Bowers & Wilkins 805 D5 Reference Bookshelf Speakers (Pair)

The Bowers & Wilkins 805 D5 is a standmount loudspeaker in B&W's fifth-generation 800 Series Diamond range, pairing a 25mm Diamond dome tweeter with a 6.5-inch Continuum cone bass/midrange driver. It is the smallest and most accessible model in the D5 lineup, designed for smaller rooms or as a high-end secondary system. The Bowers & Wilkins 805 D5 is available at Trutone Electronics in Mississauga, Ontario.

The Bowers & Wilkins 805 D5 is a two-way speaker, using a single 6.5-inch Continuum cone driver to cover bass and midrange duties alongside its 25mm Diamond dome tweeter. While B&W's specification sheet references a "3-way vented-box system," this appears to be a labeling carryover from the wider D5 specification template, since the drive-unit list and reviewer descriptions both confirm a two-driver, two-way design. Buyers comparing official specs against reviews should expect to see the 805 D5 described as two-way.

The Bowers & Wilkins 805 D5 uses the matching FS-805 D5 stand, available in Black or Titanium finishes. The stand is designed specifically for the 805 D5's cabinet dimensions and is sold separately to complete the standmount setup.

The Bowers & Wilkins 805 D5 is a two-way standmount, while the 804 D5 is a three-way floorstander with a dedicated midrange driver and larger bass drivers for greater scale and bass extension. The 805 D5 is the more compact and flexible option, suited to smaller rooms or stands, while the 804 D5 suits buyers who have floor space for a compact tower. Both share the same Diamond dome tweeter and benefit from the D5 generation's revised crossover and tweeter grille mesh.

The Bowers & Wilkins 805 D5 pairs B&W's Diamond dome tweeter with a 6.5-inch Continuum cone driver to deliver a refined, detailed sound in a compact standmount format. It benefits from the D5 generation's Signature-spec tweeter grille mesh and revised crossover components, both intended to improve resolution and detail over the previous generation. While its bass extension is naturally more limited than the floorstanding D5 models at 34Hz (-6dB), it is designed to offer a high level of clarity and imaging typical of a well-engineered standmount.

Bowers & Wilkins recommends 50 to 1000 watts into 8 ohms for the 805 D5, with a nominal impedance of 8 ohms and a sensitivity of 88dB. Its minimum impedance of 4.6 ohms is slightly higher than the floorstanding models, making it compatible with a wide range of amplifiers from compact integrated amps to larger separates systems. Speaker cable should be kept under 0.1 ohms impedance.

The Bowers & Wilkins 805 D5 is best suited to smaller rooms, secondary systems, or spaces where a floorstanding speaker isn't practical. At just under 44cm tall and roughly 16.4kg, it can be placed on stands or shelves without requiring the space a D5 floorstander would need. This makes it a flexible option for bedrooms, studies, or smaller living rooms.