Categories: Product Previews

B&W 803 D3 Floor Standing Loudspeakers Preview

See the complete review of the B&W 803 D3 Floor Standing Loudspeakers

Bowers & Wilkins is a name that anyone who cares about audio, even on the most basic level, should instantly recognize.

As one of the most storied names in British audio, they have pioneered several advancements in speaker design with many of their products finding homes with discerning audiophiles and recording studios alike. Probably the most iconic of B&W’s speakers would certainly be the 800 series. Originally launched in 1998, the flagship 802 model has garnered attention as the reference speakers of choice for such recording studios as Abby Road and Skywalker Sound.

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Last year B&W introduced a top-to-bottom redesign of the entire 800 series. It was the culmination of a multi-year development program that left no stone unturned in looking for ways to improve every facet of the lineup’s performance. It’s said that, with the exception of the diamond tweeter, each speaker in the 800 series is completely new and different from what came before.

The prime focus of our interest in the 800 series is specifically the B&W 803 D3 floorstander. It is the third from the top of the line in the series and it has to be one of the most striking looking speakers that I have come across.

The decidedly Art Deco design is truly a stand out, with the teardrop shape to the midrange driver housing and the industrial aluminum spine running up the back of each speaker. As a matter of fact, aluminum is used extensively throughout the 803 D3’s structure. The aforementioned teardrop or “turbine” head as B&W terms it, is completely made of aluminum with additional aluminum ribbing inside creating a significantly more inert housing for the new midrange driver. The external diamond tweeter housing is milled from a single aluminum billet and it acts as a giant heat sink for the tweeter’s motor structure. The speaker’s internal construction and bracing also benefits from a move to thicker birch-plywood material rather than the original MDF.

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While the diamond tweeter remains, the trademark yellow Kevlar midrange drivers from previous B&W speakers are replaced by a newly developed composite material called “Continuum.” The new material is said to provide a more open and neutral presentation. The bass drivers have also been redesigned to deliver better low frequency extension and control.

The changes I’ve noted are just the tip of the iceberg, but should be enough to get the point across that this is essentially not just an evolutionary model change but indeed a good deal more.

Initial impressions tell me that this is a highly resolving pair of speakers. The midrange and treble, in particular, are not just detailed or natural in the standard audio context. It’s almost as if they are a living, writhing thing with these speakers. Certainly, a different presentation than what I’ve come across in the past. It’s impressive to say the least but I’ll just leave it at that for now.

MSRP for the B&W 803 D3 loudspeakers is $17000.00 and expect a complete review, with measurements, on our website in the near future.

See the complete review of the B&W 803 D3 Floor Standing Loudspeakers

Carlo Lo Raso

A native of Toronto Canada, Carlo's interest in audio began at a young age when, unbeknownst to his mother, he started taking apart her numerous transistor radios to see how they worked. This desire for “knowledge through deconstruction” continued through to the family’s 8-track tape player, turntable, headphones, and speakers. Carlo subsequently spent a lot of time in his room. Toronto was a fertile ground for Hi-Fi in the 1970s and 80s and Carlo spent much of his wayward youth hanging out in downtown Toronto stereo shops, listening to all manner of gear and picking the brains of the various store owners. Through that formative experience, Carlo developed an appreciation for good music and good sound reproduction. Also, as a budding graphic artist, the aesthetic aspects of a given piece of gear became increasingly of interest to his eyes. It was at about that time as well that Carlo began purchasing “Audio Magazine” on a regular basis and came to appreciate, in particular, the writing and reviewing of the late Leonard Feldman. Later on, he was also influenced by the writing and observations of the staff at Sound and Vision Canada, helmed at the time by Alan Loft. Carlo graduated from Sheridan College with a degree in Classical Animation and was subsequently employed by Walt Disney Consumer Products for 10 years as a Character Artist and Art Director. Having become disenchanted with Los Angeles, he then decided to strike out on his own. Carlo started his own company and has been freelancing artwork, from his home studio, primarily for the toy and publishing industries since 2001. In 2013, on a bit of a lark, Carlo answered a “Call for Writers” ad from an AV website that he had been regularly reading for about 5 years called Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity. He had come to appreciate the website’s combination of subjective impressions along with the objective bench-testing available in several of the reviews. The “B-Team” must have been working that day because by some miracle he was hired as a writer and his first review for the site was published early in 2014. Carlo has been continually writing, editing, traveling, listening, and learning on the company’s behalf ever since. Carlo currently lives in Granville, Ohio with his wife, two sons, and a very old, but chill dachshund.

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View Comments

CA Moviefan says:

July 16, 2017 at 11:35 pm

Hi Carlo,
When do you think you will have the full review with measurements and other details? Looking forward to it.
Thanks for an amazing and very helpful web site.
regards
Dushyant