NEW Bowers & Wilkins BEST of their Best 801 805 SIGNATURE D4 Speakers
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- Опубликовано: 9 июл 2024
- In this video I am visiting the Bowers & Wilkins factory and visitors centre to learn about, listen to and see being built the brand new Bowers 800 D4 series Signature Speakers, the 801 D4 Signature and the 805 D4 Signature. These speaker follow a long line of Signature speakers from Bowers that have unique finish options and a number of technical upgrades over the standard speaker models.
www.bowerswilkins.com/en-gb/s...
For the video I made from my first visit to the factory for the new 800 Diamond 4 range of speakers see here • NEW Bowers & Wilkins 8...
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Chapters
0:00 Intro
3:01 Sound Difference
5:35 Factory Tour
16:30 Technical Differences
20:45 Final Thoughts
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#hifispeakers #hifi #bowerswilkins
I hope you enjoyed the video, please remember this is all a one man production, all shot on one day with no planning, just a pure run and gun situation and I think given that is the case I am extremely proud of the quality of this video. I hope you agree and can see how much work I put into making it. Thanks
Would never have guessed this was a 'rushed job', top-notch production mate.
@@lapamful yeah that is why I am proud of the video in terms of turning a run and gun into quite a pro video :) was a lot of work to get there though
I totally agree. Fantastic, professional video. But should we expect less? 🙂
🤗 WE VERY VERY MUCH APPRECIATE ALL YOUR EFFORTS TERRY …and getting another opportunity to tour the facility 👍😎💚💚💚
I have to agree they have gotten a little bit greedy in their pricing. I know there are a lot of other companies that charge way way more don’t get me wrong but it is hard for me to see the justification go from 38,000 to 50,000 8500 to 12,000. I’ve heard on the forums that they have improved things but to be honest are those improvements worth 1000s of dollars and difference I have the normal 805 D4 and truly love it had I had the money to upgrade I sure as hell would not my ruler thumb, which until this generation existed would be as follows and upgrade is not suitable until about 60% of an upgrade in the whole sound spectrum that is justifiable jump I do not see this signature line having a 60% better sound than the normal I’d say maybe 12% maybe in my opinion
The price is of course outrageous. Most people will find that they can't tell much of a difference between these and speakers half the price. However, these are pure art. If I could, I would, in an instant. So, so beautiful. Thank you, Terry, that was a fantastic 20 minutes, it's fair cheered me up.
I bought the Paradigm Founder 120H
For sure, they look amazing but the 802D4 did not sound as good as my JBL 4367 at half the price. The 4367s are smoother, more detailed and much more dynamic but super ugly lol. No hate, I have owned the older B&W 803s before but never again as they grated my ears at moderate to loud volumes.
Pity the sound doesn’t come near to the price or looks. But I have to admit… no other hifi company spends its advertising money as efficiently as B&W😉
@@stevenburdick424 how do you like them ? They are VERY MUCH on my radar but I’m running out of room for more speakers 😆
Nothing wrong with an exclusive price for exclusive craftsmanship. I respect that.
Edit: Yes, the big Nautilus with the Union Jack are something to behold.
Apart from that:
The ones on the thumbnail are so godawfully ugly. Nothing wrong with being a technical designer/ engineer - that can lead to a beautiful form -follows-function approach.
But... thinking you need to make it look "costly" and getting lost in a weird mix of 60's root wood, suffocated under too much piano lacquer, ad an 80's-italian-design-ripped-from-Colani-tweeter, some 90's matte aluminium optics and (in appearance) glueing a microphone on top.
Jeeeez ... and I thought McIntosh won with its two shades of green, two shades of blue, three fonts and a logo that looks like a beer advertising. But this takes the cake.
Less is more. Less would be so much more.
(And no - if only the sound matters then there is no need for this atrocious half baked design attempt in the first place).
I understand that for most watchers only the sound properties count but I can't separate it from the rest.
Cheers!
I'm lucky enough to work for Bowers. I saw you on that tour, so I've been waiting for this video.
