Bowers & Wilkins - 801 Abbey Road Limited Edition - Floorstanding Speakers
Bowers & Wilkins was founded in Worthing, England in 1966 by John Bowers, a man who believed that the purpose of a loudspeaker was simply to reproduce recorded music as faithfully as possible, and that achieving this required investment in research rather than compromise in manufacturing. That belief produced, over subsequent decades, a series of loudspeaker innovations — the first practical diamond tweeter, the decoupled tweeter housing, the matrix-braced cabinet — that have become reference technologies in the industry. The 800 Series, introduced in the 1970s and continuously refined since, is the direct expression of that research: the speaker that Abbey Road Studios and countless other world-class recording facilities trust to hear what they are actually recording.
ENGINEERING PHILOSOPHY
The 800 Series Diamond range incorporates technologies developed without regard to cost: a tweeter dome machined from pure diamond, chosen because its extreme stiffness pushes resonance far beyond the audible range; a Continuum midrange cone developed over years of materials research to eliminate the 'cone cry' coloration present in all conventional cone materials; and a Biomimetic Suspension system that reduces non-linear distortion at low frequencies. The turbine head tweeter enclosure decouples the tweeter from the cabinet entirely, so that cabinet vibration — however small — cannot influence the treble reproduction. These are not marketing descriptions. They are engineering solutions to problems that affect every loudspeaker, implemented at a level of investment that only a company of B&W;'s scale can sustain.
WHY THE AUDIO TAILOR CARRIES BOWERS & WILKINS 800 SERIES
We carry Bowers & Wilkins 800 Series because it represents one of the most rigorously developed and extensively validated loudspeaker designs in the world. It is the benchmark against which every other speaker in our range is assessed — and it earns that position every time.
Celebrating the unique 45-year relationship between Bowers & Wilkins and Abbey Road, the 801 Abbey Road Limited Edition takes the 801 D4 Signature and reframes it in homage to the home of music making.
Where music history is made
For almost a century, Abbey Road has witnessed the creation of some of the world’s most celebrated songs, albums, films and game scores by the most revered artists and composers.
© UMG Archive
The start of something special
In 1979, John Bowers and his team developed the first 801 – a loudspeaker crafted for unrivalled accuracy. The engineers at Abbey Road immediately understood its value and adopted it as their monitor of choice full-time.
45 years of iconic sound
Over the last 45 years, successive generations of 800 Series loudspeakers have graced Abbey Road’s control rooms and contributed to the endlessly iconic music and film scores recorded there.
Celebrating a timeless legacy
The 801 Abbey Road Limited Edition is a celebration of the unique 45-year relationship between Bowers & Wilkins and Abbey Road. It takes the best loudspeaker Bowers & Wilkins currently manufactures and reframes it in homage to the home of music making.
Abbey Road-inspired finish
Directly inspired by the famous studio, the 801 Abbey Road Limited Edition boasts a carefully crafted Vintage Walnut cabinet, complemented by a bespoke red Leather by Connolly trim.
801 D4 Signature
The 801 D4 Signature features meticulously evolved technology, carefully crafted design, and unique finishes that culminate in the pinnacle of performance. This is Bowers & Wilkins' flagship loudspeaker, perfected.
A benchmark in performance
Today, the latest incarnation of the 801, the 801 D4, remains the benchmark by which other high-performance loudspeakers are judged. It’s the ultimate expression of True Sound, and ideally suited to its role as the loudspeaker of choice for Abbey Road.
Specifications
- Dimensions (HxWxD): 1221mm (48.1in) x 451mm (17.8 in) x Depth: 600mm (23.6 in)
- Net weight: 100.60kg (221.8 lb)
- Technical features: Diamond tweeter, Solid Body Tweeter-on-Top Continuum™ cone FST™ midrange, Anti-Resonance plug, Biomimetic Suspension, Turbine Head, Matrix™, Aerofoil™ Profile bass cones & Flowport™"
- Description: 3-way vented-box system
- Drive units: 1x ø25mm (1in) Diamond Dome high-frequency, 1x ø150mm (6in) Continuum™ cone FST™ midrange, 2x ø250mm (10in) Aerofoil™ Profile bass
- Frequency range: -6dB 13Hz - 35kHz
- Harmonic distortion: 2nd and 3rd harmonics (90dB, 1m on axis) <1% 30Hz – 20kHz; <0.3% 100Hz – 20kHz
- Nominal impedance: 8Ω (minimum 3.0Ω)
- Recommended amplifier power: 50W - 1,000W into 8Ω on unclipped programme
- Max recommended cable impedance: 0.1Ω
- Frequency response (+/-3dB from reference axis): 15Hz - 28kHz ±3dB
- Sensitivity (on axis at 2.83Vrms at 1m): 90dB
- Cabinet finishes: Vintage Walnut
- Grille finishes: Black
Description
Bowers & Wilkins was founded in Worthing, England in 1966 by John Bowers, a man who believed that the purpose of a loudspeaker was simply to reproduce recorded music as faithfully as possible, and that achieving this required investment in research rather than compromise in manufacturing. That belief produced, over subsequent decades, a series of loudspeaker innovations — the first practical diamond tweeter, the decoupled tweeter housing, the matrix-braced cabinet — that have become reference technologies in the industry. The 800 Series, introduced in the 1970s and continuously refined since, is the direct expression of that research: the speaker that Abbey Road Studios and countless other world-class recording facilities trust to hear what they are actually recording.
