Bowers & Wilkins 805 D4 might be smaller than its floorstanding siblings, but it’s no lightweight, its beautifully constructed.
Reverse-Wrap cabinet, stiff aluminium bass pods and 165mm (6.5in) Continuum™ mid-bass cone afford it exceptional bass extension and scale for a relatively compact speaker.
Diamond dome tweeter
One of Bowers & Wilkins most significant accomplishments over the past two decades, the ultra-stiff, supremely accurate Diamond dome tweeter is the perfect combination of low mass, exceptional stiffness and outstanding accuracy.
15 years after they introduced it, they haven’t found a better tweeter dome technology.
Solid Body Tweeter assembly
Their newest 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.
The carefully decoupled housing is milled from a single solid block of aluminium to better resist resonance.
Rear-mounted crossover
The new reverse-wrap orientation of the cabinet on Bowers & Wilkins 805 D4 means they can place its sensitive crossover components inside their own, dedicated space within the cabinet, which has critical benefits to both performance and serviceability.
They have now taken the opportunity to upgrade the speaker terminals, too.
Go large
Why step up from Bowers & Wilkins 805 D4 to 804 D4?
First, 804 D4 is a three-way speaker, with twin 165mm (6.5in) Aerofoil™ bass cones – and that has huge benefits to its power and scale.
Second, as a three-way speaker, it includes a dedicated mid-range cone, so voices and other details will sound more accurate.
Specifications Bowers & Wilkins 805 D4
Technical features
Diamond tweeter
Solid body Tweeter-on-Top
Continuum™ cone bass/mid
Anti-Resonance plug
Matrix™
Flowport
Description
2-way vented-box system
Drive units
1x ø25mm (1in) diamond dome high-frequency
1x ø165mm (6.5in) 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
Finishes
Cabinet:
Gloss Black
White
Satin Rosenut
Satin Walnut
Grille:
Black
Grey
Black
Grey
Optional Dedicated stands available
Additional information
Colour
Piano Gloss Black, Rosenut, Satin White, Walnut
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
