advertisement


New Bowers & Wilkins 800 D4 series

david ellwood said:
I think she had 802 D2, which are incredibly capable and prettier than the later versions.
Click to expand...

It was a D800 D2, same model I had - 2 x 10" bass drivers.
As I recall the 801 (which had the single 15" driver) was dropped a load time ago when the first series 800 - 802 et.. came out.
 
As far as the fugly goes, would you prefer they looked prettier and sounded worse?

Because there are an extraordinarily large number of speakers that already fit that scope.
 
No, I'd prefer it if they both looked and sounded lovely, IME there's an extraordinarily small number of speakers that already fit that scope.
 
This site contains affiliate links for which pink fish media may be compensated.
I have 804D3's and quite like the way they look....maybe I'm weird, or maybe rectangular boxes are just a little boring!

I also rather like the way they sound and wonder whether there is any significant difference between my speakers and the D4 version. Given that the drivers look almost identical, I suspect that there's probably little in it, but I would be interested in a listen to the new ones.
 
There's always the 'Pregnant Penguin', if one want to discuss looks. Mine where just like these, white and black:

2167e496a0135f82e221f97342e867a8.jpg
 
Colin L said:
It was a D800 D2, same model I had - 2 x 10" bass drivers.
As I recall the 801 (which had the single 15" driver) was dropped a load time ago when the first series 800 - 802 et.. came out.
Click to expand...

This is what BnW wrote in the 801N white paper:

The New 15 inch Bass Unit

The rationale of using a single large pulp-coned driver for the bass of the NautilusTM801 was not immediately apparent. Early attempts at producing prodigious bass from domestically acceptable enclosures, utilised multiple drivers in slim MatrixTM cabinets.
(...)
Two large drivers operating in free field conditions will produce a largely coherent wavefront comparable to a point source at a position equidistant from the two sources. Divergence from the central position will produce an anomaly in arrival times. Now place the same two drivers in an environment with at least one near field boundary at a normal to the array, the two drivers now experience different driving point impedances, their outputs will vary in magnitude and phase and the coherency of the wavefront is now further degraded. Take into account the effects of the inconsistent directivity of a large two element line source on a multimodal room environment, as well as a host of other reservations, and the arguments for using multiple drivers become less clear cut when large amounts of air are to be displaced in a domestic environment, and there is floor space for a single unit. A single circular cone is simply the most spatially efficient dynamic radiator available. This was part of the rationale behind the development of the 15 inch unit.

The PDF version is available here.
 
Timcat said:
I have 804D3's and quite like the way they look....maybe I'm weird, or maybe rectangular boxes are just a little boring!

I also rather like the way they sound and wonder whether there is any significant difference between my speakers and the D4 version. Given that the drivers look almost identical, I suspect that there's probably little in it, but I would be interested in a listen to the new ones.
Click to expand...

I have 80dD2 - and am interested in the new configuration of the D4 to learn how teh base may have cahnged
If anyone has made a comparison please can you post !
 
Timcat said:
I have 804D3's and quite like the way they look....maybe I'm weird, or maybe rectangular boxes are just a little boring!

I also rather like the way they sound and wonder whether there is any significant difference between my speakers and the D4 version. Given that the drivers look almost identical, I suspect that there's probably little in it, but I would be interested in a listen to the new ones.
Click to expand...

I also have the 804D3 and quite like them - not sure if the upgrade to the D4 is worthwhile but then they had the most upgrades over the D3 version, compared to the other models: wrap around body, more metal to support the drivers, the new spider design for the mid range driver, the metal base, the position of the bass reflex port, XO in a separate compartment at the back. They are also quite significantly more expensive.

For me, the 803D4 are now beyond what I would want to spend on a *single* component and still feel comfortable, and it is also a big speaker that is more difficult to accommodate when housing/apartment situations change, meaning that with B&W, I am now "stuck" at the 804 level (first world problem and all that).
 
I had 801D with the single 15" driver. A fantastic speaker if you had a room and Amp big enough. Upgraded to 802D2 as was moving to a smaller room. A more transparent speaker. Upgraded again to ATC SCM50's. Midrange noticeably superior.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


advertisement


Back
Top