Are you ready to make one of the most significant audio investments of your lifetime? The Bowers & Wilkins 801 D4 Signature and Wilson Audio WATT Puppy represent the absolute pinnacle of high-end loudspeaker engineering, each commanding over $30,000 and delivering sound quality that can redefine your entire relationship with music. The B&W 801 D4 Signature loudspeakers bring decades of studio monitor heritage with their revolutionary Diamond tweeter technology, while the Wilson WATT Puppy loudspeakers offer the legendary time-aligned driver configuration that has captivated audiophiles for over three decades.
Both speakers promise to transform your listening room into a concert hall, but which one deserves a place in your system? After living with both of these flagship speakers, we’ll break down their performance, design philosophy, and real-world ownership experience to help you make this once-in-a-lifetime decision.
Bowers & Wilkins 801 D4 Signature Overview
The Bowers & Wilkins 801 D4 Signature is the company’s flagship floorstander, a refined version of the standard 801 D4 with upgraded crossovers, cabinet bracing, and two new finishes. This is my reference speaker, and it’s been with me for about 13 months. 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.”
It’s a big speaker, both in presence and sound. Built around a diamond dome tweeter, the 801 D4 Signature stands for openness and scale, with a rich, full-bodied sound that fills large spaces with ease. The cabinet materials paired with the three enclosures result in a stiff, non-resonant loudspeaker. 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.
Read our full review of the Bowers & Wilkins 801 D4 Signature loudspeakers.
Wilson Audio WATT Puppy Overview
The Wilson Audio WATT Puppy is a floorstanding loudspeaker that celebrates the 50th anniversary of Wilson Audio. It comprises two separable parts, the upper WATT (Wilson Audio Tiny Tot) component and the lower Puppy section. The upper section has a 1-inch CSC tweeter and a 7-inch AlNiCo (Aluminum – Nickel – Cobalt) midrange driver, and the lower section has dual 8-inch woofers.
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. The combination of the materials used in these speakers leads to a more controlled sound. Known for their razor-sharp imaging, lightning-fast transients, and exceptionally revealing midrange, the WATT Puppy speakers reward listeners with one of the most precise and detailed presentations available.
Read our full review of the Wilson Audio Watt Puppy loudspeakers.
Side-by-Side Comparison
Price
The Bowers & Wilkins 801 D4 Signature loudspeakers retail for $60000, and you don’t need to pay for any additional upgrades, finishes, or accessories. The Wilson WATT Puppys start at $40000, and out of the 33 finishes available, you can choose from five finishes at this price. The rest of the finishes range from $42000 to $46000, and you don’t need to pay for any additional upgrades.
Keep in mind that speakers at this price point often require additional investments, quality amplification (expect $3000 – $10000), proper cabling, and potentially room treatments to maximize their potential.
Both speakers cost more than a BMW 3 Series, but for serious audiophiles, they represent decades of listening and enjoyment. Also, both speakers have zero maintenance costs, both have excellent build quality, and both speakers come with grilles so that your drivers are protected. Once you get one of these, you are set for a minimum of ten years, and possibly even more.
After 13 months with the B&Ws and about 2 months with the Wilsons, I think the $20000 price difference comes down to refinement versus value. The Wilson offers 80% of the B&W’s performance at two-thirds the cost, making it the better value proposition. However, the B&W’s superior cabinet construction and diamond tweeter technology justify the premium; if your budget allows, you’re paying for that final 20% of perfection that takes these speakers from excellent to extraordinary.
Amplifier Requirements
The Wilson Audio WATT Puppy loudspeakers have a sensitivity of 89dB and a nominal impedance of 4 ohms. In my experience, the speakers did tend to drop down to 3 ohms, and you will need a good amplifier for these speakers to shine. I found that 150 – 200W of power gets you to that sweet spot, and I used my Eversolo AMP-F10 power amplifier, which offers 320W per channel into 4 ohms, and it worked perfectly with the WATT Puppys.
