Bowers & Wilkins 804 D5

The 804 D5 is a reference-grade floorstanding loudspeaker from the 800 Series Diamond range — Bowers & Wilkins' pinnacle of loudspeaker engineering. Designed for those who demand the full 800 Series Diamond experience in a more compact footprint, the 804 D5 pairs the Diamond dome tweeter with the Continuum cone midrange driver and twin Aerofoil bass units, all housed within a cabinet architecture refined to eliminate every source of coloration and resonance. Martin's Hi-Fi is the second oldest Bowers & Wilkins dealer in the world, and the 804 D5 is one of the finest expressions of what that partnership means in practice.

Diamond Dome Tweeter & Tweeter-on-Top

At the heart of the 804 D5's high-frequency performance is the Diamond dome tweeter, mounted in the iconic Tweeter-on-Top enclosure above the main cabinet. Diamond is the hardest natural material, pushing the tweeter's break-up frequency to 70kHz — far beyond the limits of audibility — so that everything within the hearing range is reproduced with complete composure and zero mechanical interference. The Tweeter-on-Top mounting decouples the tweeter entirely from cabinet vibration, ensuring the precision of the Diamond dome is never compromised by the structure around it.

Continuum Cone FST Midrange

The midrange driver uses Bowers & Wilkins' Continuum cone, housed in a Fixed Suspension Transducer arrangement within an all-new aluminium midrange enclosure. The Continuum material was developed specifically to eliminate the coarse, grainy breakup characteristic of conventional woven cones, reproducing voices and acoustic instruments with a composure and resolution that must be heard to be fully appreciated. The aluminium enclosure isolates the midrange driver from the bass loading below it, preserving low-level detail and transient accuracy across the critical midband.

Aerofoil Bass Drive Units

Two 165mm Aerofoil bass drive units handle the low frequencies. The Aerofoil cone profile is derived from aerospace engineering principles, varying in thickness across its surface to combine the rigidity of a thick cone with the low mass of a thin one. The result is bass reproduction that is both extended and articulate — capable of reaching the lowest registers without sacrificing the speed and definition that allow complex musical passages to remain intelligible.

Matrix Cabinet & Aluminium Space Frame Bracing

The 804 D5's cabinet is built around an upgraded Matrix internal bracing system, which fills the enclosure with a lattice of interconnected panels to eliminate resonance at source. Aluminium Space Frame Bracing and an all-new aluminium top section reinforce the structure further, while the reverse-wrap cabinet — formed from a single continuous curve locked in place by a solid aluminium spine — reduces cabinet diffraction and reflection to a minimum. Tuned-mass damping on the upgraded plinth addresses the final path by which vibration might otherwise re-enter the signal chain.

Technical Specifications

Who Is It For?

The 804 D5 is for the serious listener who wants the full 800 Series Diamond engineering hierarchy in a floorstanding form that works in a wider range of rooms than the larger models. It rewards careful amplifier matching — the 50W minimum recommendation is a floor, not a target — and will scale with the quality of the electronics upstream of it. If your room cannot accommodate the 803 D5 or above, the 804 D5 is not a compromise; it is a genuinely different proposition with its own considerable strengths.

Buying from Martins Hi-Fi

Martins Hi-Fi has been in Norwich since 1968. Elizabeth Gould runs the business today, and we stock only brands we have heard properly and stand behind. As the second oldest Bowers & Wilkins dealer in the world, we have a depth of experience with this range that very few retailers can match.

The 804 D5 can be heard at our Norwich showroom — we encourage you to bring your own music and take your time.

When you get in touch, you'll be speaking with Dave, Chris and Tim — experienced specialists who can advise on this product and your whole system.

Contact us at info@martinshifi.co.uk, call 01603 627010, or WhatsApp on 07554 687137. You can read more about how we work on our Why Martins Hi-Fi page. We are at 85–91 Ber Street, Norwich, NR1 3EY.