In this review, we will be comparing 804 D5 and 803 D5, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Bowers Wilkins.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Bowers & Wilkins 804 D5 and Bowers & Wilkins 803 D5 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Bowers & Wilkins 804 D5 | Bowers & Wilkins 803 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 | 5" | 5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Aerofoil | 2 x 7" Aerofoil |
|---|
| Frequency response | 19-24k Hz | 19-28k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-1000 watts | 50-1000 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 40.30kg / 88.7lbs | 63.70kg / 140.1lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 43-3/8" x 12-1/8" x 15-7/16"
1101.0 x 308.0 x 392.0mm | 45-7/8" x 14-1/8" x 19-5/8"
1165.0 x 359.0 x 499.0mm |
|---|
804 D5 and 803 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 804 D5 and Bowers & Wilkins 803 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 804 D5 |
Bowers & Wilkins 803 D5 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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 804 D5 and 803 D5 are 3-way speakers.
Bowers & Wilkins 804 D5Bowers & Wilkins 803 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 804 D5 |
Bowers & Wilkins 803 D5 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5-inch |
1 x 5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 7-inch
|
804 D5 features a 1" Diamond Diamond dome Tweeter, a 5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Aerofoil Woofer. On the other hand, the 803 D5 features a 1" Diamond Diamond dome Tweeter, a 5" Midrange and 2 x 7" Aerofoil Woofer.
Frequency Response
804 D5 has a frequency range of 19-24k Hz whereas 803 D5 has a frequency range of 19-28k Hz.
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
804 D5 and 803 D5 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. 804 D5 sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the 803 D5's is at 90 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Bowers & Wilkins 803 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.
804 D5 and 803 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 804 D5 and 803 D5 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both 804 D5 and 803 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 804 D5's and Bowers & Wilkins 803 D5's external dimensions. 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) whereas Bowers & Wilkins 803 D5 has external dimensions of 1165.0 x 359.0 x 499.0mm (45-7/8 x 14-1/8 x 19-5/8inch).
Bowers & Wilkins 803 D5 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 51mm wider, 64mm taller and 107mm 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 803 D5 needs about 48% more floor or shelf area. Bowers & Wilkins 803 D5 is 107mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Bowers & Wilkins 803 D5 is 64mm 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 804 D5 is approximately 1207.4cm2 / 187.1inch2 and base area of the Bowers & Wilkins 803 D5 is approximately 1791.4cm2 / 277.7inch2. The 804 D5 requires 33% less surface area than the 803 D5 which gives it a small advantage 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 804 D5 weighs 40.30kg / 88.7lbs and the Bowers & Wilkins 803 D5 weighs 63.70kg / 140.1lbs. This makes the 803 D5 58% heavier than the 804 D5.
Here is a comparison of how 804 D5 and 803 D5's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
 Height |
1101mm
vs
1165mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1207cm2
vs
1791cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
25000USD
vs
35000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
7 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 High Frequency Response |
28k Hz
vs
24k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
| General |
Bowers & Wilkins 804 D5 |
Bowers & Wilkins 803 D5 |
| Brand |
Bowers Wilkins |
Bowers Wilkins |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
50-1000 watts |
50-1000 watts |
| Sensitivity |
89 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.0 ohms |
3.0 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
19-24k Hz |
19-28k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
7" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aerofoil |
Aerofoil |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Diamond dome |
Diamond dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5" |
5" |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1101.0mm (43.3") |
1165.0mm (45.9") |
| Width |
308.0mm (12.1") |
359.0mm (14.1") |
| Depth |
392.0mm (15.4") |
499.0mm (19.6") |
| Weight |
40.30kg (88.7lbs) |
63.70kg (140.1lbs) |
| 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 | evenly matched | Much the same reach (19Hz vs 19Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (89dB vs 90dB) - 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 803 D5 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Bowers & Wilkins 804 D5: bi-amping; Bowers & Wilkins 803 D5: bi-amping. |
| Price | A | Bowers & Wilkins 804 D5 is cheaper - $25,000 against $35,000, about 29% less. |
A Bowers & Wilkins 804 D5 B Bowers & Wilkins 803 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?
Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and your own room settle it. In a large or open-plan room, Bowers & Wilkins 803 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. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $10,000 saved by taking the cheaper pair would buy a subwoofer or a better amplifier, and either usually does more for the sound than the difference between these two.
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.