In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Bowers Wilkins. Bowers & Wilkins HTM81 D4 is a Center Channel speaker whereas the 802 D4 is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Bowers & Wilkins HTM81 D4 and Bowers & Wilkins 802 D4 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Bowers & Wilkins HTM81 D4 | Bowers & Wilkins 802 D4 |
|---|
| 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" | 6" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8" Aerofoil | 2 x 8" Aerofoil |
|---|
| Frequency response | 28-28k Hz | 17-28k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-500 watts | 50-500 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 32.20kg / 70.8lbs | 88.10kg / 193.8lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 13-1/8" x 33-3/8" x 14-5/8"
334.0 x 847.0 x 371.0mm | 47-15/16" x 16-1/4" x 23-11/16"
1218.0 x 413.0 x 602.0mm |
|---|
HTM81 D4 and 802 D4 are members of Bowers Wilkins's 800 D4 series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Bowers Wilkins 800 D4 Series
History
What size room are the Bowers & Wilkins HTM81 D4 and Bowers & Wilkins 802 D4 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 HTM81 D4 |
Bowers & Wilkins 802 D4 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Are you nuts? |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
Good |
(* 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 HTM81 D4 and 802 D4 are 3-way speakers.
Bowers & Wilkins HTM81 D4Bowers & Wilkins 802 D4
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 HTM81 D4 |
Bowers & Wilkins 802 D4 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6-inch |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8-inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
HTM81 D4 features a 1" Diamond Diamond dome Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 2 x 8" Aerofoil Woofer. On the other hand, the 802 D4 features a 1" Diamond Diamond dome Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 2 x 8" Aerofoil Woofer.
Frequency Response
HTM81 D4 has a frequency range of 28-28k Hz whereas 802 D4 has a frequency range of 17-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 17Hz, the 802 D4 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the HTM81 D4's min frequency of 28Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Center Channel class in our database.
Low Frequency
Center Channel Speakers
Impedance and Sensitivity
HTM81 D4 and 802 D4 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 90 dB.
Sensitivity
Center Channel 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.
HTM81 D4 and 802 D4 have the same power range of 50-500 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.
Bowers & Wilkins HTM81 D4
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both HTM81 D4 and 802 D4 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both HTM81 D4 and 802 D4 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 HTM81 D4's and Bowers & Wilkins 802 D4's external dimensions. Bowers & Wilkins HTM81 D4 has external dimensions of 334.0 x 847.0 x 371.0mm (13-1/8 x 33-3/8 x 14-5/8inch) whereas Bowers & Wilkins 802 D4 has external dimensions of 1218.0 x 413.0 x 602.0mm (47-15/16 x 16-1/4 x 23-11/16inch).
Bowers & Wilkins HTM81 D4 is 884mm shorter and 231mm less deeper than Bowers & Wilkins 802 D4 but it is also 434mm wider.
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 HTM81 D4 needs about 26% more floor or shelf area. Bowers & Wilkins 802 D4 is 231mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Bowers & Wilkins 802 D4 is 884mm 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 HTM81 D4 is approximately 3142.4cm2 / 487.1inch2 and base area of the Bowers & Wilkins 802 D4 is approximately 2486.3cm2 / 385.4inch2. The HTM81 D4 requires 26% more surface area than the 802 D4 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.