These comments are for the most part - I’ll use someone’s comment on price - delusional. If you have ever been involved in R&D and the difficulties involved with improving a product while keeping price realistic for the intended market then you will appreciate what B&W have done. While this is clearly an evolution and not a complete rework as we saw with the D3, this is not an insignificant update. The cabinet stiffness improvements, improvements in the drivers and their housings, first-rate crossover components - these should have positive impacts on sound. Obviously the leather accent is a matter of taste, but I can’t imagine anyone favoring the old grills over the new. I know I know the grills should never be on, but realistically in a family environment, they ARE on much of the time and we want these beauties to look as good as they can. Thank you for making this video B&W. Very helpful to those of us who are considering and update. In
Best speakers I have heard . The su- woofer frequencies sound sublime. I could feel the vibrations of the low frequencies virtually give a soothing message to my gut.
I think the tech behind it is like 10% of it. The passion and care the company seems to have makes up the other 90%. Most companies are in it for money and don't really have that passion for the product.
Recently heard the predecessor of the new model coming up and I was highly impressed. Of course you need the necessary hardware to drive it (was Accuphase) so we'r looking at 6 figure price tags for nice set-ups which is not for everybody and a lot of comments just express jalousie towards people who can afford it. A good system just doesn't come for a couple of hundred bucks, you need serious money, good ears and an understanding of music to really enjoy it.
I'm liking the changes to the 804 in general but not sold on the Connolly leather on the top. Maybe it has an acoustic advantage, but I preferred the lacquered finish aesthetically.
Well, good to know that, if you really care about the sound generated by the spider which has bigger holes than normal fabric, would you need wages in the rear chamber of the driver? I do think that reflaction from the back of the cabinet would be greater than the the sound pressure generated by spider.
I appreciate quality in audio equipment and I'm quite certain that these sound incredible but the flagship level coming in at around $17,000 per speaker, I'll just have to locate an audio store and enjoy them there.
There's a reason why they are in Skywalker and not in my house. But to be fair they have made some smaller models that are somewhat cheaper. Though I'm sure still not cheap.
@@savedfaves When you operate at the level B&W do, you don't say cheap you say less expensive. It's taken the company more than 40 yrs of investment and reinvestment to attain this level of engineering and manufacturing expertise. I bought a pair of 802s in 1980 and still have them. They were fantastic in their day, but they're old relics compared to the current D4 generation. B&W's commitment to excellence is truly admirable..
@@savedfaves this video was not given out to the industry press or to any distributors and dealers so running it as a means of generating channel income or dealer business is breaching copyright. I am not interested in industry politics but sometimes things need to be said
What I would say to many, especially some that have criticize the additional improvements as far as the bracing people have said it should’ve been done back in the 70s you did not have computer analysis you did not have laser precision measurements to even consider things that you cannot think of. The point of improvements is also the improvement of technologies that allow you to catch deficiencies in speaker they cannot be done so easily without tools to do so. Also, and this is not a cop out to Bowers And Wilkins Service . This is for any speaker company any company any product if every company made the best they could to the point it would not fail for a persons life, or there were no justifiable improvements. A company will go out of business. I hate to say it, but that’s why there are a lot of things, and I’m not even talking about speakers that have lesser quality than some things many years ago. The entry point of the 800 series is not cheap but there is a level of quality you get that is above the 700 series and no I’m not talking about one made in China and one made in the UK still human hands, no matter what if the people are passionate for what they do they do a good job if they’re not, then they won’t.
Marketing talk: They claim to have “discovered” a new spider for their midrange units 😳 However, is nothing new in this design, it was the first spider design that was used in the first dynamic loudspeakers from the 1920. They finally discovered that somewhere along the development of dynamic loudspeakers in the last century, they have lost some very good ideas. Now I am just waiting until they “discover” that an electro magnet performs much better than a permanent magnet........
Well, if you look up resale on the B&W’s there are tons for sale. What does this mean? Well I guess it’s either unhappy unfulfilled customers. Beautiful speakers but that’s about it.
The build quality look fantastic but I would like to know if they have really improve the sound of the new series because the d3 series lack bass performance, soundstage stay within the head and sides of speakers, boxy sound according to most HiFi reviews.
B & W superb but for most part no longer affordable the 800 line come on now the 805D now 8000 dollars I paid 5000 pair for mine a few years back mated to McIntosh 2275 Integrated Tube Amp sweet airy transparent amazing
This Chap could could sell second hand knickers to old ladies at nursing homes he is that good at spin The new models are going to be approx 15% to 20% more expensive for little more then a few trinkets over the superseded models ...Oh yeah Dont forget the slap of cow hide on the top for good measure LOL.......
