Bowers & Wilkins 805 D5 Reference 

Reference 800 Series Diamond Sound in a Compact Form

The Bowers & Wilkins 805 D5 is the most compact loudspeaker in the 800 Series Diamond range, delivering reference-level clarity, precision and musical scale from an elegant stand-mount design.

Designed for smaller listening rooms and premium systems where space is limited, the 805 D5 combines a Diamond dome tweeter, Solid Body Tweeter-on-Top, a 165 mm Continuum™ cone bass/midrange driver and an extensively reinforced reverse-wrap cabinet. Despite its modest proportions, it produces a spacious soundstage, lifelike detail and impressive low-frequency control.

Diamond Dome Tweeter

The 805 D5 features Bowers & Wilkins’ renowned 25 mm Diamond dome tweeter, engineered to reproduce high frequencies with exceptional clarity, openness and precision.

Diamond combines very low mass with outstanding stiffness, pushing the tweeter’s break-up frequency to approximately 70 kHz. By moving unwanted resonance well beyond the audible range, the 805 D5 can reveal subtle recording details without introducing harshness or excessive brightness.

Solid Body Tweeter-on-Top

Rather than placing the tweeter within the main cabinet, Bowers & Wilkins houses it in a rigid Solid Body Tweeter-on-Top enclosure.

Separating the tweeter from the bass and midrange driver helps reduce interference caused by cabinet vibration. The elongated housing also minimises diffraction around the driver, supporting sharper stereo imaging and a more natural sense of space around voices and instruments.

165 mm Continuum Cone Driver

A dedicated 165 mm Continuum cone bass/midrange driver reproduces vocals, instruments and low frequencies with exceptional control.

The Continuum cone is designed to behave smoothly across its operating range, avoiding the abrupt resonance characteristics associated with some conventional cone materials. This helps the 805 D5 deliver natural vocals, clearly defined instruments and a balanced presentation across a wide range of music.

Anti-Resonance Plug

An Anti-Resonance plug is positioned within the Continuum driver to improve mechanical control and reduce unwanted cone behaviour.

This refinement helps maintain clarity through the midrange, allowing fine textures and musical details to remain focused even during complex or dynamic passages.

Enhanced Matrix Cabinet Construction

Inside the cabinet, Bowers & Wilkins’ upgraded Matrix™ bracing system reinforces the enclosure and reduces unwanted resonance.

Interlocking internal panels create a more rigid structure, while aluminium Space Frame Bracing and an aluminium top section provide additional stability. By reducing cabinet vibration, the 805 D5 can produce a cleaner background, more precise imaging and a more convincing soundstage.

Reverse-Wrap Cabinet Design

The 805 D5 cabinet is formed from a continuous curved structure rather than a conventional flat-fronted box.

This reverse-wrap construction reduces reflections around the drive units and moves the main cabinet join towards the rear. A solid aluminium spine locks the structure together, improving rigidity while giving the speaker its distinctive 800 Series Diamond appearance.

Flowport Bass Reflex Technology

Bowers & Wilkins’ Flowport™ bass-reflex system helps the 805 D5 produce deeper and more controlled low frequencies.

The port’s carefully shaped, dimpled surface reduces turbulence as air moves through the cabinet. This helps minimise unwanted noise and compression, particularly during bass-heavy music or higher-volume playback.

Impressive Performance for Smaller Listening Rooms

Although it is the smallest loudspeaker in the 800 Series Diamond range, the 805 D5 offers a stated frequency response of 42 Hz to 28 kHz, ±3 dB, with a wider frequency range extending from 34 Hz to 35 kHz at -6 dB.

Its compact dimensions make it particularly well suited to apartments, dedicated listening rooms and premium systems where a full-sized floorstanding speaker may not be practical.

Designed for Premium Amplification

The 805 D5 has an 88 dB sensitivity rating, an 8-ohm nominal impedance and a minimum impedance of 4.6 ohms.

Bowers & Wilkins specifies a broad recommended amplifier range of 50 to 1,000 watts into 8 ohms on unclipped programme material. A high-quality amplifier with stable current delivery will help reveal the speaker’s dynamic capability, tonal detail and bass control.

Purpose-Built FS-805 Speaker Stands

For optimum positioning and stability, the 805 D5 can be mounted on the matching Bowers & Wilkins FS-805 speaker stands.

These bespoke stands are available in Black and Titanium finishes and are designed to place the speakers at an appropriate listening height while providing a secure acoustic foundation. FS-805 stands are sold separately.

Premium Cabinet Finishes

The Bowers & Wilkins 805 D5 is available in four premium finishes:

• Stealth Black
• Warm White
• Dark Walnut
• Light Walnut

Stealth Black and Dark Walnut versions are supplied with black grilles, while Warm White and Light Walnut models feature grey grilles. Matching Leather by Connolly trim completes the refined cabinet design.

Key Features

• Reference stand-mount loudspeaker
• Most compact model in the 800 Series Diamond range
• 25 mm Diamond dome tweeter
• Solid Body Tweeter-on-Top enclosure
• 165 mm Continuum cone bass/midrange driver
• Anti-Resonance plug
• Enhanced Matrix internal bracing
• Aluminium Space Frame Bracing
• Aluminium cabinet top section
• Curved reverse-wrap cabinet
• Solid aluminium rear spine
• Flowport bass-reflex technology
• 42 Hz–28 kHz frequency response
• 88 dB sensitivity
• Compatible with bespoke FS-805 stands
• Available in four premium finishes

Technical Specifications

The official information sheet describes the enclosure as a “3-way vented-box system”, although its published drive-unit configuration lists one tweeter and one combined bass/midrange driver. The table above therefore uses the neutral description vented-box system to avoid reproducing that apparent inconsistency.