Bowers & Wilkins Gives Its Elite Audiophile Loudspeakers a Refined Upgrade
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The Bowers & Wilkins 801 D4 Signature is its flagship floorstanding loudspeaker in its high-end 800 Series Diamond. A pair costs $60,000.
The famed British audio maker introduced them two years ago, in June 2023, as a 'more optimized' version of its $110,000 Nautilus, which are still its most expensive (and radically designed) loudspeakers.
The two pack similar technologies, but the 801 D4 Signature has a more conventional loudspeaker design and is significantly easier to set up. (It also doesn't resemble an alien spaceship quite as much.)
Now, in celebration of its 45-year relationship with an iconic British recording studio, B&W is releasing a special edition version of, according to the brand, its 'very best loudspeaker.'
The Bowers & Wilkins 801 Abbey Road Limited Edition loudspeakers are a joint effort between B&W and Abbey Road Studios, the iconic British studio where countless bands and artists — from The Beatles to Adele, Pink Floyd to Ed Sheeran — have recorded.
As legend has it, the relationship began when John Bowers visited Abbey Road Studios in 1980 to showcase the original 801 loudspeaker and demonstrate its suitability for both studios and hi-fi enthusiasts.
Since then, six successive generations of Bowers & Wilkins 800 Series loudspeakers have, according to the brand, 'graced and been embraced by the world-class studio engineering team in Abbey Road's control rooms.'
These special-edition loudspeakers celebrate that 45-year bond.
With these Abbey Road Limited Edition models, Bowers & Wilkins says that it is taking the best loudspeaker it makes — the flagship 801 D4 Signature — and reframing it in homage to the world's most iconic recording studio.
The limited edition models have new vintage walnut cabinets that are 'inspired by the studios' iconic interiors and the countless iconic musical instruments that have enriched recordings at Abbey Road over the decades.'
To compliment this this wooden finish, B&W has added a bespoke red Leather by Connolly trim that 'references both the aesthetic of the control room in Studio Two, arguably the world's most famous individual studio space, and the red leather chairs used by generations of performers throughout Abbey Road.'
That's right, Bowers & Wilkins will only sell 140 pairs of these limited edition loudspeakers. On the back of each loudspeaker, near its rear panel, a unique identifying plate will be located, marking it as one of the 140 pairs.
Additionally, if you order one of these special-edition loudspeakers, you'll get a book that details the history of the two brands and features never-before-published photography.
This new look and the commemorative add-ons comes at a price.
A pair of the Bowers & Wilkins 801 Abbey Road Limited Edition loudspeakers costs $70,000, which is $10,000 more than B&W's flagship 801 D4 Signature loudspeakers go for.
These special-edition loudspeakers are available now and can be ordered directly through B&W.
$70,000 at Bowers & Wilkins
Tucker Bowe has been on Gear Patrol's editorial team since 2014. As a Tech Staff Writer, he tracks everything in the consumer tech space, from headphones to smartphones, wearables to home theater systems. If it lights up or makes noise, he probably covers it.
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