Must say, another great video. A big thumbs up from me 👍👍👍👍
Thanks for commenting Sean and if your in the video I hope I got your good side :)
@@PursuitPerfectSystem lol....not this time....but I'll make sure on your next visit.
Hi Sean, could you tell us what model speaker that is at 6m11sec?
Bought 805d4 Signatures in midnight blue. Just beautiful In every way. Well done B&W and well done Terry. Feel amazingly lucky to own such speakers. They are extraordinary.
Wow very nice
I have the B&W 804 D4, running off a Michi X3 and Chord Hugo TT2, it is hard to explain the sound, however, it is simply breath-taking clarity and definition is unmatched and the sound stage and depth are truly stunning. The B&W 804 D4 are simply put the best speakers I have ever owned :-) one happy customer !!!
I’ve got an 804 D3, love the looks but the sound is compromised by the need to hack it into a home theater setup. May I ask, how did you choose the Michi and did you cross shop Marantz, McIntosh, or Accuphase?
I've been into the Kef R series, and always wondered what high end B&W speakers sound like. Mine are fairly flat sounding, with a bit of that Mylar tamber that Magnepans have. Slightly upper mid focused. Not really what I would call airy. Tight/ quick sounding. I imagine the B&W''s to be more natural.
Can we come over for drinks ?
@@gdwlaw5549i'll bring the drinks :)
As always, terrific job Terry! I really loved seeing the process. I hope you are able to do more like this Thanks for all your hard work. Bravo and cheers.
Wow! Awesome speakers, awesome finishes, great video. Thank you.
Epitome of perfection this manufacturing concept and process. Thank you for this video
Great video, Terry. Impressive process to build these iconic speakers.
I enjoy listening to you as you talk about it 😊
Well done footage 👍
Well as owner and user of B&W top models for decades (among them the previous 800 signature and currently using 800 D2, 802D3 and 801 D4 in different systems) I can say that B&W departed from what I considered good value. Btw Terry, a wonderful video you made.
Appreciate the engineering that goes into this design.
Thank you for the tour of B&W. Have the old 805 Matrix. These are works of art.
really loved seeing the process. I hope you are able to do more like this Thanks for all your hard work😀
Great presentation. The top end B&W speakers have been a reference point for me by which I judge other speakers in general.
Beautiful things !
Great craftsmanship
Thankyou
Thankyou ! I work in production. It’s a great job whatever you make we need more people in engineering
That California Burl Gloss finish looks gorgeous. What you said about harsher recordings sounding "relaxed and refined" is exactly how I'd describe the Sonus Faber sound character too - very flattering to bootleg and demo recordings!
Helped move a friend and their B&W 802 Diamonds today. Couldn't believe the weight and price of these speakers. Was scared I'd damage them but it all went well, despite testing a few disks in my back.
Congratulations for this brilliant work and this fascinating visit to this place of high craftsmanship.
Thanks for another great video. Love the channel.
I've seen all your other B&W factory tour videos and was surprised by how interesting this was. Felt more in depth than the others. Looking forward to another one whenever they invite you back! Also it would be fun if you get to test the Nautilus speakers. As far as high end speakers go, B&W are still relatively good value for money. This level of build and engineering quality is hard to get at any price.
Great video. Many thanks for your efforts and sharing
I have heard the 801 d4 in a treated room with proper amplification and it’s hard to explain. The audio store had the speakers augmented by SVS. I made them turn off SVS so I could hear clean powered bowers. Holy s****e. Deep clean bass and that was the regular 801 d4 so can’t imagine the signatures
These are the most beautiful premium speakers I have ever seen, I hope one day I will at least have the joy of listening to them.🤩
another great production terry..thanks
私は802を購入する時、製造の動画を見ました。
購入してから随分時間は経ちましたが今も素晴らしい音を奏でてくれてます。これからも良い機器を製造してください。
Love your content! It goes way deeper than a lot of other reviewers and I appreciate we can see and learn more about the brand. (not only B&W)
As a B&W 700 S3 owner I'd love to see a tour of their factory in China. Mr. Kerr mentioned he's proud they manufacture in China and although it's more automated it would be great to see that process and factory too.
All in all, thanks for keeping up with this channel!
