In this review, we will be comparing Sabrina V and 803 D5, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Wilson Audio and Bowers Wilkins.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Wilson Audio Sabrina V and Bowers & Wilkins 803 D5 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Wilson Audio Sabrina V | Bowers & Wilkins 803 D5 |
|---|
| Brand | Wilson Audio
United States · founded 1974 | Bowers Wilkins
United Kingdom · founded 1966 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Dome | 1" Diamond dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 7" | 5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 8" Paper pulp | 2 x 7" Aerofoil |
|---|
| Frequency response | 27-24k Hz | 19-28k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | from 50 watts | 50-1000 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 55.79kg / 122.7lbs | 63.70kg / 140.1lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 39" x 12" x 15-3/8"
990.0 x 305.0 x 391.0mm | 45-7/8" x 14-1/8" x 19-5/8"
1165.0 x 359.0 x 499.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Wilson Audio Sabrina V 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* |
Wilson Audio Sabrina V |
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 Sabrina V and 803 D5 are 3-way speakers.
Wilson Audio Sabrina VBowers & 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 |
Wilson Audio Sabrina V |
Bowers & Wilkins 803 D5 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 7-inch |
1 x 5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 8-inch
|
2 x 7-inch
|
Sabrina V features a 1" Doped silk fabric Dome Tweeter, a 7" Midrange and 1 x 8" Paper pulp 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
Sabrina V has a frequency range of 27-24k Hz whereas 803 D5 has a frequency range of 19-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 19Hz, the 803 D5 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Sabrina V's min frequency of 27Hz.
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
Sabrina V is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the 803 D5 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Sabrina V can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Sabrina V sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the 803 D5's is rated at 90 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Bowers & Wilkins 803 D5 a more sensitive speaker compared to Wilson Audio Sabrina V, 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.
803 D5 can handle a max power of 1000 watts RMS, whereas Sabrina V has a max power handling value of watts RMS, 1000 watts less than the 803 D5.
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
803 D5 features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Sabrina V has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Sabrina V 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 Wilson Audio Sabrina V's and Bowers & Wilkins 803 D5's external dimensions. Wilson Audio Sabrina V has external dimensions of 990.0 x 305.0 x 391.0mm (39 x 12 x 15-3/8inch) 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 54mm wider, 175mm taller and 108mm deeper than Wilson Audio Sabrina V.
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 50% more floor or shelf area. Bowers & Wilkins 803 D5 is 108mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Bowers & Wilkins 803 D5 is 175mm 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 Wilson Audio Sabrina V is approximately 1192.6cm2 / 184.9inch2 and base area of the Bowers & Wilkins 803 D5 is approximately 1791.4cm2 / 277.7inch2. The Sabrina V 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 Wilson Audio Sabrina V weighs 55.79kg / 122.7lbs and the Bowers & Wilkins 803 D5 weighs 63.70kg / 140.1lbs. This makes the 803 D5 14% heavier than the Sabrina V.
Here is a comparison of how Sabrina V and 803 D5's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
7 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Height |
990mm
vs
1165mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1192cm2
vs
1791cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
28500USD
vs
35000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Minimum Impedance |
3.0 ohms
vs
2.23 ohms
|
Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier |
|
Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
19 Hz
vs
27 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
28k Hz
vs
24k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
| General |
Wilson Audio Sabrina V |
Bowers & Wilkins 803 D5 |
| Brand |
Wilson Audio |
Bowers Wilkins |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
from 50 watts |
50-1000 watts |
| Sensitivity |
87 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
2.23 ohms |
3.0 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
27-24k Hz |
19-28k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
7" |
| Woofer Composition |
Paper pulp |
Aerofoil |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
Diamond dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
7" |
5" |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
990.0mm (39") |
1165.0mm (45.9") |
| Width |
305.0mm (12") |
359.0mm (14.1") |
| Depth |
391.0mm (15.4") |
499.0mm (19.6") |
| Weight |
55.79kg (122.7lbs) |
63.70kg (140.1lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | Bowers & Wilkins 803 D5 digs deeper - 19Hz against 27Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Bowers & Wilkins 803 D5 is more sensitive (90dB vs 87dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | Bowers & Wilkins 803 D5 is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Size | depends | Wilson Audio Sabrina V is easier to place; Bowers & Wilkins 803 D5 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | B | Bowers & Wilkins 803 D5: bi-amping. Bowers & Wilkins 803 D5 sits in a wider range (7 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | A | Wilson Audio Sabrina V is cheaper - $28,500 against $35,000, about 19% less. |
A Wilson Audio Sabrina V 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?
Bowers & Wilkins 803 D5 leads across most of the measured areas for a fairly modest premium, which makes it the easier pick if the budget stretches. Wilson Audio Sabrina V is the one to take if it does not. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 27Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Wilson Audio Sabrina V much easier to justify. 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, Wilson Audio Sabrina V 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.