The Bowers & Wilkins 801 D4 Loudspeakers

When you're a critic, you get paid to quibble, so here's mine: Bowers & Wilkins' iconic 801 D4 speaker ($35,000/pair) is pretty enough in gloss black, but gorgeous in satin walnut. In the company's AXPONA room, I encountered only the black version.

This is the extent of my admittedly not-so-terrible trauma. Get-well cards optional.

The 801 D4s, introduced in late fall 2021, were driven by a couple of Classé Delta monoblocks ($10,995 each) connected to a Classé Delta Pre ($9995). Because it was the final day of the show, mid-afternoon, the atmosphere was maybe a little looser than before, and the B&W team merrily invited visitors to plug their phones into the AudioQuest DragonFly DAC and let 'er rip. So we did. Paquito d'Rivera's "Afro" and Parker Milsap's "You Gotta Move" were wholly convincing, even moving.

Powered by the Classés, the 801s were smoother and less bass-prominent than I remembered from an earlier iteration (the speaker's design goes back to 1979). Now they combined ease and authority, sophistication and raw power, an iron fist and a velvet glove. Various hand percussion, and the sound of a stick hitting the cup of a cymbal, were reproduced with so much snap and speed that you could've closed your eyes and thought you were listening to electrostats.

What distinguishes a good speaker from a great one? Detail, detail, detail. Clearly, none are obscured when the 801 D4s are matched with the right electronics and a halfway decent room.

COMMENTS
Theo23rd's picture

I cannot believe you are sitting on that amp.

Jim Austin's picture

Rogier, the author of this post, took the picture.

Jim Austin, Editor
Stereophile

tonykaz's picture

These amps run Hot so I wonder if this is a Stunt, a bet, an I dare ya or some other strange poopy statement.

Why do these outfits insist on placing Amps on the dirty carpet where magnetised dust particles originate ? It seems disrespectful to throw the Designers Work on the dam floor, doesn't it ? -- besides, why aren't there chairs nearby ??

John Atkinson's picture
tonykaz wrote:
These amps run Hot so I wonder if this is a Stunt, a bet, an I dare ya or some other strange poopy statement.

As I described in my review of the Classé amplifier, linked in the story, the Delta Mono uses an internal fan system to cool the output devices by venting the hot air to the rear. The chassis remains cool.

John Atkinson
Technical Editor, Stereophile

tonykaz's picture

Should we wonder :

Why is someone allowed to sit on a featured Amplifier ?

Would Mr.D'augistino of Krell, Mr.W.Z.Johnson of Audio Research , Paul of PS Audio or any other Designer let somebody sit on their Amplifier.

Do you guys edit the postings of these 'field' reporters ?

Btheaudiophile's picture

If you look closely at the picture the amps are on stands.

tonykaz's picture

Yes, so right you are !

I think that I'd rather have those pricy boxes on proper furniture pieces .

The Floor is just tooooooo dirty for electromagnetic gear, doncha think ?, and then let somebody sit on the dam things, don't seem right somehow.

Anton's picture

It can happen to the best of us.

I blame cell phones and social media.

;-|

latinaudio's picture

...looks like aluminum mesh for filters, very different from the Rohacell and Kevlar employed before in this model. Can you tell us what is made of?

John Atkinson's picture
latinaudio wrote:
...looks like aluminum mesh for filters, very different from the Rohacell and Kevlar employed before in this model. Can you tell us what is made of?

It's not aluminum but a composite material B&W calls "Continuum."

John Atkinson
Technical Editor, Stereophile

daxopi1087's picture

A consistent player both at shows and in the hi-fi world, Linear Tube Audio's Nicholas Tolson brought smart, sparse rigs to two AXPONA rooms that played great music.
http://cpp.sh/3tagm
https://pastebin.com/njijQfPS
https://paiza.io/projects/TgbTEgEF4Y9DhZ3PsIGM_w?language=php

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