Bowers And Wilkins - 802 D5 Floor-Standing Speakers (Pair)

Experience Music the Way the Artists and Producers Intend: British-Made Bowers & Wilkins 802 D5 Floor-Standing Loudspeakers Play with Extraordinary Transparency, Detail, and Range

The question that often springs to mind when considering the Bowers & Wilkins 802 D5 is how this slightly more compact floor-standing loudspeaker differs from its modestly larger sibling, and 800 Series Diamond flagship, the 801 D5. The answers may surprise you: Aside from marginally smaller woofers and a few changes in overall proportions, 802 D5 harbors the exact same DNA, touts identical attention to detail, and, most importantly, delivers extremely similar performance.

An ideal choice for both critical stereo listening and home-theater applications, this 48 x 16.2 x 23.2-inch (HWD) head-turner exists to serve the artist's original intent by reproducing music with levels of transparency, detail, scope, resolution, and accuracy that will change the way you listen — even to recordings you may have heard thousands of times. Welcome to "True Sound" as defined by Bowers & Wilkins.

Like all the models in the 800 Diamond Series, 802 D5 adheres to a thought process wherein Bowers & Wilkins engineers believe everything involved with the speaker's construction can impact the end result. That obsessive passion explains why 802 D5 is made entirely in Bowers & Wilkins' dedicated factory in England — and why all of its components went through years of sophisticated testing and analysis before they were approved. Such painstaking devotion also accounts for why many of the world's foremost music institutions and recording studios — Abbey Road Studios, Capitol Records, Interscope Records, 20th Century Fox, Sony, MIT, Sterling Sound, and the Boston Symphony Orchestra to name just a handful — choose to use the 800 Diamond Series family in their everyday pursuits.

Weighing in at 201.4 pounds, 802 D5 uses all of the leading-edge technological innovations — the all-aluminum Turbine Head that houses the Continuum midrange cone; advanced Matrix bracing with interlocking panels for superb reinforcement; Biomimetic Suspension that dramatically reduces unwanted air pressure and coloration; reverse-wrap cabinet for unprecedented inertness — that Bowers & Wilkins developed during the past decade for optimal performance. It goes without saying that the driver array is devised to handle any kind of music with extraordinary depth, dynamics, openness, air, and balance.

Specialists in playing with stunning frequency extension and recreating three-dimensional soundstages, Bowers & Wilkins' famous one-inch diamond-dome tweeter and famous solid-body Tweeter-on-Top housing — milled from a single block of aluminum and sculpted into an elongated form with a long tube-loading system that lessens rear diffraction — accompany a six-inch Continuum cone FST midrange and two large, eight-inch Aerofoil woofers. They're among the reasons 802 D5 touts an astounding 14Hz-35kHz range and claims a practically infinitesimal total-harmonic distortion ratio. What might most startle you is how utterly true to the source 802 D5 remains in both the analog and digital domains. This speaker's unique architecture also means reflections and colorations are practically an afterthought; also note that the tweeter housing is decoupled, as is the housing for the midrange Turbine Head. On paper, Bowers & Wilkins' engineering feats impress. In practice, they help make music sound as if it is being made in your room in real time by real artists.

As a bonus, 802 D5 possesses the kind of looks that will command the attention of any room. One glance tells you everything you need to know. These speakers have the kind of lines, finishes, materials, and stop-dead-in-your-tracks curves modeled by the world's most desirable supercars. Just consider the choice of four different hand-applied colors or rear-mounted crossover mounted on stiff aluminum spines — a unique touch that isolates the sensitive capacitors and acts as a strategic heatsink. Just as importantly, Bowers & Wilkins didn't forget about practicality.

To simplify setup and placement, 802 D5 arrives on wheels to aid with positioning. Once you get the speaker where you want in your room, in-built spikes and corresponding floor cups are at the ready. A set of stabilizers provide extra security and assist in holding the speakers in place. Want more peace of mind? 802 D5 includes a five-year manufacturer warranty.

Experiencing music on a pair of 802 D5 towers is something that cannot be captured in words. We'd love to talk more with you about these truly special components. To learn more, and arrange for a risk-free in-home audition, please call one of our audio consultants today.

Distinctive by Design
The 800 Series Diamond looks this way for a reason. Its shape is dictated by the science of sound. Cabinets are formed from a single continuous curve, locked in place by a solid aluminum spine, so cabinet reflections are reduced. They're complemented by the tweeter-on-top and turbine head.

Ultimate Drive Unit Technology
Pairing B&W's most advanced and innovative drive unit technology, 802 D5 delivers phenomenal purity. The Diamond dome tweeter pushes break-up frequency to 70kHz, delivering exceptional clarity, precision, and openness, and the Continuum cone delivers voices and instruments with lifelike detail.

Optimized for Purity
Every model in the 800 Series Diamond range benefits from enhanced technology. An upgraded Matrix design reduces resonance and creates an incredibly believable soundstage, while aluminum Space Frame Bracing and an all-new aluminum top section within the cabinet help deliver spacious and immersive sound.