The 800 Series Diamond D5 in a conventionally shaped floorstanding speaker.
The 804 D5 trades the Turbine Head for a slim cabinet that also suits smaller rooms.
The pair of Bowers & Wilkins 804 D5 speakers combines the Diamond dome in its Solid Body Tweeter-on-Top with the Continuum and two Aerofoil units, fixed rigidly into the reverse-wrap enclosure. Compared with the D4, the midrange has a new dedicated aluminium housing and the plinth has been upgraded with tuned-mass damping. There are four finishes, all new: Stealth Black, Warm White, Dark Walnut and Light Walnut, with Leather by Connolly trim.
Key features
- Three-way vented design: 25 mm Diamond tweeter, 130 mm Continuum FST midrange, two 165 mm Aerofoil bass drivers
- Frequency response 19 Hz-24 kHz (±3 dB), 20 Hz-35 kHz at -6 dB; sensitivity 89 dB
- Nominal impedance 8 ohms (3.0-ohm minimum); recommended amplifier 50-200 W
- Height 1101 mm with tweeter and plinth; width 238 mm (plinth 308 mm); depth 337 mm, 392 mm with grille and terminals
- Weight 40.3 kg per speaker; bi-wire terminals
No separate head
On the 804 D5 the mid band sits not in a head but inside the box, in its own chamber; the tweeter stays above, in its own body, and moves its first break-up mode to 70 kHz. Biomimetic Suspension and an Anti-Resonance plug control the Continuum cone. The updated Matrix, Space Frame and metal top section complete the structure, closed by a sturdy spine and tuned by a Flowport. Drive units, crossover and wiring have also been revised.
Planning the room
The cabinet is narrow, but the real footing is that of the base, which should guide placement; the damping works best on a rigid, level surface. With a manageable weight it is the easiest of the D5 floorstanders to move, so distance from the walls and toe-in can be tried before final wiring.
Leave room behind for connections and double cable runs. In a multichannel system the HTM82 D5 completes the front, set below the screen. The grille is black on the dark finishes and grey on the light ones, worth weighing if the speakers stay in view.
