In this review, we will be comparing 801 D5 and 804 D5, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Bowers Wilkins.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Bowers & Wilkins 801 D5 and Bowers & Wilkins 804 D5 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Bowers & Wilkins 801 D5 | Bowers & Wilkins 804 D5 |
|---|
| Brand | Bowers Wilkins
United Kingdom · founded 1966 | Bowers Wilkins
United Kingdom · founded 1966 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Diamond dome | 1" Diamond dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 6" | 5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 10" Aerofoil | 2 x 6.5" Aerofoil |
|---|
| Frequency response | 15-28k Hz | 19-24k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-1000 watts | 50-1000 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 106.40kg / 234.1lbs | 40.30kg / 88.7lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 48-1/16" x 17-5/8" x 23-1/2"
1221.0 x 447.0 x 597.0mm | 43-3/8" x 12-1/8" x 15-7/16"
1101.0 x 308.0 x 392.0mm |
|---|
801 D5 and 804 D5 are members of Bowers Wilkins's 800 D5 series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Bowers Wilkins 800 D5 Series
History
What size room are the Bowers & Wilkins 801 D5 and Bowers & Wilkins 804 D5 speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
Bowers & Wilkins 801 D5 |
Bowers & Wilkins 804 D5 |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
Average |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
Both 801 D5 and 804 D5 are 3-way speakers.
Bowers & Wilkins 801 D5Bowers & Wilkins 804 D5
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Bowers & Wilkins 801 D5 |
Bowers & Wilkins 804 D5 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6-inch |
1 x 5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 10-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
801 D5 features a 1" Diamond Diamond dome Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 2 x 10" Aerofoil Woofer. On the other hand, the 804 D5 features a 1" Diamond Diamond dome Tweeter, a 5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Aerofoil Woofer.
Frequency Response
801 D5 has a frequency range of 15-28k Hz whereas 804 D5 has a frequency range of 19-24k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 15Hz, the 801 D5 can go slightly deeper then the 804 D5's min frequency of 19Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Impedance and Sensitivity
801 D5 and 804 D5 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. 801 D5 sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the 804 D5's is at 89 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Bowers & Wilkins 801 D5 a more sensitive speaker compared to Bowers & Wilkins 804 D5, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
801 D5 and 804 D5 have the same power range of 50-1000 watts.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both 801 D5 and 804 D5 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both 801 D5 and 804 D5 have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.
If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Bowers & Wilkins 801 D5's and Bowers & Wilkins 804 D5's external dimensions. Bowers & Wilkins 801 D5 has external dimensions of 1221.0 x 447.0 x 597.0mm (48-1/16 x 17-5/8 x 23-1/2inch) whereas Bowers & Wilkins 804 D5 has external dimensions of 1101.0 x 308.0 x 392.0mm (43-3/8 x 12-1/8 x 15-7/16inch).
Bowers & Wilkins 801 D5 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 139mm wider, 120mm taller and 205mm deeper than Bowers & Wilkins 804 D5.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
Bowers & Wilkins 801 D5 needs about 121% more floor or shelf area. Bowers & Wilkins 801 D5 is 205mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Bowers & Wilkins 801 D5 is 120mm taller.
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the Bowers & Wilkins 801 D5 is approximately 2668.6cm2 / 413.6inch2 and base area of the Bowers & Wilkins 804 D5 is approximately 1207.4cm2 / 187.1inch2. The 801 D5 requires 121% more surface area than the 804 D5 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The Bowers & Wilkins 801 D5 weighs 106.40kg / 234.1lbs and the Bowers & Wilkins 804 D5 weighs 40.30kg / 88.7lbs. This makes the 801 D5 164% heavier than the 804 D5.
Here is a comparison of how 801 D5 and 804 D5's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
10 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
15 Hz
vs
19 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
28k Hz
vs
24k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
1101mm
vs
1221mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1207cm2
vs
2668cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
25000USD
vs
65000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Bowers & Wilkins 801 D5 |
Bowers & Wilkins 804 D5 |
| Brand |
Bowers Wilkins |
Bowers Wilkins |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
50-1000 watts |
50-1000 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
89 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.0 ohms |
3.0 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
15-28k Hz |
19-24k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
10" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aerofoil |
Aerofoil |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Diamond dome |
Diamond dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6" |
5" |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1221.0mm (48.1") |
1101.0mm (43.3") |
| Width |
447.0mm (17.6") |
308.0mm (12.1") |
| Depth |
597.0mm (23.5") |
392.0mm (15.4") |
| Weight |
106.40kg (234.1lbs) |
40.30kg (88.7lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
Siblings in Bowers Wilkins's 800 D5 series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | Bowers & Wilkins 801 D5 digs deeper - 15Hz against 19Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (90dB vs 89dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (1000W vs 1000W). |
| Size | depends | Bowers & Wilkins 804 D5 is easier to place; Bowers & Wilkins 801 D5 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Bowers & Wilkins 801 D5: bi-amping; Bowers & Wilkins 804 D5: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | Bowers & Wilkins 804 D5 is cheaper - $25,000 against $65,000, about 62% less; arguably a different class. |
A Bowers & Wilkins 801 D5 B Bowers & Wilkins 804 D5
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
Bowers & Wilkins 801 D5 is ahead, but only on 1 of the measured areas, and it costs about 2.6x the price. That is a lot of money for a narrow margin on paper - Bowers & Wilkins 804 D5 looks like the sensible buy unless something else about the Bowers & Wilkins 801 D5 appeals to you. Match it to your room: we rate Bowers & Wilkins 801 D5 the better fit for a very large room; elsewhere the two are rated the same. In a large or open-plan room, Bowers & Wilkins 801 D5 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Bowers & Wilkins 804 D5 is the easier speaker to get right.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.