They are only charging so much because they are seeing what guys like Magico and Wilson are charging. And they will be bought by the same types of people who own an S-Class or Audi A8, not a bad business model I suppose but not for me.
I don't understand if your comment is serious. B&W (and others) use curved cabinets for acoustic reasons, it's not for marketing. Better control of the internal resonances, much stiffer and rigid respect to a rectangular model. Please go to study 'Development of B&W 801 Nautilus' pdf paper. So, going back to rectangular cabinets is a NO NO. They're using rectangular cabinets in the cheaper series....
The weak point of B&W 800 line (like 802, 800) is actually amplifier. You need Gryphon, 1.2Kw McIntosh...at least to get the best out of them. When you add this cost up, the speakers become cheaper part of system meaning a big hole in your pocket. However, if you can effort it, its the best for all-rounder music listening style.
Daniel, your statement “you need 1.2 kW amplifiers … at least to get the best out of them” is nonsense. I’m a very happy 802 user for 9 years now. First the D2 model, now the D4. Both are very well driven by a Naim NAP250 which delivers just 2x120W at 4 Ohm. You don't need power, you need quality.
The old version wasn't very good then? How long will it it be then ,till they construct the 800 series in 100% Aluminium? Stenheim,YG acoustics and Magico....maybe they'll release an 800 reference model? I use to love the looks, but now it's a mish mash.... I think they are starting to copy Magico loudspeakers. IMHO.
You would think the D3 wouldn't have most of the problems that the D4 has fixed considering their price! Aren't they like $24,000 for the larger unit? It's not like they were designed 40 years ago?🙄🤔🤫 Can't believe they didn't see all these problems 6 years ago. It's not like it's a car so they have to worry about increasing fuel economy standards by lightning up the car with more aluminum and orher such things. It's a speaker. It's not like other speakers company's don't do this as well but they don't usually cost $35,000 either. The suspension part I understand but the bracing, should have been there all along.
Great looking speakers but they sound nowhere near as good as they did once imho. I have access to a showroom full of them and they would no longer be my first choice. Sadly the 800 series aren't all made in the UK anymore either.
Yes for sure. I would like to see a head to head with the Revel 322be at $16k vs the 801D4 at $35k. The revel is pretty good (detailed and dynamic) and measures pretty flat too.
Hope the D4 series sound quality will improve. Because the D3 series sound quality really not as good as many similar price other brands speakers. And the D3 series high frequency always sound too bright.
This guy is a great speaker. And the B&Ws are not bad either.
These comments are for the most part - I’ll use someone’s comment on price - delusional. If you have ever been involved in R&D and the difficulties involved with improving a product while keeping price realistic for the intended market then you will appreciate what B&W have done. While this is clearly an evolution and not a complete rework as we saw with the D3, this is not an insignificant update. The cabinet stiffness improvements, improvements in the drivers and their housings, first-rate crossover components - these should have positive impacts on sound. Obviously the leather accent is a matter of taste, but I can’t imagine anyone favoring the old grills over the new. I know I know the grills should never be on, but realistically in a family environment, they ARE on much of the time and we want these beauties to look as good as they can. Thank you for making this video B&W. Very helpful to those of us who are considering and update. In
Best speakers I have heard . The su- woofer frequencies sound sublime. I could feel the vibrations of the low frequencies virtually give a soothing message to my gut.
Addendum Amazing Presentation on the manufacture process!
Great video, the tech behind the D4 series is mind blowing and thanks for keeping the real world pricing!
I think the tech behind it is like 10% of it. The passion and care the company seems to have makes up the other 90%. Most companies are in it for money and don't really have that passion for the product.
LOVELY vid many thanks.
Outsanding job that is why they are so good bravo top class engineering .
What a great design!!!
Recently heard the predecessor of the new model coming up and I was highly impressed. Of course you need the necessary hardware to drive it (was Accuphase) so we'r looking at 6 figure price tags for nice set-ups which is not for everybody and a lot of comments just express jalousie towards people who can afford it. A good system just doesn't come for a couple of hundred bucks, you need serious money, good ears and an understanding of music to really enjoy it.
These look great. I am hoping they measure flatter in the upper mids and highs an the last generation.
I like it two Speaker company 1 B&W & BOSE like it 804 Nice Bookshelf speaker
I'm liking the changes to the 804 in general but not sold on the Connolly leather on the top. Maybe it has an acoustic advantage, but I preferred the lacquered finish aesthetically.
