B&W (Bowers & Wilkins) 800 D2 Diamond Speakers

The Bowers & Wilkins 800 Diamond (D2) is a flagship three-way floorstanding loudspeaker designed to provide reference-level transparency and detail. Released as part of the 800 Series Diamond in 2010, it is widely used in professional recording studios worldwide due to its ability to accurately reproduce original recordings with musical realism.
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Design and Cabinet Construction
The 800 D2 features a distinctive, heavy-duty industrial design focused on acoustic purity and stability.
Matrix Bracing: The internal cabinet uses a "Matrix" skeleton of interlocking panels that behave like a ship's hull to keep the enclosure rigid and inert, minimizing resonance.
Curved Enclosure: The main body is crafted from multiple layers of wood formed under intense pressure into a continuous curve to reduce internal standing waves and external cabinet reflections.
Floating Appearance: The cabinet is supported by five sturdy pillars above a substantial cast aluminum base, creating an illusion that the main enclosure is floating.
Flowport Technology: A down-firing, dimpled "Flowport" reduces air turbulence and "wind noise," resulting in cleaner, more controlled bass.
Advanced Driver Technology
The "Diamond" in its name refers to the specialized material used in its high-frequency driver, which is part of a multi-tiered driver assembly.
Diamond Dome Tweeter: The 1-inch tweeter dome is made of vacuum-deposited diamond particles, pushing the break-up frequency to 70kHz for unrivaled detail and clarity. It is housed in a separate, free-mounted Nautilus tube to isolate it from cabinet vibrations.
FST Midrange: The signature 6-inch yellow woven-Kevlar driver uses a Fixed Suspension Transducer (FST) design, which eliminates the traditional cone surround to improve midrange transparency and response time.
Marlan Head: The midrange unit is mounted in a dedicated sphere/tube enclosure made from Marlan, a mineral-filled resin, which is hand-polished and decoupled from the main bass cabinet to improve imaging.
Rohacell Woofers: Two 10-inch bass drivers use Rohacell—a lightweight composite of rigid foam sandwiched between carbon fiber sheets—to provide the stiffness needed for fast, accurate low-frequency response.
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Bowers & Wilkins
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Features and Use
Ease of Movement: Despite weighing 225 lbs (102kg) per unit, the speakers are fitted with integrated rollers on the bottom to allow for easier positioning during setup.
Reference Heritage: The 800 series has been a staple in studios like Abbey Road, serving as a benchmark for sound engineers due to its clinical accuracy and wide dynamic range.
Premium Finishes: The D2 generation was available in Cherrywood, Rosenut, and a highly praised Piano Black Gloss finish.
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Bowers & Wilkins
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These articles explain the advanced driver technology, cabinet construction, and features of the Bowers & Wilkins 800 D2 Diamond Speakers.

• B&W (Bowers & Wilkins) 800 D2 Diamond Speakers

• Frequency Response: 32Hz – 28kHz (±3dB on reference axis).
• Frequency Range: -6dB at 25Hz and 33kHz.
• Sensitivity: 90dB SPL (2.83V/m).
• Nominal Impedance: 8 ohms (minimum 3.1 ohms).
• Crossover Frequencies: 350Hz and 4kHz.
• Recommended Amplification: 50W – 1000W into 8 ohms on unclipped program.
• Harmonic Distortion: 2nd and 3rd harmonics (90dB, 1m): <1.0% (45Hz – 100kHz); <0.5% (80Hz – 100kHz).