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Looking at the 800 D5 series next to its predecessors and you'd be forgiven for assuming Bowers & Wilkins had had a quiet few years, as aesthetically a lot looks the same but behind the looks Bowers have been hard at work bringing what’s most important, audible gains!
We were fortunate enough to be invited to Bowers & Wilkins factory and headquarters for the launch of the new 800 D5 Series. Part factory tour, part engineering briefing, and, on the second day, a listening session plus guided tour of their R&D facilities. It was a fantastic reminder of the exacting efforts in pursuit sonic excellence and manufacturing brilliance that is sometimes overlooked when we just see the finished product.
A Speaker with History
The 800 Series needs little introduction to anyone who's spent time around serious hi-fi. As Andy Kerr (Director of Product Marketing) put it to us, John Bowers never set out to build a "studio" speaker and a "home" speaker as two separate propositions, he wanted one loudspeaker honest enough to belong in both. Bowers had a simple test for what made a good loudspeaker: not the one that gives the most, but the one that loses the least, nothing added, nothing coloured, nothing standing between you and what the artist intended. It's the same conviction that, back in 1980, saw Bowers and his chief acoustic engineer Steve Roe personally deliver a pair of 801s to Abbey Road, where the engineers listened for about ten minutes before deciding the speakers could simply stay. They've continued to build on that reputation year on year. Studios like Skywalker Sound came on board, drawn just like Abbey Road, by speakers capable of revealing every last detail of a mix. It's a weight of expectation that follows every new generation of the 800 series.
On the Factory Floor
The tour began in the cabinet shop. The 800 D5's curved enclosures are formed using industrial hot presses, which take multi-layer birch plywood, layered with grains alternating and a special adhesive between, then under considerable pressure, form it into the gentle curved profiles the range is known for. The result is a cabinet that's exceptionally dense, with the signature 800 series curves which by their very nature, considerably less prone to internal resonances than a traditional speaker cabinet.
The Matrix Bracing
This shell on its own is still prone to resonances so the internal Matrix bracing goes in, a lattice of precisely cut birch plywood panels that lock together inside the cabinet, further supplemented by aluminium Space Frame bracing and an all-new aluminium top section. It's been a hallmark of the 800 Series for decades and has been refined through each generation. For the D5, updated acoustic modelling has been used to target the precise frequencies at which panel resonance causes problems, with refined Matrix structuring and additional aluminium bracing resulting in a more optimised, colouration-free cabinet.
A new home for the midrange
For me, one of the most significant changes under the bonnet was the new housing for the Continuum FST midrange, a precision-machined aluminium assembly providing further decoupling and isolation for the midrange driver. I say this because after listening to the speakers there was something quite special in the midrange and I felt this upgrade could be directly attributed to what I heard. But more on that later.
Every model in the D5 range bar the 805 features this internal aluminium enclosure for its Continuum Cone FST assembly, derived from the stiff Turbine Head structure seen on the 803 and above. It isolates the midrange assembly while providing a consistent mechanical decoupling point for the drive unit, all of which makes for a more open sound from their Continuum Cone midrange.
Continuum drivers, made on site
Bowers' Continuum cones are all manufactured in-house and this holds true even for speakers finished at their other factories, ensuring consistent standards throughout. Every driver is measured against a strict tolerance window before it's allowed anywhere near a finished cabinet, and anything that doesn't make the grade is pulled from the line without hesitation.
The diamond tweeter assembly
The diaphragm is grown from pure chemical vapour deposition diamond, it is then assembled by hand under tightly controlled conditions by experienced technicians. Every technician on that line must complete six months of training before they're permitted anywhere near a tweeter destined for a customer's 800 series system. Incredibly delicate work, which once again has to pass strict tolerance checks before moving further down the line.
Crossover assembly
The crossover is where a lot of the D5's real engineering work happens, even though none of it is visible once the cabinet is closed up. For this generation, Bowers & Wilkins has carried over components and design cues first developed for the 800 D4 Series Signature models, upgraded capacitors and internal wiring originally reserved for that limited run now feature as standard across the D5 range. Each crossover has an original reference piece kept at the factory, used to test measurement equipment and ensure everything remains within tolerance.
