Updated
Updated · Notebookcheck.net · Jun 4
Bowers & Wilkins Launches $15,000 805 D5 Speakers as Diamond Tweeter Returns in D5 Refresh
Updated
Updated · Notebookcheck.net · Jun 4

Bowers & Wilkins Launches $15,000 805 D5 Speakers as Diamond Tweeter Returns in D5 Refresh

3 articles · Updated · Notebookcheck.net · Jun 4

Summary

  • $15,000 buys Bowers & Wilkins' new 805 D5 standmount speakers, replacing the 805 D4 nearly five years after that model's debut, with deliveries set to begin in the coming months.
  • A new aluminum top, aluminum cabinet reinforcement and revised internal wood matrix are meant to cut resonance, while the 25mm synthetic-diamond tweeter remains decoupled above the cabinet.
  • The 805 D5 keeps the 165mm Continuum Cone bass-midrange driver, plus the same quoted 34 Hz-35 kHz frequency range and 88 dB sensitivity, with dimensions largely unchanged but weight rising to 16.4 kg.
  • That pricing marks a sharp jump from the 805 D4's $8,500 launch price in 2021 and places the model at the entry point of Bowers & Wilkins' broader seven-speaker 800 Series Diamond D5 lineup.

Insights

At $65,000, is the new B&W flagship a true sonic revolution or an exclusive luxury statement piece?
Can B&W's aluminum-focused design still dominate high-end audio against rivals using more exotic materials like carbon fiber?
Decades after its Abbey Road debut, does the new 800 series still define the ultimate studio reference sound?