Very kind of you thank you very much
Fantastic work !
Lovely video, much appreciated.
Enjoyed thanks Terry. Wood finish for sure.
Absolutely stunning design and well done to B&W
That was awesome!!! If I had the wood ones, I’d spend the majority of my life on the couch, looking and listening to them.
Even just looking at them. They are something else.
Well done coverage.
Ive been enjoying 802N's for over 10 years and love them. I use Naim amps to drive them and have no intentions of upgrading!
That is really mouth watering beautiful!!!
Great video and info! I love my 804 D4 pair with a McIntosh amp. I would love to hear the new crossover and lows.
My friend who has this speaker. We had an audition with AR tube mono block. It was ❤❤❤stunning Wwowo
When only the best is good enough. Awesome brand.
I have owned 802d(s) since 2008. Paired with a Chord spm 1200e stereo amp, Esoteric SA-10 CD player used as a transport with a Berkeley DAC & Siltech interconnects and speaker wire completes my amazing reference system!
I have owned a pair of Bowers and Wilkins 704s for around 20 years. They have been powered by a Rotel Preamp, along with 4 x 180watt powers amps. Its fair to say I have driven them very hard indeed as I'm a bass head that craves heavy rock genre. The original grommet fixings for the covers were showing signs of detereation that needed addressing. I sent an email to Bowers and Wilkins asking if I could still purchase the grommet fixings. I had a reply within a week indicating that the original grey grommets were not available, however they did have the black version instead of grey. They sent a full set free of charge. I thought that was fantastic gesture of good will, and we definitely be buying B&W once again. Best speakers in the world if you select the correct amplification.
Thank you very much for the tour and the detailed engineering aspects. I just bought (3months ago) a pair of 702 S3 coming from a set of CM6 S2. Huge improvement ! I love the B&W brand, product quality, design and sound. Dreaming on the 800 serie, maybe one day 😊 Thank you very much again for your great videos. Take care.
Oh by the way, i prefer the blue version 😉
Camera work 🤳 was excellent good narrator 😊 nothing left out 👍
Thanks it’s the same guy doing it all :)
Love the design! 👌❤️
Very Cool! Would love to hear a pair of 801 Signature Speakers!
Happily…I love my much-more modest system….😊
Loved this! I’m aiming for some second hand 683 S2’s, but these are on some other planet! I have an Arcam AVR750, but I bet these need more even than that 😀
great reporting !
Just Beautiful!!!
Pieces of art indeed.
Another facinating piece Terry - your getting very good at putting these videos together! Its really appreciated too.
Whilst im sure these are supurb, my previous experiences with B&W designs is that they pursue a sound thats not quite what im looking for, so Im not suffering any fomo here! Just as well as these designs are way above my pay bracket! I am very impressed with the care and attention to detail on display here, and I can see why these would be so desirable.
As an aside, and considerably more in my price bracket, love to see you try some of the new Martin Logan motion xt f100 speakers. The promise of such a design combining the best traits of open baffle ribbons whilst maintaining the 'weight' and solidity of the best box designs is a dream for my tastes... Id love to see how you would get on with them!
Please keep doing what you are doing. You make the best videos of this type you can watch anywhere, and we appreciate the efforts you go to to bring us this. ❤
I imagine that someone who could afford a pair of new 801s would likely not be leaving comments on RUclips videos. It's only those of us who are still yearning for better rigs that are keeping track of what's what. Which means our systems are well below what you can get at the high end. I mean, if I had the money for a megapound/buck system, I would be enjoying the hell out of it and not have any worries whatsoever.
I had 801 D 3’s and I’m in the comments section.
Love this
The manufacturing process is very impressive, especially making the curved main cabinets, the bracing and finishing. The factory is big, nice equipment, well trained workers and very clean. The automated spray painting is like cars are done. Have heard less expensive models, the high end can be a bit bright, but assume that's the diamond tweeters and what the customer like.
Excellent video. Really enjoyed it. Great to see the level of human craftmanship and robotic work involved. The look of the speakers is definitely stunning but not to my taste. I prefer a more subtle appearance. I own a pair of the original 705 bookshelves which are excellent speakers. Made back in the day when Bowers and Wilkins made the 700 line in England. Gorgeous speakers.
