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B&W 800D4 series

Matias

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Seems to have leaked.

d4.jpeg


On the tech front, the loudspeakers include the company’s Continuum Cone, FST and Biomimetic Suspension technologies. The result of an eight-year research program, the composite Continuum Cone – used for both midrange and mid/bass applications – is combined with the company’s Fixed Suspension Transducer (FST) technology when used as a midrange drive unit in Bowers & Wilkins floorstanding speakers.

The newest innovation from Bowers & Wilkins is the all-new composite Biomimetic Suspension that replaces the conventional fabric spider with a minimalist composite suspension system. The technology greatly reduces unwanted air pressure (or sound) that a conventional fabric spider can generate in a midrange cone.

In all three-way models, midrange drive units include a highly stiff all-aluminum chassis featuring Tuned Mass Dampers (TMD) to quieten any resonance. These complete drive units and motor systems are then isolated on sprung-mounted decoupling mounts, further restricting the flow of vibration into the assembly.

The 803 D4, 802 D4 and 801 D4 also include a stiff all-aluminum Turbine Head enclosure for their midrange drive units.

The HTM81 D4 and HTM82 D4 features an internal aluminum enclosure. Meanwhile, the company’s signature Solid Body Tweeter housing that is machined from a solid piece of aluminum now features an elongated form (almost 30cm/12 inches long) with a longer internal tube-loading system.

Lastly, the 805 D4 and 804 D4 now feature the reverse wrap speaker cabinet previously reserved for the larger floor-standing 800 Series Diamond models. The 804 D4 now joins the other floorstanding models in the 800 Series Diamond range by offering a downwards-firing Flowport bass port, exiting on to a new, stiffer solid aluminum plinth designed to offer a more solid foundation and to control unwanted resonance. The 804 D4 also has upgraded spikes and feet, with huge M12 spikes that are both more stable and stiffer than the outgoing M6 designs.
 
D3 didn't really measure better than D2.

Nice marketing here again by B&W but lets see if D4 is better, same or worse than prior models.

Popularity of KEF shows top notch engineering sells !
 
Unlike the dilithium crystals, etc. that have been added to the new model to appeal to wealthy buyers in East Asia, a waveguide on the tweeter might have had a sonic benefit.
Sorry, waveguides are reserved for their cheap speakers.

bw-1667.jpg.3a2d95b90726cab304895ef66e91a311.jpg


To get that Bowers & Wilkins signature sound you have to pay extra. ;)
 
Thanks for posting. It seems there are actually some legitimate improvements over the previous generation. I like that they're moving towards aluminum enclosures, though that could be where some of the extra cost is coming from. Should allow them to achieve similar(or better) stiffness, while also increasing internal volume(more bass :D). I bet those 801s dig down below 15Hz(maybe 10Hz in room).

Super interested to see how these measure. Amir or Erin need to somehow get a hand on one of these. Maybe Amir could buy and sell one like he did with the Revel F328Be.

Only disappointment (in my view) is that the 2 top models use the bigger midrange. Ignoring bass(or with subs) the cheaper 803 may actually be the best of the bunch, with better directivity.

Unlike the dilithium crystals, etc. that have been added to the new model to appeal to wealthy buyers in East Asia, a waveguide on the tweeter might have had a sonic benefit.

I think you can still get great directivity without a waveguide(see Mesanovic MTM210), but it takes drivers that are closely matched near the crossover point. That's why I'm wondering if the 803 might be the best one(smaller midrange).
 
Are they actually going to go for flat frequency response, or what they've been selling for the past few years?

Will be interesting to see. I'm honestly thinking they may have some internal listening data that leads them towards their current target curve. The bigger problem with the previous gen(imo) is the inconsistent directivity. That's the main area I want to see improved. With good directivity, we can correct to any target we want :).
 
Thanks for posting. It seems there are actually some legitimate improvements over the previous generation. I like that they're moving towards aluminum enclosures, though that could be where some of the extra cost is coming from. Should allow them to achieve similar(or better) stiffness, while also increasing internal volume(more bass :D). I bet those 801s dig down below 15Hz(maybe 10Hz in room).

