Originally reviewed July 2024 | Updated August 2025
The very first Bowers and Wilkins signature edition was released in 1991. Many signature speakers have followed, each one having its own unique features and finishes, and the series is a sort of legend among speakers and sells out quickly. There have only been seven signature releases since the line was announced 33 years ago. The Bowers & Wilkins 801 D4 Signature is the latest speaker in this line, and it expands upon the standard 801 D4s with several new upgrades.
This was my very first B&W Signature speaker, and to say I was excited would be an understatement. After living with them for over a year, I can confidently say they’ve exceeded every expectation. D4 means that this is the line’s fourth generation, and Bowers & Wilkins describes the signature series as “the culmination of Bowers & Wilkins’ enduring dedication to performance and elegance.”
Price
The official Bowers & Wilkins 801 D4 Signature price in 2025 is $60000 / pair. The standard 801 D4s retail for $46000 / pair, and I have come to expect a high price every time a new B&W speaker launches. What does this $14000 upgrade get you? A new crossover, cabinet upgrades, two new finishes, and upgraded motor systems for the drivers.
Let’s take a look at the competition here, the new Wilson Audio WATT Puppy loudspeakers, which retail for $40000 / pair, and additional upgrades can go up to $46000. The Bang & Olufsen Beolab 90s start at $84990 / pair, going far ahead of the 801 D4 Signatures. This is the price you can expect from flagship floorstanding speakers, especially special editions like the B&Ws, and while I haven’t reviewed the Beolab 90s yet, after listening to the B&Ws and the Watt Puppys, I can confidently say that the price is justified.
Design And Build Quality
The Bowers and Wilkins 801 D4 Signature loudspeakers have many upgrades over the standard 801s; they have a new cabinet with a modified downwards-firing port, crossover upgrades, and a new Aluminum top plate for the tweeter to rest on. They also get two new finishes, Midnight Blue Metallic and California Burl Gloss.
The B&W 801 D4 Signatures are huge; they measure 48 inches tall, 18 inches wide, and have a depth of 24 inches. The speakers have two 10-inch bass drivers, a 6-inch midrange cone, and a 1-inch Diamond Dome tweeter. They are full-range loudspeakers with a frequency response of 15Hz-28kHz, and on paper, no subwoofers are necessary.
The new cabinet is a mix of Aluminum and Plywood. The main enclosure is made with many layers of birch ply, and the sides are cast aluminum. The driver chambers are all made from Aluminum, and the woofer body is covered in high-quality leather. The tweeter is made from synthetic diamond, not coated, but made of real diamond. The process involves coating a silicon mold with diamond; the mold is then dissolved, leaving you with a dome made of pure diamond.
The cabinet materials paired with the three enclosures result in a stiff, non-resonant loudspeaker. Even at high volumes, I could feel very little to no vibration emanating from the cabinet. They are machine-polished and are coated with multiple layers of lacquer, and the leather used is sourced from Connolly, a British brand that makes the upholstery for Aston Martin and Rolls-Royce.
The 801 D4 Signature loudspeakers also get a crossover upgrade over the standard 801 D4s. The crossover circuitry has been upgraded with extra bypass capacitors and better quality parts and wiring. The high-frequency crossover includes a first-order high pass to the tweeter and a second-order low pass to the midrange, both at 4kHz.
Unsure what crossover frequencies mean? Check out our guide.
I love the design of these loudspeakers. To date, this remains my favourite pair of loudspeakers, both in performance and appearance. The 801 D4 Signatures will stand out in your room, from the glossy finishes to the black leather and the chrome around the drivers, these speakers are a sight to behold.
Setting Up The 801 D4 Signatures
The Bowers & Wilkins 801 D4 Signature loudspeakers (quite a mouthful, I know) stand tall at 48 inches. With a net weight of 100.60kg / 221.8 lbs, these loudspeakers are not easy to move around. For placement, I put them about 8 feet apart, and about 2 feet from my walls, somewhat similar to what B&W recommended. This placement was perfect for me, and while I almost always angle the loudspeakers a little towards my listening position, I found that the 801 D4 Signatures sounded best facing straight ahead.
With a sensitivity of 90dB and a nominal impedance of 8 ohms, you need an amazing amplifier for these loudspeakers to shine. The impedance can go down to 3 ohms, and while B&W suggests an amplifier with at least 50W, I think you should go all out. For me, this was my new Devialet Astra integrated amp, which perfectly drove the Signatures. My choice for the streamer was the Eversolo DMP-A10, and that completed the setup. I didn’t go with a subwoofer for obvious reasons, and while listening, I didn’t feel the need for one.
The Signature Bowers & Wilkins Sound
The first track I played through the Bowers & Wilkins 801 D4 Signatures was AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck”, and within seconds, I knew these weren’t ordinary speakers. Angus Young’s guitar crackled with electric energy that seemed to arc between the drivers. The famous opening riff had a three-dimensional presence that made it feel like Angus Young was playing right in front of me, which is something I dream of.