I had opportunity to listen older version of these speakers powered by Pointe 2A3 tube amplifier (2 x 3w only) in large room maybe 5 x 7 meters.
I have never in my life heard better sound. Speakers are amazing.
Off 3 watts I would never had imagined that, very interesting great comment thanks
@@PursuitPerfectSystem 2A3 tubes , 1 per channel, my previous comment is removed.
They need far, far more power to get going.
3W shared by four drivers isn’t going to be anywhere near sufficient.
Oh, those wonderful plastic connectors inside... A solid base for audiophile 10 grand cables )))
Simply beautiful 👌
Great video, fabulous insight and as always, beautifully shot.
😊✌️
Thanks Jason, all the best
Before spending this amount of money on speakers, treat your room first. I had the the 703 S2s with matching center. I decided to upgrade to the 804 D4s with matching center..HTM82D4. While it was an improvement, it wasn't as much as I thought it would be. My room had some minor room treatment, but not a lot given it's size. I had two 4" base traps and two 2" acoustic panels, the rest was cheap foam. I contacted GIK sent them my floor plans, list of equipment and pictures. The difference is night and day and I'm not even halfway through the treatment yet. I burned most my budget on those speakers and had very little left to treat my room so now I have to do it in stages. If I had to do it all over again, I would of fully treated my room first...then at some point if I wasn't happy with the sound upgraded. Spending $4k on a complete room treatment assuming you have good speakers will yield better results then spending over $10k on a new set of speakers.
I agree 100%! The room is 70% of the sound!
Seems a bit soon after the D4 release?
My issue with B&W's flagship range is they just don't sound competitive with many of the other big brands out there: Sonus Faber, PMC, Vivid, ATC, etc...
John Atkinson's Stereophile review of the 804D4 captures the issue perfectly: he surmises that B&W's team are capable of making speakers sound any way they want them to, so why do they sound too bright at the top and lacking in weight at the bottom. It's a mystery...
Recently I heard the 805D4 up against Vivid Kaya S12 and the gulf - in favour of the Vivids - was impossible to miss. A few new fancy veneers won't fix this I'm afraid.
B&W is similar to Linn, only riding on its looks and brand heritage, but always completely outclassed by competitors in every price range. Coincidentally, both are british brands. In fact, most of these laughably outdated brands tend to be British for some reason: Linn, B&W, ATC, Naim, Harbeth, and your typical LS3/5As. None of these brands compete with the very best today.
@@meesmo4 What brands would consider to be better today?
dit is echt topklasse.prachtig 👌👍
Great video, thank you. I’d love to see a review of the centre speaker to match as many of us have a cinema system :)
In my single days, I had a pair of marble clad Silver Signitures. I wish I still had them.
Amazingly Andy Kerr mentioned them while I was there. Apparently they are quite interesting special ones. I have never seen them though :)
So beautiful, the midnight blue would get my money if I was able to obtain these unobtanium made units. It's really amazing to at least see where some of the money goes to in these things. Thank you Terry for yet another wonderfully shot video, yours and your teams photographic abilities always make me watch these wonders I can't even afford 😀. Funny to think there headphone systems that are more expensive, they make these reasonable by comparison, the world is a funny place.
Cheers mate, no team just me
8:56 Thats right! A soon as you veer away from the box shape it immediately becomes a complete nightmare to build. 😅😅😅😅
Great video, hope too see Dovedale soon
Another great video Terry! I'm not a fan of the B&W 8 series (have heard several versions but their sound doesn't suit me) but as an audiophile I love their finish and look.
Thank you Terry,
Loved the vid.
Great factory,
Nice to see a great product made in England.
Regards Antony..
Ii would love to have a look around. Thanks for sharing.
Very few people can actually tell differences in audio quality from one system to the next. It's that subtle. Most of this audiophile stuff sounds interesting but most of it becomes an expensive obsession. A true test will be for people to listen to a variety of audio from varying price points in a soundproof room to discern which is the best. Beyond that, most of this stuff is in your head.
