Bowers & Wilkins – 803 D4 – Floorstanding speakers

Description

Why we install Bowers & Wilkins 803 D4

The 803 D4 is often the point in the 800 Series Diamond range where a serious listening room and a high-grade cinema begin to meet. In a typical Hidden Home Technology design, we would consider it for larger living rooms, dedicated music spaces, or front left and right duties in a cinema where the system needs proper scale without moving to the physical presence of the 802 D4 or 801 D4. It pairs well with carefully chosen amplification rather than simply more wattage on paper; control, current delivery and low noise matter if the speaker is to sound composed at both evening listening levels and film reference levels. Where the front three are matched, we would usually keep the centre and surrounds within the same Bowers & Wilkins family, with subwoofers integrated for extension rather than to cover poor placement. Setup is not a formality: the 803 D4 rewards precise toe-in, careful spacing from boundaries, solid levelling and measured bass management. Compared with the 804 D4, it gives more authority and ease in rooms that can accommodate it; compared with the larger models, it is the more practical route where space, sightlines and interior balance still matter. Hear the 803 D4 in context at our Bath showroom and we can talk through whether it is the right fit for your room, electronics and listening priorities.

Small wonder
803 D4 may be notably more compact than the 801 D4 or 802 D4, but it still bristles with technical innovation, most obviously in its use of a three-box construction. Its 130mm (5-in) midrange cone is carefully isolated from the impact of its bass cones thanks to its Turbine Head enclosure.

Reverse Wrap cabinet
Instead of a conventional loudspeaker box, our cabinets are made from a continuous curved section of wood, with the drive units mounted at the heart of the curvature. This stiffer, more inert structure resists mechanical resonances far better and also ensures better dispersion of sound.

Enhanced Matrix™
Matrix bracing uses interlocking panels to reinforce loudspeaker cabinet walls in all directions internally, reducing resonance and creating a more believable soundstage. The Matrix assembly in 803 D4 is our best yet, ensuring optimum scale, power and intelligibility.

Aluminium bass pods
803 D4 mounts two Aerofoil™ bass cones in twin solid aluminium bass pods, each of which is clamped into an aluminium plate fixed to the stiffest part of its curved cabinet. Formed as single pieces of metal, these stiff structures provide the perfect mechanical location for those powerful bass cones.

The science of sound
Innovation is at the heart of everything we do. We question, we examine, we understand and then we evolve. We use computer modelling to explore and reimagine every aspect of loudspeaker design. Learn more about all the technologies that combine to make 800 Series Diamond so special here.

Step up for more power
803 D4 features all the most iconic ingredients in the 800 Series Diamond range including, of course, that famous headed enclosure. It is, however, smaller than its other siblings. Step up to the 802 D4, and you’ll get both larger 200mm (8-in) bass cones and a larger 150mm (6-in) midrange driver.