Bowers & Wilkins 803 D5 Tower Loudspeakers (Pair)

The Bowers & Wilkins 803 D5 is a three-way floorstanding loudspeaker in B&W's fifth-generation 800 Series Diamond range, positioned in the middle of the lineup. It is the smallest model to retain B&W's full Turbine Head design, pairing a 25mm Diamond dome tweeter with a 5-inch Continuum cone FST midrange in a decoupled Turbine Head enclosure, plus two Aerofoil cone bass drivers. The Bowers & Wilkins 803 D5 is available at Trutone Electronics in Mississauga, Ontario.

The Bowers & Wilkins 803 D5 is a step down in size from the 802 D5, with a smaller 5-inch Continuum FST midrange compared to the 802 D5's 6-inch driver, and smaller bass drivers in a more compact cabinet. Both models share the same Diamond dome tweeter and Turbine Head design, so the family sound carries through. Buyers choosing between the two are typically weighing the 802 D5's larger scale and deeper bass against the 803 D5's smaller footprint and easier placement.

The Bowers & Wilkins 803 D5 retains B&W's external Turbine Head housing the midrange driver, while the 804 D5 replaces it with an internal aluminium midrange enclosure and a more conventional cabinet shape. The 803 D5 also uses a larger midrange driver and larger bass drivers than the 804 D5. Buyers who want the full Turbine Head experience in the smallest possible cabinet should choose the 803 D5; those wanting an even more compact floorstander should consider the 804 D5.

The Bowers & Wilkins 803 D5 keeps the same three-way layout as the 803 D4 while adding the D5 generation's structural and electronic upgrades. These include aluminium Space Frame Bracing, an aluminium top plate with damping collar, a redesigned crossover with Signature-derived components, lower-distortion motor systems, and a new tweeter grille mesh. The result is a more refined and detailed version of the same fundamental design rather than a different speaker.

The Bowers & Wilkins 803 D5 brings much of the resolution and refinement of the larger D5 models into a smaller cabinet, thanks to sharing the same Diamond dome tweeter and Turbine Head midrange design. Its smaller midrange and bass drivers give it a slightly less expansive low end than the 801 D5 or 802 D5, but it remains a full three-way design with enhanced Matrix and Space Frame Bracing for a controlled, low-resonance cabinet. It is designed to sound composed and detailed across a wide range of music and movie content.

Bowers & Wilkins recommends 50 to 1000 watts into 8 ohms for the 803 D5, with a nominal impedance of 8 ohms and a sensitivity of 90dB — identical to the 801 D5 and 802 D5. This flexibility means it works well with both integrated amplifiers and larger separates systems. Speaker cable should be kept under 0.1 ohms impedance.

The Bowers & Wilkins 803 D5 is designed to suit a wide range of living and listening spaces, making it more flexible than the larger 801 D5 and 802 D5. At around 1.165 metres tall and roughly 64kg per speaker, it fits comfortably in medium to large rooms without requiring a dedicated listening space. This makes it a popular choice for buyers who want flagship-derived sound in a home that also serves other purposes.