Listening to an audio system is all done in your head, so all your senses contribute. People buy these because they love to look at them as much as listen to them. There is nothing wrong with any of that. If someone believes they are getting the same listening experience from much less that is also in their own head and again nothing wrong with that either.
Easy on the eye, savage on the wallet. I love them. I have a pair of the standard 805.
I would install one of these on my boat, would be a gift to myself 😊
B&W should make a 'studio' version of the 800 series, one that measures perfectly linear and neutral. They have everything at their disposal, their speakers are always class leading when it comes to distortion and their baffles are great and basically diffractionless. But man, that crazy treble lift they are known for is just way too much, Ive seen 10db lifts or more (relative to 1khz). Hope B&W takes this into consideration.
OMG, so many stupid people. Have you ever heard a perfectly linear speaker? They sound like rubbish.
You’re exactly right and it’s what prevents me from pulling the trigger on these, that frequency response MUST get addressed specially at this price point. No way these compete with Magicos if class leading sound is what you’re after.
The 80s and 90s B&Ws were far more linear. I have a vintage pair of 1997 Matrix 805s, which measured +/- 1.75dB. My 801 Series 2s were also extremely neutral.
@@ChicagoRob2 I had a pair of the original Series 80 801F. They used an acoustic suspension bass system instead of a reflex system. Very inefficient, but they measured very linear. B & W seems to have decided that they need to have a "house sound" to compete in the market today. No way I would touch these products with those lousty measurements.
The people who can afford these speakers are old men who need that treble lift to hear "linearly"
I love B&W! I think they need to do something crazy. They need 9-10’ tall monster towers Ken Fritz style!! Go all out!!
Got both pairs on order 👍
How are they?
Thank you for the content! The finish is so much better than on the regular 805, IMO. The price is a bit hard to justify though 🤔
Just imagine how much less B&W products would cost if no one was particularly concerned about glossy finishes.
Great video!
I have a pair of 805 Signature in Grey Tigers' Eye finish, and a pair of 805 D3 Prestige Edition. Both are amazing regarding build quality, aesthetics and sound. My current apartment would allow for a pair of 801 D4, but unfortunately they aren't within my price range.
great video lots of relevant information, I swath Michi amp in the background, I love the Michi x3/x5 is this a good synergy match for bowers speakers,? for the 705s, or 805s if I can save for em,?
Many thanks for the detailed video, especially the detailed presentation of the differences. I myself run an 802 D4 on a McIntosh MA12000 and certainly don't skimp when it comes to buying high-quality components. However, I am not at all happy with B&W's release policy. I have already considered upgrading from 802 D4 to 801 D4 and am now thrilled not to have done so. Otherwise I would have to be annoyed that the same release cycles now apply to speakers as to mobile phones. If I were already in possession of the 801 D4 with the claim of having the best current equipment at home, B&W would now put me to shame. Of course, even with high-quality cars, there are first the standard models and then, after a while, the special editions. With the purchase of the D4, I gladly switched from D3 because the sound improvement was audible, my combination of B&W and McIntosh resolves even more precisely. If a signature version of my 802 D4 is released at some point, B&W may lose me as a customer. And let's ask ourselves in all honesty: are the changes to the 801 D4 Signature really so extensive that the sound is really significantly better without having to fool ourselves? es this justify the extra price of 12000 EUR? I don't even want to explore it. My equipment is excellent. But in the future, B&W is no longer a must.
You, Sir, are a genius.
Very kind of you thank you very much
This Speakers are a Dream.
And it would be a Dream for my whole life.
Sadly. ❤️👍❤️
Fantastic video Terry. As for buying one well maybe if there was ever a B stock sale 😅
Love it thanks Terry !
Ps mate where is the clip with you driving off with a pair of 801 signatures stashed in a van and getting home and clearing out the wife's shoe collection so they can be your bedroom listen. I am sure she wouldn't mind 😆
Nice to see the PS audio logo on the cabinet press ;)
All very impressive Terry, but just one thing, you left out the section at the back of the factory where they make the Daleks! :P
Best move I did was buying a pair of B&W 602 speakers about 12 years ago to go with my Arcam setup. Amazing sound and at a reasonable price….
