Bowers & Wilkins 801 D4 Speakers Review
The Bowers & Wilkins 800 series is more than a decade old, and the current update is far from the first, and to be precise, the fifth. Moreover, six years have passed since the previous upgrade. The general features were settled a couple of generations ago, but there has been a significant update in the details. Or maybe the sound?
New - or well-modified old?
The Bowers & Wilkins 801 D4 model is the oldest in the current top line. Of course, it is worth remembering that Nautilus are positioned higher, but their changes have not yet been touched - and they are always separate. Therefore, it is not at all surprising that the 800th line is considered by many to be the older one.
First, let's look for changes in the design of the new model. If you look from afar, the acoustics are unmistakable: approximately the same proportions, the design of the bass section, separately designed midrange and tweeter - the shape is well known. By the way, veneered cases appeared: walnut and pink walnut. But there are a lot of changes in the details.
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| Bowers & Wilkins 801 D4 in test system |
The lower part of the case, which houses the bass speakers, has been redesigned quite deeply. The shape is similar, and there is a base in the design - there, down, the phase inverter port is brought out. But at the same time, the section has changed: a slightly different bend, the internal structure has been redone.
The curved plywood cabinet is complemented by an aluminum panel on the inside that carries the speakers. Also aluminum reinforced internal ribs-partitions. The rear aluminum panel that appeared in the previous line has remained in its place, although it has changed slightly in appearance. The filter board is attached to it from the inside.
But the most significant change is the top panel that joins the bass section with the midrange volume: here, too, an aluminum layer has been added to reinforce the structure and improve the fastening of parts. It is also worth mentioning decorative leather trim, but similar solutions have been encountered before.
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| Bowers & Wilkins 801 D4 |
The 10" woofers are attached in the familiar way, with additional aluminum surrounds. Aerofoil diffusers are also familiar to us. The center caps have changed here: now they are made of a soft material that repeats the protective cap of the midrange. And earlier there were dome caps, more rigid and ordinary in appearance and design.
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| Fastening the “turbine head” of the midrange to the body is now completely different - the upper part of the body is supplemented with an aluminum panel. And there was a decorative leather close-fitting |
The midrange is very similar to the previous one. The volume is a rounded-conical design, chiseled from aluminum and referred to by the manufacturer as a “turbine head”. A complex system of internal struts that add rigidity, a 6-inch cone made of Continuum material, the claimed bionic suspension of a complex shape - everything is very similar to what it was before.
But the fastening of the mid-frequency section to the bass section is completely different. As is the Nautilus aluminum "tube" mount with a diamond dome tweeter inside. The tube is almost the same - the dimensions have changed a little. The inch tweeter itself is the same. But the two-point (instead of a single-point) damped connection of the pipe-tweeter body with the midrange body was recalculated and redone.
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| The tweeter remains the same - it's the same diamond dome, but its "pipe" and its mounts have been redone |
The model can be regarded as a full-fledged novelty, or it can be regarded as a previous version clearly worked out in detail. But after all, the manufacturer's approaches to sound have not turned upside down. So the development in terms of fine-tuning details and components seems logical.
At the same time, the alterations affected many production processes - they can by no means be called only external cosmetics. In terms of the sum of structures, engineering solutions and materials, acoustics is complex - this cannot be done without appropriate scientific and technical research and a serious production base.
The price of the line as a whole and models in particular has also changed significantly. Everything has become more expensive. But all these years the company did not raise prices for the previous line. But for other manufacturers, prices often rise, and new items do not appear.
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| The bass section of the Bowers & Wilkins 801 D4, even with this design, comes with a protective grill on magnetic mounts. The midrange, as before, has its own grill |
That's grown up
Listening took place in the same room, with the same position of the acoustics and with the same Transparent cable harness, but with different amplification: PS Audio hybrids of the older series and Michi amplifiers.
And with different sources: in the first case - with the older transport and PS Audio DAC, in the second - with the AVM digital combine. In contrast, the difference should be more noticeable and obvious. The link with PS Audio was the first to work.
He put on the disc Bingo Miki & The Inner Galaxy Orchestra "Montreux Cyclone". Perhaps, at first glance, the pitch is a little softer than expected - even adjusted for PS Audio hybrids. There is an unexpected freedom and a sense of romanticism and cheerfulness in the sound. Surprisingly pleasant bass, with good control, but not forced - more accurate, honest and accurate than the previous version.
The detail is recognizably high, but in general the sound seemed to me less prickly and more natural. The localization of the images is correct, the proportions are good.
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| Already more or less familiar woofers have completely different center caps than before. Now - from the same material as the midrange |
The acoustics keeps the rhythm well, there is speed and pressure, but everything is somehow neater and more elegant. In terms of sound scale and feel of the frequency range, the new model is in no way inferior to the old one, but everything that happens "inside" the range seems to be more accurate and ordered. This seems to me especially pleasant and appropriate in relation to bass, although this is also felt in other parts of the range. And the stripes seem to be sewn more evenly and more accurately.
There is no excessive brightness or rigidity in the middle - it is moderately open and airy. As before, the tops are very noticeable, but against the general background they are now more appropriate. There are many of them, but they do not feel nervousness and tension. However, the previous version could not be blamed either, but in the new one everything is more balanced.
The second entry in the test is Joni Mitchell's album "Both Sides Now". Atmosphericity, ductility, slowness are well conveyed - and in all this there is no smoothness, and even more so there is no fussiness or rudeness.
The detail is good, but the focus is not on it. There is a feeling of warmth and velvety in the serving. In part, such a pitch can be attributed to amplification - this is closer to his character. But the sound is not perceived too merged, even with this share of warmth.
