B&W (Bowers & Wilkins) 800D3

Very good condition. One owner trade in pair.  Will be shipped in original factory packaging.

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When the new 800 Series Diamond launched late last year, the range as a whole redefined performance standards, both for the 800 Series itself and for the wider world of premium loudspeakers. The result of an intensive seven-year project to make the best better, the 800 Series Diamond resulted from a combination of tireless research and development, advanced engineering, and countless hours of listening by the very best ears in the business. And with the launch of the range’s flagship 800 D3, the bar has been raised once again.

The most immediate visual differences between the new 800 D3 and the 802 D3 is the size of the new speaker’s low frequency enclosure and twin bass drivers. The 800 D3 features two 10-inch Aerofoil bass drivers, as opposed to the two 8-inch drivers on the slightly smaller 802 D3. However, the bass drivers are not only larger: they also utilize a unique carbon fiber construction for an even stiffer, more pistonic cone and are optimized for linearity and low distortion. The drivers also benefit from a higher specification motor assembly with upgraded magnets for increased control and crossover improvements that offer a considerable upgrade over the 802 D3 in terms of performance.

The Aerofoil drivers’ dust caps are an enhanced version of the component found on the 802 D3 and 803 D3 and are formed from a sandwich construction consisting of carbon fiber and the same syntactic foam as the Aerofoil cone itself. This further reduces dust-cap resonances and is one of the many seemingly minor developments and tweaks that represent the incredible attention to detail on the no-stone unturned 800 D3.

Elsewhere, the 800 D3 deploys the same size Continuum cone, Turbine head and solid-body tweeter assembly as the 802 D3. However, improved crossovers and capacitors combine to raise the resolution of these vital areas in order to better match the 800 D3’s excellent bass performance. Even with all these changes, the 800 D3 sports a similar load and sensitivity to the 802 D3.

These innovations, when teamed with improvements to the series as a whole, such as dramatically stiffer cabinets, a more robust Matrix bracing system that involves thicker slats, and the thoughtful application of aluminum and steel bracing where it is required, means the new 800 D3 represents the pinnacle of reference quality sound. Obviously there is more bass weight on offer, but the key acoustic character of the new 800 D3 is both its effortlessness and accuracy. There are incredibly insightful levels of accuracy in the bass output and when compared to the already outstanding 802 D3, low frequency drive unit distortion is 10dB less.

There’s also a dramatically improved sense of scale when compared to the outgoing 800 Diamond, and the 800 D3 is capable of effortlessly rendering a full-size symphony orchestra in all its glory. This is thanks to the extra scale that is available and the improved knitting together of the four drive units, plus the extra resolution and detail that these new drive unit technologies deliver not only in the 800 D3, but across the entire 800 Series Diamond range.

Testament to Bowers & Wilkins desire to consistently produce class-leading loudspeakers, the state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Worthing, West Sussex, was redesigned specifically for production of the new 800 Series Diamond. The 800 D3 is completely manufactured in the updated facility alongside the rest of the range.

The end result of these years of work, tireless attention to detail and significant commercial expenditure is not only a worthy flagship for an exceptional range of loudspeakers, but also the very best loudspeaker that Bowers & Wilkins has ever produced. The new 800 D3 is also an evocative reminder of the way the passion and drive of John Bowers is still alive and well in the company he founded 50 years ago.

In the world of high-end loudspeakers, manufacturers use many methods to convince consumers of the superiority of their particular acoustic creation.

Some use physical size, others use sculptural devices, while a few of them provide myriad complex adjustments to encourage ‘listener participation’.

Regrettably, an increasing number of manufacturers are rather crudely just attaching unjustifiably high price tags to inferior products in an attempt to fool consumers into thinking that because their products are expensive, they must somehow be ‘better’ simply because they cost more.

B&W has employed an entirely different selling strategy with the 800 D3. It has created a loudspeaker whose sound speaks for itself. Audition a pair and they’ll speak to you. They’ll say: ‘We’re the best speakers you’ve ever heard!’

 And in another bonus for Australian buyers, the fact that B&W recently set up its own wholly-owned subsidiary in Australia means that it now doesn’t have to pay another company to distribute its products, which has in turn resulted in price reductions across the entire range, and most particularly in the retail price of the 800 D3s, which has dropped significantly.

 The B&W 800 D3s are still expensive, of course, but at least—like that classic television advertisement—you’ll be able to tell your significant other how much you’ve saved by waiting.

Technical specifications

Technical features

Diamond tweeter    

Continuum™ Cone FST™   

Anti-Resonance plug    

Turbine head    

Aerofoil™ cone bass units    

Flowport™    

Optimized Matrix    

Solid body tweeter    

Tweeter-on-Top    

 

Description

3-way vented-box system

 

Drive units

1x ø25mm (1 in) Diamond dome high-frequency    

1x ø150mm (6 in) Continuum™ cone FST™ midrange    

2x ø250mm (10 in) Aerofoil™ cone bass units    

 

Frequency range

13Hz to 35kHz    

 

Frequency response (+/-3dB from reference axis)

15Hz to 28kHz

 

Sensitivity (1m on axis at 2.83Vrms) 

90dB

 

Harmonic distortion

2nd and 3rd harmonics (90dB, 1m on axis)    

<1% 80Hz - 20kHz    

<0.3% 100Hz - 20kHz

 

Nominal impedance (min)

8Ω (minimum 3.0Ω)     

 

Recommended amplifier power

50W - 1000W into 8Ω on unclipped programme    

 

Max. recommended cable impedance

0.1Ω     

 

Dimensions

Height: 1212mm (not including feet)

Width: 413mm

Depth: 611mm

 

Net weight

96kg (212lb)