I'm awaiting 805 D4's to arrive.
My dream speaker
I like the California burl gloss
A lot of effort into your video. Thank you!
Excellent video, enjoyed the tour of the BW factory. 801s are notoriously difficult to drive. Without the right amp its going to sound anaemic.
Yes, I agree.
I eventually used Sanders Magtech monos.
2000W @ 4 Ω and then they started to swing.
I'm not a fan of B&W speakers, but the craftsmanship is simply astounding.
I've heard an earlier 801 speaker, driven by a 1000 watt amp, in a very simple setup. Tremendous bass punch with those 16 inch drivers. You cannot dodge the physics of moving air; you need a big piston to do it. B&W is a good company.
I ordered the 805 sigs today in Blue!
V Nice
Legit Question for you If i may! From my understanding the motor system for the 805sig is upgraded but nowhere on B&W web site do I see that information? I am a little confused as they list all the other differences except the motor upgrade for the 805! They do list the motor upgrade for the 801! @@PursuitPerfectSystem
Sorry I don’t remember, whatever they told me about the differences I put into the video at the time
A excellent tour. The price reveal at the end certainly took my breath away! If I had the money I probably would. Just a poor happy man with my 702 S3's. PS: Did you get the code for the alarm when you were on the tour?
I still have my da12's from the 80's. 😎
I had their DM4’s back in the seventies, always regretted selling them .
...Still plenty around, not pricey at all. But the little Coles supertweeter is maybe too fragile for the higher treble power of a lot of modern recordings and streamings. I also loved the similar bigger DM2..
I'd encourage anyone interested in these to read up on DigiPetes writeup vs Genelec.
B&W needs to update these and bring them into the modern era when it comes to cutting edge sound.
If you mean this audiophilestyle.com/blogs/entry/471-genelec-what-is-the-rave-about/ I dont see what you are referring to. There is nothing in this blog thats relevant other than a persons opinion which is fine but its just one persons opinion. I think if 1000 people audiophiles or not looked at and listened to both the Bowers and Genelec 950 / 1000 would choose the bowers to have a home but thats just my opinion based on nothing. Studio is different maybe but the bowers are made for peoples homes
@@PursuitPerfectSystem in a sighted test I agree, 950/1000 would pick the B&W.
Long term listening and blind tests head to head, I have no doubt a Genelec system would be preferred unless the person is in a nearly perfect room.
Genelec monitors are objectively and demonstrably more accurate than the B&W, especially when you take real rooms into account, and especially when you take off axis listening into account.
If we're not talking about fidelity/accuracy though then sure: some may choose the B&W coloration. I'll post the relevant piece in another comment.
The Genelec 8260's IMO kicks the ass of Bower & Wilkins 800 Diamond speakers
The 800's may be better if everything is at its best: the room, the speaker placement, the DAC and the source and amps.
A situation where room correction will make no difference and where the amps are humongous Class A monsters.
The B&W's are notorious for being picky with amps, as they are insanely power hungry.
Somebody should probably rip those passive X-overs out of them and convert them to fully actives.
That is: do the proper job B&W didn't have the balls to do.
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Also, sound wise, non-coaxial vs coaxial speakers, the former aren't made for rooms unless the room doesn't have a floor or a ceiling. A cancellation/null happening with ceiling or floor reflections is an engineering failure, even if we decided for the sake of argument that the frequency response of the B&W was ideal.
Nobody wants a TV that looks broken when they stand up vs sit down. Or causes weird issues if it's a bit too high or low on the wall. Also seems most prefer or at least accept the idea of color accuracy and calibrated displays.
Nobody should justify their "putting up with" similar issues in speakers as a preference.
@@PursuitPerfectSystem To be fair the B&W speakers are great compared to most anything the average person is going to have. Only in comparison to cutting edge speakers do I think they leave something on the table when they don't solve age old issues with coaxial drivers, cardioid bass dispersion, active crossovers, DSP, etc.
If someone loves them as a package for their beauty in addition to the sound they make, so be it.
Great video, I'd go for the 801s in blue. Now where did I leave that spare kidney?