I saw them at Magnolia Best Buy today and the black leather looked like plastic.
Not a fan of the leather. I question the longevity of it
👌👍👌
Well, good to know that, if you really care about the sound generated by the spider which has bigger holes than normal fabric, would you need wages in the rear chamber of the driver? I do think that reflaction from the back of the cabinet would be greater than the the sound pressure generated by spider.
well at least they use quality Crossover parts . So many ""premium" loudspeaker manufactures are using electrolytic caps and resistors form China
♥️👍👍👍👏👏
I heard those 805 D4 speakers at my local hi fi shop recently, & they really struggled with the bass...
I appreciate quality in audio equipment and I'm quite certain that these sound incredible but the flagship level coming in at around $17,000 per speaker, I'll just have to locate an audio store and enjoy them there.
There's a reason why they are in Skywalker and not in my house. But to be fair they have made some smaller models that are somewhat cheaper. Though I'm sure still not cheap.
@@savedfaves When you operate at the level B&W do, you don't say cheap you say less expensive. It's taken the company more than 40 yrs of investment and reinvestment to attain this level of engineering and manufacturing expertise. I bought a pair of 802s in 1980 and still have them. They were fantastic in their day, but they're old relics compared to the current D4 generation. B&W's commitment to excellence is truly admirable..
So according to your inertness of the cabinet, then this should be the best speaker in the world. Atleast according to B&W.
Blatant breach of Bowers copyright running this video of theirs on your channel
Take a chill pill.
@@savedfaves this video was not given out to the industry press or to any distributors and dealers so running it as a means of generating channel income or dealer business is breaching copyright. I am not interested in industry politics but sometimes things need to be said
What I would say to many, especially some that have criticize the additional improvements as far as the bracing people have said it should’ve been done back in the 70s you did not have computer analysis you did not have laser precision measurements to even consider things that you cannot think of. The point of improvements is also the improvement of technologies that allow you to catch deficiencies in speaker they cannot be done so easily without tools to do so. Also, and this is not a cop out to Bowers And Wilkins Service . This is for any speaker company any company any product if every company made the best they could to the point it would not fail for a persons life, or there were no justifiable improvements. A company will go out of business. I hate to say it, but that’s why there are a lot of things, and I’m not even talking about speakers that have lesser quality than some things many years ago. The entry point of the 800 series is not cheap but there is a level of quality you get that is above the 700 series and no I’m not talking about one made in China and one made in the UK still human hands, no matter what if the people are passionate for what they do they do a good job if they’re not, then they won’t.
Thanks for the comment
Can someone turn the lights on please? A bloke in black clothing pointing at black products in a badly lit black room. Awesome...
How to profit maximum from the simplest technologies
Marketing talk: They claim to have “discovered” a new spider for their midrange units 😳 However, is nothing new in this design, it was the first spider design that was used in the first dynamic loudspeakers from the 1920. They finally discovered that somewhere along the development of dynamic loudspeakers in the last century, they have lost some very good ideas. Now I am just waiting until they “discover” that an electro magnet performs much better than a permanent magnet........
Whats the real purpose with the spider; the midrange basically does not move at all
Wszystko fajnie pięknie tylko szkoda że fabryki poprzenosiliście do Chin
Can I get a job in that factory it would be my dream come true..
I heard they are hiring floor managers...you must keep the factory floors are squeaky clean. 🤣
@@peteryeung111 :-)
@@ALPHONSO_NANOOK I work there, there's always jobs going
Well, if you look up resale on the B&W’s there are tons for sale. What does this mean? Well I guess it’s either unhappy unfulfilled customers. Beautiful speakers but that’s about it.
The build quality look fantastic but I would like to know if they have really improve the sound of the new series because the d3 series lack bass performance, soundstage stay within the head and sides of speakers, boxy sound according to most HiFi reviews.
wide spectrum soundstage and bass i would say is not the high points of the diamond series. It’s clarity, precision and ofcourse aesthetics.
Did he mean 2017?
B & W superb but for most part no longer affordable the 800 line come on now the 805D now 8000 dollars
I paid 5000 pair for mine a few years back mated to McIntosh 2275 Integrated Tube Amp sweet airy transparent amazing
Everything in audio market is more expensive now.
only the 801 from eightess is the real very good loudspeaker,the others is for lifestyle and have brightness sound
i got these for free in 1985 from a belgian military church in germany that closed his doors.