The B&W 801 D4 Signatures are a different story. They have a sensitivity of 90dB and a nominal impedance of 8 ohms, and the impedance can dip down to 3 ohms. Now, while B&W recommends an amplifier of at least 50W, I think you should go all out when getting an amp. Simply put, the more power you have, the better these speakers will sound. I alternated between my AMP-F10 and the Devialet Astra, and I think the baseline for the B&Ws should be about 100W.
Sound Quality
The Bowers & Wilkins 801 D4 Signature delivers a rich, cinematic presentation that transforms your listening room into a concert hall. The diamond tweeter renders vocals with startling intimacy; every breath comes through without harshness, even during dramatic crescendos. The midrange has a full-bodied warmth that brings instruments to life, and the woofers provide thunderous bass with remarkable physical presence. These speakers excel at creating a broad, enveloping soundstage that fills large spaces with ease, leaning slightly warm but maintaining exceptional detail retrieval across all frequencies.
The Wilson Audio WATT/Puppy takes a different approach, prioritizing precision and accuracy above all else. The bass response is tight and controlled, delivering surprising depth that feels like having a subwoofer without the bloat. The midrange transparency is exceptional – vocals and instruments are rendered with natural separation that makes you forget you’re listening to separate drivers. The treble extends smoothly without ever becoming fatiguing, while the time-aligned driver configuration creates razor-sharp imaging where every instrument feels locked in its own space within a wide, stable soundstage.
While both speakers deliver flagship-level performance, their presentations couldn’t be more different. The B&W offers emotional engagement through its warmer, more forgiving character and cinematic scale, making it perfect for listeners who want to be enveloped by their music. The Wilson prioritizes surgical precision and lightning-fast transients, rewarding those who crave the most accurate reproduction possible. The B&W fills your room with sound, while the Wilson places that sound with microscopic precision.
| Specification | Bowers & Wilkins 801 D4 Signature | Wilson Audio WATT Puppy |
| Price | $60000 | $40000 |
| Sensitivity | 90dB | 89dB |
| Nominal Impedance | 8 ohms (3 ohms min) | 4 ohms (3 ohms min) |
| Frequency Response | 15Hz-28kHz | 26Hz-30kHz |
| Weight | 221 lbs each | 160 lbs each |
| Dimensions | 48.1in x 17.8in x 23.6in | 41.3in x 12in x 18.7in |
| Recommended Amplifier Power | 100W | 150W |
Not sure what these specs mean? Check out our Guide To Speaker Specifications.
Verdict: The $60000 Question
After quite some time with the B&W 801 D4 Signature as my daily reference and the Wilson WATT/Puppy, I can tell you this: choosing between these speakers isn’t about which one sounds better; it’s about which one matches your listening requirements.
The Wilson WATT/Puppy is the scalpel of the audio world. Every note is extracted with precision, every instrument locked in three-dimensional space with microscopic accuracy. If you’re the type of listener who hunts for micro-details in familiar recordings, who gets excited by perfect imaging and lightning-fast transients, the Wilson will become your obsession. At $40,000, it delivers amazing value for what flagship audio can achieve.
But the Bowers & Wilkins 801 D4 Signature? This is where specs end and pure emotion begins. Yes, you’re paying $20,000 more for that extra performance, but that isn’t just about specifications; it’s about transformation. The tweeter doesn’t just reproduce Adele’s voice; it places her in your room, breathing beside you. The woofers don’t just play Hans Zimmer’s organ; they alter the air pressure around you until you feel the music in your chest.
Here’s the truth: if you have to ask whether the B&W is worth the extra $20,000, buy the Wilson. You’ll be thrilled with its precision and value. But if you’ve reached the point in your audio journey where you need that last ounce of connection, where you want speakers that don’t just play music but make you question reality itself, then the 801 D4 Signatures are worth it.
The Wilson WATT/Puppy wins on value and precision. The B&W 801 D4 Signature wins on pure, devastating emotional impact.