I didn’t use a subwoofer with these loudspeakers, and they redefined what full-range speakers can achieve. During the sandworm scenes in Dune: Part Two, the low-frequency rumbles in Hans Zimmer’s thunderous score had such physical presence that I could feel them resonating through the floor and into my listening chair. When I played Travis Scott’s “SICKO MODE”, those massive 808 drums hit with precision and control, never losing definition even when pushed to room-shaking volumes. The bass remained tight, detailed, and perfectly integrated with the midrange, showing the crossover upgrade and the amount of detail the 801 D4 Signatures have.
On to the diamond dome tweeter, when I played Adele’s “Hello”, every breath, every subtle vocal inflection was rendered with startling intimacy, as if she were sitting right beside me. The tweeter delivered her powerful voice without any hint of harshness or sibilance, even during the song’s most dramatic crescendos. For the midrange, I started with Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud”. His acoustic guitar had a woody resonance that filled the room, while his vocals sat perfectly in the center with remarkable presence and detail. There’s a slight boost in the upper midrange that could sound aggressive on lesser speakers, but the 801 D4 Signatures render it with such speed and clarity that it brings music to life rather than making it harsh.
Hans Zimmer’s “Cornfield Chase” from Interstellar opened with delicate string passages that emerged from complete silence with breathtaking detail, and I could hear the subtle bow textures and the natural breathing of the string section. When Zimmer’s thunderous pipe organ entered the mix, the transformation was nothing short of spectacular. Those deep pedal notes seemed to alter the very air pressure in my listening room, creating a physical sensation that made the hair on my arms stand up. Yet even as the organ shook my foundation, the delicate orchestral textures floating above remained perfectly clear and positioned. Violins sparkled in the upper right, French horns sounded from the left, and the timpani thundered from deep within the soundstage.
The emotional impact was overwhelming. During the climactic crescendo, when the full orchestra and organ combine in Zimmer’s signature wall of sound, the 801 D4 Signatures made me feel like I was sitting in the front row of a concert hall. The dynamic range was so vast, so perfectly controlled, that I found myself holding my breath during the quiet passages. This is what truly separates the Bowers & Wilkins 801 D4 Signatures from all the other speakers I’ve seen, which is the ability to convey the raw emotion behind notes.
B&W 801 D4 Signature vs Wilson Audio Watt Puppy
Starting at $39,500 per pair, the Wilson Audio WATT Puppy features the same premium components found in Wilson’s flagship Alexia V, including a 1-inch CSC tweeter and 7-inch AlNiCo midrange driver in the upper WATT module, paired with dual 8-inch woofers in the lower Puppy section. Built using Wilson’s proprietary X, S, M, and new V composite materials, these 160-pound towers deliver the brand’s signature time-domain accuracy and transient precision. Known for their razor-sharp imaging, lightning-fast transients, and exceptionally revealing midrange, the WATT Puppy speakers demand high-quality amplification but reward listeners with one of the most precise and detailed presentations available at this price point.
Compared to the Wilson WATT Puppy, the 801 D4 Signature feels a little more relaxed and forgiving. It delivers a broad, cinematic soundstage with a deep low end and smooth top, leaning slightly warm. The Wilsons, on the other hand, are sharper-edged, faster on transients, tighter in the midbass, and more detailed. Voices sound more immediate on the WATT Puppy, and instruments feel locked in space.
Read our full review of the Wilson Audio Watt Puppy loudspeakers.
If you’re choosing between them, it depends on what you value, and if you want to spend an extra $20000 on the B&W speakers. For precision, imaging, and time-domain accuracy, the Wilsons are hard to beat. But if you want scale, weight, and that signature Bowers & Wilkins richness, the 801 D4 Signature still holds its ground as one of the most musically engaging speakers you can buy. For me, the 801 D4 Signatures win.
Verdict: Are The Bowers & Wilkins 801 D4 Signature Loudspeakers Worth It?
After 13 months with the B&W 801 D4 Signatures, I can definitely say these speakers have ruined me for everything else. At $60,000 per pair, they’re undoubtedly a significant investment, but they deliver performance that justifies every dollar.
These loudspeakers fundamentally changed how I experience music. Every listening session became an event, revealing details in familiar recordings that I never knew existed. The combination of that lightning-fast diamond tweeter, the articulate midrange, and those thunderous bass drivers created a listening experience I start to miss after some time away from my speakers.
For me, they’ve set a new benchmark for what flagship speakers can achieve. The 801 D4 Signatures earn my highest recommendation and a permanent spot in my system.
Specifications
Dimensions: 48.1in x 17.8in x 23.6in
Net Weight: 100.60kg / 221.8lbs
Frequency Range: 13Hz – 35kHz
Frequency Response: 15Hz – 28kHz
Nominal Impedance: 8 Ohms, 3 Ohms minimum
Sensitivity: 90dB SPL
Cabinet Finishes: California Burl Gloss, Midnight Blue Metallic
Recommended Amplifier Power: 50W – 1000W into 8 Ohms on unclipped programme
Not sure what these specs mean? Check out our Guide To Speaker Specifications.
Price
$60000 / pair
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