Cabinet finishing
The finishing area is where the cabinets receive their final lacquer coats. Each shell goes through several layers, with hand-sanding between coats to remove any imperfections before the next is applied. The D5 is available in gloss black, gloss white, and a satin walnut veneer, with veneer pairs matched so the grain runs consistently across each pair. Every cabinet is checked under raking light before it moves on to assembly, and anything showing a flaw in the finish is sent back through the process rather than passed along.
Final assembly
At the final assembly stage, the cabinet, base, and drivers are brought together to form the complete speaker. Once built, each unit goes through a final round of checks, both acoustic and aesthetic, before it's signed off and packaged.
We were also shown around the Nautilus production facility within the same building, a dedicated team specialising in their construction. The Nautilus was always as much an engineering statement as a marketing one, and although it has stood the test of time, it's the 800 Series where the sonic progression is happening right now. That said, there was still a fair number of Nautilus speakers in production, all built to order.
Day two: Proofs in the Pudding
The second day took us to Bower’s R&D facility, where we were treated to a listening session and a tour of their facilities. Photography wasn't permitted sadly, but understandable as there was a lot going on here for both their in house products and collaborations with other.
Listening Session - The system was driven by a Gryphon Audio Commander preamplifier and APEX monoblocks, with a mix of sources. We heard each model compared directly, D4 versus D5, one after the other and pleased to say that Bower’s engineers have done it again. The D5 was immediately more open and engaging, but the most striking thing, which I alluded to earlier, was what it did with vocals. There was an emotional quality to the presentation, it was captivating and soulful, which was still present with the D4 but upon switching to the D5, it showed you another level of clarity and insight.
Seeing this facility was a useful reminder of just how much goes on behind the scenes, extensive hours of research, collaborations with other industries, and thousands of hours of listening in a relentless pursuit of audio progression.
In short
Two days with Bowers & Wilkins left all who attended with a huge respect for the new D5 and everything that goes into it from the early R&D stages to the meticulous nature of every assembly worker who bring together the finished products. It always amazes me how companies like Bowers can continue to improve upon their designs, but their R&D team is one of the best in the industry and through their sustained engineering, exploration of the latest material sciences and dedication to audio reproduction they always seem to hit the nail on the head.
Quick Run Down of the New Speaker Line Up.
The 800 D5 range
The D5 series comprises seven models in total, covering everything from a compact standmount to the flagship floorstander.
801 D5 - £43,000 per pair. The flagship, Three-way floorstander. 1in Diamond dome tweeter, 6in Continuum FST midrange in a Turbine Head, and two 10in Aerofoil bass drivers. 15Hz–28kHz (±3dB). 90dB Sensitivity. 8Ω Nominal. Recommended amplification 50–1000W. Transparent and detailed, but with sheer scale and authority.
802 D5 - £32,500 per pair. Uses the same cabinet proportions, tweeter and midrange configuration as the 801. but runs dual 8in bass drivers instead. 17 Hz – 28 kHz (±3 dB), 90dB Sensitivity, 8Ω Nominal.
803 D5 - £25,500 per pair. The most compact 800 Series model to feature the Turbine Head configuration. Featuring dual 6.5in aerofoil bass drivers, this gives you the full 800 D5 series signature sound but on a smaller scale.
804 D5 - £16,000 per pair. Three-way floorstander. More conventionally proportioned than the headed models above it, but significantly updated for the D5 generation with the new internal aluminium enclosure for the Continuum FST midrange. Diamond dome tweeter, 6in FST midrange, two 6.5in Aerofoil bass drivers. The most discreet floorstander in the range.
805 D5 - £10,000 per pair. The most compact model in the range, a two-way standmount. 42Hz (±3dB). Sensitivity 88dB, minimum impedance 4.6Ω, recommended amplification 50–120W.
HTM81 D5 - £10,000 each / HTM82 D5 - £8,000 each. Three-way centre channel speakers. The HTM81 D5 is intended for use with the 801 and 802 D5, while the HTM82 D5 pairs with the 803 and 804 D5
We're looking forward to having the 800 D5 series in for demonstration at Nintronics. When it arrives, we'll be sure to let you know, do come and have a listen.
To mark the launch, we'll also be running an enhanced trade-in promotion for anyone looking to move up to the D5 series, giving you the best possible return on your current speakers. Get in touch if you'd like to discuss your options ahead of time.
Regards
Adam
sales@Nintronics.co.uk
01707 320 788
Please note some pictres below feature pre production and test models not finished results.