It's taken them how many years to realise u don't want the cabinet to vibrate 🤣
This Chap could could sell second hand knickers to old ladies at nursing homes he is that good at spin
The new models are going to be approx 15% to 20% more expensive for little more then a few trinkets over the superseded models ...Oh yeah Dont forget the slap of cow hide on the top for good measure LOL.......
Blows my mind a company selling £12k speakers can’t upload their marketing content in 4k :/
This is a re-upload of their video. Perhaps the original video was in 4K.
They are only charging so much because they are seeing what guys like Magico and Wilson are charging. And they will be bought by the same types of people who own an S-Class or Audi A8, not a bad business model I suppose but not for me.
But if it's that expensive, it MUST be good....
Next model, go back to the past and make a square like Matrix 801. Then it will sell very well.
I don't understand if your comment is serious. B&W (and others) use curved cabinets for acoustic reasons, it's not for marketing. Better control of the internal resonances, much stiffer and rigid respect to a rectangular model. Please go to study 'Development of B&W 801 Nautilus' pdf paper.
So, going back to rectangular cabinets is a NO NO. They're using rectangular cabinets in the cheaper series....
18:45 Push on quick connectors on the midrange driver!?!?! Come on B & W you can do better than that on your high end very costly speakers!!
The price is .... delusional and unjustified.
"If they have wedding rings, they have to tape them up", next picture: Guy wears untaped wedding ring and touches the speaker XD (18:40)
Except the wedding ring is taped up with brown masking tape
The weak point of B&W 800 line (like 802, 800) is actually amplifier. You need Gryphon, 1.2Kw McIntosh...at least to get the best out of them. When you add this cost up, the speakers become cheaper part of system meaning a big hole in your pocket. However, if you can effort it, its the best for all-rounder music listening style.
Daniel, your statement “you need 1.2 kW amplifiers … at least to get the best out of them” is nonsense.
I’m a very happy 802 user for 9 years now. First the D2 model, now the D4. Both are very well driven by a Naim NAP250 which delivers just 2x120W at 4 Ohm. You don't need power, you need quality.
@@gijsschubert7901precisely. High quality power is what it needs to sing.
The old version wasn't very good then? How long will it it be then ,till they construct the 800 series in 100% Aluminium?
Stenheim,YG acoustics and Magico....maybe they'll release an 800 reference model? I use to love the looks, but now it's a mish mash.... I think they are starting to copy Magico loudspeakers. IMHO.
I think newest D4 series model 801 replaced Previous model 800. And we will never see model 800 anymore in the future.
It’ means they give up the model which has the only one 15” bass driver forever.
@@Palmtiger You're right! It gives them scope to release the NEW reference 800 ,next year? for about £50,000.00.
@@tomhirschel8524 it’s a great idea for them! Hope they heard! Let’s looking forward
So much crapola. R they done now? So much redesign. Graphics are wierd, deceptive?
You would think the D3 wouldn't have most of the problems that the D4 has fixed considering their price! Aren't they like $24,000 for the larger unit? It's not like they were designed 40 years ago?🙄🤔🤫 Can't believe they didn't see all these problems 6 years ago. It's not like it's a car so they have to worry about increasing fuel economy standards by lightning up the car with more aluminum and orher such things. It's a speaker. It's not like other speakers company's don't do this as well but they don't usually cost $35,000 either. The suspension part I understand but the bracing, should have been there all along.
Great looking speakers but they sound nowhere near as good as they did once imho. I have access to a showroom full of them and they would no longer be my first choice. Sadly the 800 series aren't all made in the UK anymore either.
It's too expensive!
Buy our shit..there Magic
Finishes on new spkrs still ugly. Red should be glossy. Need prestige.
They look great and I’m sure sound wonderful but b&w seem to have lost the plot over pricing.
Yes for sure. I would like to see a head to head with the Revel 322be at $16k vs the 801D4 at $35k. The revel is pretty good (detailed and dynamic) and measures pretty flat too.
Anybody spending this sort of money on speakers should expect some decent wiring inside not some black and red pap you find in £150 speakers.
Probably an indicator that the expensive wiring is just snake oil.
@@Sloimer very true, i have used lots of different cables and cant tell any difference between any of them
Hope the D4 series sound quality will improve. Because the D3 series sound quality really not as good as many similar price other brands speakers. And the D3 series high frequency always sound too bright.
They have fixed it!!!
smoke and mirrors
very too expensive sorry
No wonder why 80's and 90's music sounded so horrible. They all used the same crappy speakers.