB 13Hz to 35kHz
Frequency response – 15Hz to 28kHz (+/-3dB)
Sensitivity – 90dB
Harmonic distortion

  • 2nd and 3rd harmonics (90dB, 1m on axis)
  • <1% 30Hz – 20kHz
  • <0.3% 100Hz – 8kHz

Nominal impedance – 8Ω (minimum 3.0Ω)

Recommended amplifier power – 50W – 1000W into 8Ω on unclipped programme
Max recommended cable impedance – 0.1Ω

Cabinet finishes

  • Stealth Black
  • Warm White
  • Dark Walnut
  • Light Walnut

Grille finishes

  • Black (Stealth Black and Dark Walnut)
  • Grey (Warm White and Light Walnut)
Bowers & Wilkins 801 D5 Lifestyle

Additional information

Colour

Dark Walnut, Light Walnut, Stealth Black, Warm White

Brand

Bowers & Wilkins

Bowers & Wilkins

1960s: Humble beginnings

The sleepy coastal town of Worthing in South England might not look like a hotbed of 1960s freewheeling experimentation, but for audio fans it’s a place that’s synonymous with innovation. Thanks to the first Bowers & Wilkins speakers built here in the early years of the company, music lovers could experience albums such as Sgt. Pepper and Pet Sounds in new, mind-expanding depth and clarity

1966: Beginings

John Bowers begins assembling speaker systems in the workshop of his electronics shop in Worthing, South East England Following an inheritance of £10,000 from a satisfied customer, John Bowers sets up his own loudspeaker company

1966: P1

The first Bowers & Wilkins loudspeaker. The profit from P1 allowed the company to invest in new calibration equipment

1968: Domestic Monitors

The DM1 and DM3 were launched to bring high quality audio to more customers, at an affordable price point

1970s: A decade of milestones

With the company established and growing fast, Bowers & Wilkins developed its reputation for innovative design backed up by world-leading R&D. They introduced new forms and design concepts including Tweeter-on-Top, new cone materials such as Aramid fibre, and it all culminated in the launch of the iconic 801, soon to become the reference speaker of choice for many of the world’s leading recording studios

1970: DM70

With its curved cabinet, the DM70 changed the shape of loudspeaker design

1980s: The application of science

Extensive investment in research led to the establishment of the company’s dedicated R&D facility in Steyning. The era of MTV pop superstardom and bombastic stadium rock also saw Bowers & Wilkins buck the trend and introduce something small and unobtrusive: the “compact monitor”, or CM1

1990s: Rewriting the rulebook

The 1990s saw the pioneering work of the Steyning research team realised in spectacular fashion with the launch of Nautilus™, a speaker that rewrote preconceived notions of speaker design. It also saw major product launches at both ends of the spectrum, with the unveiling of the highly regarded entry-level 600 Series and the flagship Nautilus 800 Series

2000s: Expansion in to new categories

The decade that brought us iPods and smartphones saw them embrace the new world with the launch of the iconic Zeppelin. They also expanded into the car audio category and transformed the performance of their 800 Series with the development of the Diamond-dome tweeter

2015: 800 Series Diamond

The latest version of their flagship introduced a complete redesign and revolutionary new technologies, such as the Continuum™ cone

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