The new 800 Series Diamond from Bowers & Wilkins is the result of an intensive seven-year project. A combination of research and development, advanced engineering and countless hours of listening  have produced a range of loudspeakers that place the listener closer to the recording than ever thought possible.

Almost all of the component parts are different from the outgoing 800 Series Diamond. As Bowers & Wilkins Head of Research Martial Rousseau says, “This is not a product update. This is a completely re-imagined entity. One of the sole remaining elements is the Diamond tweeter. We found it impossible to improve on the performance offered by diamond.”

Re-imagined from the ground-up, the Diamond dome tweeter may have been retained, but the rest of the loudspeaker has been ruthlessly over-hauled to deliver a high-fidelity sound.

The changes involve a vast number of technological, engineering and acoustic innovations. Most striking is the transformation of the midrange drive units. A new Continuum cone featuring superior acoustic properties replaces the Kevlar cones that have long been a major factor of the 800 Series’ midrange performance. Bass performance has also been dramatically improved by the introduction of the Aerofoil cone, which considerably reduces distortion thanks to new cone geometry.

These innovations, when teamed with improved cabinets, more robust Matrix bracing system, a new solid body tweeter assembly and the vastly improved Turbine head design means the new 800 Series Diamond represents reference quality sound.

Testament to Bowers & Wilkins desire to consistently produce class-leading loudspeakers, the entire manufacturing plant in Worthing, West Sussex, was redesigned specifically for production of the new 800 Series Diamond, creating a speaker that does not rely on its reputation alone to deliver superlative performance.

The outcome is a radical new aesthetic that delivers a slender, more modern industrial design, with the Turbine head constructed from a single piece of aluminium sitting on a sleek reverse-wrap cabinet crafted from layers of wood, which are curved into shape under intense pressure.

Throughout the range – from the studio-quality 802 D3 to the more accessible 805 D3 – there is something to suit every audiophile preference.