Bowers & Wilkins 801 D5 Reference Tower Loudspeakers (Pair)

The Bowers & Wilkins 801 D5 is the flagship three-way floorstanding loudspeaker in B&W's fifth-generation 800 Series Diamond range, announced in June 2026. It pairs a 25mm Diamond dome tweeter in B&W's Solid Body Tweeter-on-Top housing with a 6-inch Continuum cone FST midrange inside a Turbine Head enclosure and two 10-inch Aerofoil bass drivers. Built for dedicated listening rooms where its full scale and bass extension can be appreciated, the Bowers & Wilkins 801 D5 is available at Trutone Electronics in Mississauga, Ontario.

The Bowers & Wilkins 801 D5 keeps the same core driver layout as the 801 D4 but adds a new generation of internal engineering. Key upgrades include aluminium Space Frame Bracing added to the existing Matrix cabinet structure, a new aluminium top plate derived from the 801 D4 Signature, a more acoustically transparent tweeter grille mesh, and lower-distortion Signature-spec motor systems on every driver. The crossover has also been redesigned with Signature-derived components and a new wiring harness.

The Bowers & Wilkins 801 D5 uses a three-way configuration consisting of a 25mm Diamond dome tweeter, a 150mm Continuum cone FST midrange in a Turbine Head, and two 250mm Aerofoil cone bass drivers. The tweeter sits in B&W's Solid Body Tweeter-on-Top enclosure, decoupled from the main cabinet. This delivers a frequency response of 15Hz to 28kHz (+/-3dB) and a frequency range down to 13Hz (-6dB).

Early listening impressions describe the Bowers & Wilkins 801 D5 as offering exceptional scale, detail, and dynamic range, with bass that has both impact and texture. Reviewers at its High End Vienna 2026 launch reported percussion sounding lifelike and vocals incredibly direct, alongside spectacular stereo imaging. It is described as highly revealing while still retaining musical engagement rather than sounding analytical.

Bowers & Wilkins recommends 50 to 1000 watts into 8 ohms for the 801 D5, with a nominal impedance of 8 ohms and a sensitivity of 90dB. It can be driven by a high-quality integrated amplifier or a substantial separates system, though higher-powered amplification allows its dynamic range to be used more fully. Speaker cable should be kept under 0.1 ohms impedance.

The Bowers & Wilkins 801 D5 is designed for large, dedicated listening rooms rather than typical living rooms. At over 1.2 metres tall and approximately 106kg per speaker, it needs adequate space for its rear-firing Flowport and Turbine Head to perform properly. Buyers considering it for a smaller space may find the Bowers & Wilkins 802 D5 or 803 D5 a more practical fit.

The Bowers & Wilkins 801 D5 and 802 D5 share the same 6-inch Continuum FST midrange, Turbine Head design, and Diamond dome tweeter, giving them a similar tonal character. The key difference is bass driver size — the 801 D5 uses two 10-inch Aerofoil drivers in a larger cabinet, while the 802 D5 uses two 8-inch Aerofoil drivers in a smaller, easier-to-place enclosure. The 801 D5 offers deeper bass extension and greater dynamic headroom; the 802 D5 delivers much of the same sound in a more manageable footprint.