Over the entire range, the acoustics play evenly, there are no distortions or "favorite frequencies" here. If you try to compare with earlier versions, especially through one model range, then the sound has certainly become more mature.
For contrast, I put on a disc recorded in a completely different way - the collection “Music Composed by Nino Rota”. Good control of a somewhat forced, swollen bass: there is a lot of bottom, but not more than necessary, and it is solid, slender. And the sound in general is perhaps even softer than I expected, but at the same time - with good dynamics and excellent detail.
The elaboration of the scene, in this case somewhat artificial due to the recording itself, turns out to be both voluminous and accurate. Good separation in space, there is air and proportionality. The contours of the images are slightly smoothed, softened, but do not feel blurry or inaccurate.
The volume and size are excellent - there is no doubt that you are listening to large acoustics that can play on a large scale. And the system keeps the rhythm with dignity - without rudeness, haste or excessive forcing. Easy and natural.
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| Connection to the amplifier is possible using biwiring, but separate amplification is also possible on the bass and midrange / treble sections |
Now let's change the gain and listen to the system in conjunction with Michi. The sound predictably became more powerful, but the accuracy has not gone away. It feels like the character is just a little bit gathered and built.
In the previous version, it was not bad, but minor moments still change the picture as a whole. There is no arrogance, but there is confidence. And now it is clear that this is precisely a matter of acoustics: the systems are different, each of them plays in its own style, but what the speakers bring is well heard.
Briefly put on the Psapp album "The Only Thing I Ever Wanted". A funny and provocative album - and its sound did not compress anything, did not make it feel different. Excellent scale, good rhythm - the shape of the sound is large, but not heavy. The features of the recording and processing of the album itself are well audible, but this does not interfere in any way. There is control over the sound, but there is no tightness or coercion in this control.
Then I put on Shape Of Despair "Illusion's Play". Everything is smooth and detailed. Sometimes even too detailed - you can also hear those artifacts that were supposed to be hidden. The bass is less rollicking and more precise than you might expect. The middle is smoother, not prickly-sharp, although slightly dried, built. The readability of the parties is good, there is no feeling of porridge.
And guitars, and drums - all the components down to the copper in their places. On the example of this recording, it can be noted that the acoustics, despite the previous sensations, still did not become much softer. Better to say - more precisely, more evenly. But when you need to quickly and strongly, she wins back without shying away.
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| Separately - our test system with two amplification options |
Schnittke listened to the First Symphony for quite a long time, even turning down the volume - and at a moderate volume, the sound space remained voluminous and three-dimensional, and there was no feeling that some parts of the range were weakening.
In terms of presentation, everything is smooth, without coloring, even somewhat monitor-like, but not boring. The balance between quiet sounds and bursts is very good, after-sounds are good. In general, perhaps, the acoustics play a little stricter and more unambiguous than we would like, but there were no more questions.
Finally, I turned on a recording of a good performance of Wagner's "Flying Dutchman". Here, even on complex fragments, both harmony and integrity, the correct ratio between the main sounds and after-sounds, were preserved.
Timbre presentation is honest - perhaps a little tougher in nuances. Good stage, correct positioning of the vocal parts. And there is air. Sometimes there were questions about the nuances and details, but nothing more. The rest is quite correct sounding.
Conclusion
It seems that the next version, going beyond additional changes, is now hard to imagine. Indeed, quite awsome Speakers. And technically difficult - but, as it seemed to me, a little less capricious in terms of amplification. Although its quality and quantity will definitely not be superfluous here.
I would not say that the work done between versions is work on bugs. Still, the previous model was decent. But in this segment, the difference in nuances is very significant - and often small improvements can be very expensive.
If you look from this position, then 801 D4 is a new acoustics. Slightly smoothed here, improved there, finalized somewhere else. And in total, we got a slender sound, no longer as emphasized and forceful as before, but detailed and fast; more accurate and correct bass, a different pitch of the middle, and treble against the general background look and are perceived differently. That is, the sound has matured, become more universal and genre-neutral.
musical material
Bingo Miki & The Inner Galaxy Orchestra - Montreux Cyclone / Three Blind Mice - TBM-XR-5020 / XRCD Stereo
Joni Mitchell —Both Sides Now / Reprise Records — 9 47620-2 / HDCD Stereo
Psapp —The Only Thing I Ever Wanted / Domino DNO 095 / CD Stereo
Schnittke - Symphony No.1 - The USSR Ministry Of Culture Orchestra, Gennadi Rozhdestvensky / Recording SUCD 10-00062 / CD Stereo
Shape Of Despair —Illusion's Play / Season Of Mist SOM 115 / CD Stereo
Various / Music composed by Nino Rota - 1999 / EMI Japan TOCT-24124 / CD Stereo
Wagner - Der Fliegende Holländer - Karl Bohm, Chor der Bayreuther Festspiele 1971 / Esoteric/Deutsche Grammophon ESSG 90229/30 / SACD Hybrid Stereo
OFFICIAL SITE
Bowers & Wilkins 801 D4 Specs
Type: 3-way speaker with bass reflex port
Drivers :
1x25mm (1") Diamond Dome
Tweeter 1x150mm (6") FST Continuum
Midrange 2x250mm (10") Aerofoil Cone woofers
Frequency response: 13Hz-35kHz, 15Hz-28kHz ±3dB from reference axis
Sensitivity: 90 dB
Harmonic distortion:
2nd and 3rd harmonics (90dB, 1m on axis)
<1% 30Hz - 20kHz
<0.3% 100Hz - 20kHz
Rated impedance: 8 ohms (min. 3 ohms)
Recommended amplifier power: 50-1000 watts into 8 ohms without clipping
Max. recommend. cable impedance: 0.1 ohm
Dimensions (WxHxD): 451x1 221x600 mm
Weight: 100.6 kg
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