Super interested to see how these measure. Amir or Erin need to somehow get a hand on one of these. Maybe Amir could buy and sell one like he did with the Revel F328Be.

Only disappointment (in my view) is that the 2 top models use the bigger midrange. Ignoring bass(or with subs) the cheaper 803 may actually be the best of the bunch, with better directivity.



I think you can still get great directivity without a waveguide(see Mesanovic MTM210), but it takes drivers that are closely matched near the crossover point. That's why I'm wondering if the 803 might be the best one(smaller midrange).

"Super interested to see how these measure" Me too. Wondering what is Klippel's lift limitation for a heavy speaker like 801 D4? I think there was some limitation for the height as well.
 
Honestly I don't expect the house sound to change at all. It would frustrate the current owners wanting to upgrade. And as we can see there is no significant change in waveguides and such on the higher end models, so directivity should be similar to D3.
 
Seems to have leaked.

View attachment 147602

On the tech front, the loudspeakers include the company’s Continuum Cone, FST and Biomimetic Suspension technologies. The result of an eight-year research program, the composite Continuum Cone – used for both midrange and mid/bass applications – is combined with the company’s Fixed Suspension Transducer (FST) technology when used as a midrange drive unit in Bowers & Wilkins floorstanding speakers.

The newest innovation from Bowers & Wilkins is the all-new composite Biomimetic Suspension that replaces the conventional fabric spider with a minimalist composite suspension system. The technology greatly reduces unwanted air pressure (or sound) that a conventional fabric spider can generate in a midrange cone.

In all three-way models, midrange drive units include a highly stiff all-aluminum chassis featuring Tuned Mass Dampers (TMD) to quieten any resonance. These complete drive units and motor systems are then isolated on sprung-mounted decoupling mounts, further restricting the flow of vibration into the assembly.

The 803 D4, 802 D4 and 801 D4 also include a stiff all-aluminum Turbine Head enclosure for their midrange drive units.

The HTM81 D4 and HTM82 D4 features an internal aluminum enclosure. Meanwhile, the company’s signature Solid Body Tweeter housing that is machined from a solid piece of aluminum now features an elongated form (almost 30cm/12 inches long) with a longer internal tube-loading system.

Lastly, the 805 D4 and 804 D4 now feature the reverse wrap speaker cabinet previously reserved for the larger floor-standing 800 Series Diamond models. The 804 D4 now joins the other floorstanding models in the 800 Series Diamond range by offering a downwards-firing Flowport bass port, exiting on to a new, stiffer solid aluminum plinth designed to offer a more solid foundation and to control unwanted resonance. The 804 D4 also has upgraded spikes and feet, with huge M12 spikes that are both more stable and stiffer than the outgoing M6 designs.
if i have the money i have no fear to listen the 803 D4 at 1.7m distance.
 
Will be interesting to see. I'm honestly thinking they may have some internal listening data that leads them towards their current target curve. The bigger problem with the previous gen(imo) is the inconsistent directivity. That's the main area I want to see improved. With good directivity, we can correct to any target we want :).
Clearly their current target curve isn't aimed at people with lots of experience listening to live, unamplified music in a real space (concert hall). I wonder to whom they are appealing.
 
Clearly their current target curve isn't aimed at people with lots of experience listening to live, unamplified music in a real space (concert hall). I wonder to whom they are appealing.

Except that ... people who A-B live, unamplified music in a real space with real-time recordings a hundred times a day seem to choose them. Skywalker Sound - with an unlimited choice - just got B&Ws. Plus Abbey Road, of course. Both places are big enough for full orchestras. I'm not a huge B&W fan myself, but your premise isn't borne out.
 
Only that this B&W was released almost 20 years before the Aria: :D

View attachment 147875

Interesting to see in above photo also that the waveguide was abandoned after the 3rd generation (all 600 series models).
True, but the new design is more similar to the Aria 906 than those old ones. Perhaps the copyer was copied.
 
True, but the new design is more similar to the Aria 906 than those old ones. Perhaps the copyer was copied.
I personally don't see many optical similarities with the current generation

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the older one had imho more.
 
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