Bowers & Wilkins – 801 D4 – Floorstanding Speaker

Description

Overview

The 801 D4 is the flagship floorstander of the Bowers & Wilkins 800 Series Diamond — the reference against which the rest of the range is judged. It is a large three-way system that we reserve for rooms that can genuinely use it: a dedicated two-channel space, a substantial music room, or the left and right of a serious cinema built without compromise.

Design & build

The 801 D4 uses the Reverse Wrap Matrix cabinet with a downward-firing port, topped by the aluminium Turbine Head that houses the midrange in a stiff, critically damped enclosure, and the solid-body Tweeter-on-Top above. It stands 1221mm tall, 451mm wide and 600mm deep, and weighs 100.6 kg — a speaker that demands space and firm placement. Finishes are Gloss Black, White, Satin Rosenut and Satin Walnut.

Sound & performance

Quoted frequency response is 15Hz–28kHz (±3dB from the reference axis), with 90dB sensitivity and a nominal 8-ohm impedance falling to a 3.0-ohm minimum. Recommended amplifier power runs from 50W to 1000W, reflecting a loudspeaker that scales with the quality and current of the amplification driving it.

Key features

The drive complement is a 25mm diamond-dome tweeter, a 150mm Continuum FST midrange and two 250mm Aerofoil bass cones. The Turbine Head isolates the midrange from the bass enclosure, while Biomimetic Suspension replaces the conventional spider behind the midrange cone.

Technology

The diamond dome is exceptionally stiff for its mass, pushing the first break-up mode well beyond audibility. The Continuum FST cone avoids abrupt break-up for an uncoloured midband, and the Aerofoil bass cones vary in thickness across their profile for stiffness without excess mass. The Matrix bracing keeps the cabinet inert.

Specifications

Type: three-way vented-box floorstander. Drive units: 25mm diamond tweeter, 150mm Continuum FST midrange, 2 × 250mm Aerofoil bass. Frequency response: 15Hz–28kHz (±3dB). Sensitivity: 90dB. Nominal impedance: 8 ohms (minimum 3.0 ohms). Recommended power: 50–1000W into 8 ohms. Dimensions: 1221 × 451 × 600 mm. Weight: 100.6 kg. Finishes: Gloss Black, White, Satin Rosenut, Satin Walnut.

Who it’s for

The 801 D4 is for the listener with a large, well-treated room and the amplification to match, who wants a true reference loudspeaker for two-channel music or the front stage of a no-compromise cinema. Pricing is on application.

What we would pair it with

The 801 D4 is not difficult so much as unforgiving: it will report exactly what the amplifier in front of it is doing. We drive it with McIntosh MC611 or MC901 monoblocs, Gryphon Antileon EVO where pure Class A is wanted, or TAD M2500MK2. In front of that, the McIntosh C55 or Gryphon Essence. Under-powering an 801 D4 is the single commonest mistake made with this speaker, and it is an expensive one — it does not distort, it simply sounds flat and uninvolving, and the owner blames the speaker.

Room and setup notes

Each cabinet weighs 100.6 kg and stands 1,221 mm tall, so delivery, floor loading and access all need thinking about before the order, not after — we survey the route in. It is downward-ported, which makes it less sensitive to the rear wall than a rear-ported design, but it still wants space and it needs a floor that will not flex. In a room under roughly 35 square metres this speaker is the wrong purchase and we will tell you so. Above that, and in a treated or dedicated room, it is one of the very few loudspeakers that will keep rewarding upstream investment indefinitely. Allow proper setup time; small changes in toe-in are audible at this level.

Also worth considering

The 802 D4 and 803 D4 carry the same Turbine Head midrange and diamond tweeter in cabinets a normal large room can accommodate, and in most British houses one of those is the better buy. If the speakers must not be seen at all, the equivalent conversation is a Wisdom Audio in-wall system — see our guide to invisible speakers. Full range on the Bowers & Wilkins page.

Why buy from Hidden Home Technology

A speaker of this stature must be positioned and partnered with care. We can demonstrate the 801 D4, advise on amplification and room treatment, and handle delivery and installation across the South. Speak to our team to arrange a listen or discuss your project.