ENGINEERING PHILOSOPHY
The 800 Series Diamond range incorporates technologies developed without regard to cost: a tweeter dome machined from pure diamond, chosen because its extreme stiffness pushes resonance far beyond the audible range; a Continuum midrange cone developed over years of materials research to eliminate the 'cone cry' coloration present in all conventional cone materials; and a Biomimetic Suspension system that reduces non-linear distortion at low frequencies. The turbine head tweeter enclosure decouples the tweeter from the cabinet entirely, so that cabinet vibration — however small — cannot influence the treble reproduction. These are not marketing descriptions. They are engineering solutions to problems that affect every loudspeaker, implemented at a level of investment that only a company of B&W;'s scale can sustain.
WHY THE AUDIO TAILOR CARRIES BOWERS & WILKINS 800 SERIES
We carry Bowers & Wilkins 800 Series because it represents one of the most rigorously developed and extensively validated loudspeaker designs in the world. It is the benchmark against which every other speaker in our range is assessed — and it earns that position every time.
Celebrating the unique 45-year relationship between Bowers & Wilkins and Abbey Road, the 801 Abbey Road Limited Edition takes the 801 D4 Signature and reframes it in homage to the home of music making.
Where music history is made
For almost a century, Abbey Road has witnessed the creation of some of the world’s most celebrated songs, albums, films and game scores by the most revered artists and composers.
© UMG Archive
The start of something special
In 1979, John Bowers and his team developed the first 801 – a loudspeaker crafted for unrivalled accuracy. The engineers at Abbey Road immediately understood its value and adopted it as their monitor of choice full-time.
45 years of iconic sound
Over the last 45 years, successive generations of 800 Series loudspeakers have graced Abbey Road’s control rooms and contributed to the endlessly iconic music and film scores recorded there.
Celebrating a timeless legacy
The 801 Abbey Road Limited Edition is a celebration of the unique 45-year relationship between Bowers & Wilkins and Abbey Road. It takes the best loudspeaker Bowers & Wilkins currently manufactures and reframes it in homage to the home of music making.
Abbey Road-inspired finish
Directly inspired by the famous studio, the 801 Abbey Road Limited Edition boasts a carefully crafted Vintage Walnut cabinet, complemented by a bespoke red Leather by Connolly trim.
801 D4 Signature
The 801 D4 Signature features meticulously evolved technology, carefully crafted design, and unique finishes that culminate in the pinnacle of performance. This is Bowers & Wilkins' flagship loudspeaker, perfected.
A benchmark in performance
Today, the latest incarnation of the 801, the 801 D4, remains the benchmark by which other high-performance loudspeakers are judged. It’s the ultimate expression of True Sound, and ideally suited to its role as the loudspeaker of choice for Abbey Road.
Specifications
- Dimensions (HxWxD): 1221mm (48.1in) x 451mm (17.8 in) x Depth: 600mm (23.6 in)
- Net weight: 100.60kg (221.8 lb)
- Technical features: Diamond tweeter, Solid Body Tweeter-on-Top Continuum™ cone FST™ midrange, Anti-Resonance plug, Biomimetic Suspension, Turbine Head, Matrix™, Aerofoil™ Profile bass cones & Flowport™"
- Description: 3-way vented-box system
- Drive units: 1x ø25mm (1in) Diamond Dome high-frequency, 1x ø150mm (6in) Continuum™ cone FST™ midrange, 2x ø250mm (10in) Aerofoil™ Profile bass
- Frequency range: -6dB 13Hz - 35kHz
- Harmonic distortion: 2nd and 3rd harmonics (90dB, 1m on axis) <1% 30Hz – 20kHz; <0.3% 100Hz – 20kHz
- Nominal impedance: 8Ω (minimum 3.0Ω)
- Recommended amplifier power: 50W - 1,000W into 8Ω on unclipped programme
- Max recommended cable impedance: 0.1Ω
- Frequency response (+/-3dB from reference axis): 15Hz - 28kHz ±3dB
- Sensitivity (on axis at 2.83Vrms at 1m): 90dB
- Cabinet finishes: Vintage Walnut
- Grille finishes: Black
