If anyone tells you size matters, point them to the Bowers & Wilkins 805 D3 standmount speakers, make them sit down and listen… then ask them again!

+ Small footprint speakers with a huge lively soundscape coupled with unbelievable bass performance; Will suit most reasonably-sized rooms and even large rooms with their easy placement; True state-of-the-art performance

– May seem too little speaker for the price; Performs better with higher power amplifiers; May be overlooked by potential buyers due to diminutive size

Excellent speakers. If you love B&W sound, these speakers cannot be best. Worth the cost. Run with a quality amp.

Though the price of the 805s has crept up over the years, this latest generation is without doubt the most capable we've heard.It uncovers low-level details most of the competition would barely hint at, yet combines it with enough in the way of dynamics and rhythmic drive to make things fun.

Excellent resolution; Impressive stereo imaging; Strong dynamics; Build and finish

Sound best at higher volume levels

Bowers & Wilkins' co-founder John Bowers once said, "The best loudspeaker isn't the one that produces the most, it's the one that loses the least." Those words rang true when I started listening to the company's flagship 805 D3 monitors; they let the music speak for itself.

The Bowers & Wilkins 805 D3 is one of the best standmount speakers you can buy; The speaker combines immaculate build quality and sumptuous good looks; Sound quality is amongst the best of the best with a wide and deep soundstage and excellent articulation and dynamic heft.

The 805 D3 is priced like the ultra-high-end speaker it is; Its relative lack of low end won't suit bass heads

I have had a long relationship with Bowers & Wilkins. The first B&W speaker I spent serious time with was the DM-6, the infamous "pregnant kangaroo," which wasreviewed by Allen Edelsteinin December 1977 and which I borrowed for a while after interviewing the company's founder, John Bowers.

B&W has a rich pedigree in speaker design, and its 800 series is the pinnacle of the British company's impressive lineup. We're talking dome tweeters formed from man-made diamond and housed in their own aluminium enclosures, mid-bass drivers made from woven space-age composites, and cabinet...

Outstanding imaging precision; Not too picky about placement; Super-clean treble; Beautifully finished cabinets

Lean bass

Returning to my original premise: the compact speaker as flagship. If sheer size or dizzying price is the only criterion, then it's obviously game over for the 805. However, if the standard is premium quality, sonic eloquence, and untrammeled musicality, then the 805 D3 ascends to flagship-level...

Bowers & Wilkins' co-founder John Bowers once said, "The best loudspeaker isn't the one that produces the most, it's the one that loses the least." Those words rang true when I started listening to the company's flagship 805 D3 monitors; they let the music speak for itself.

The Bowers & Wilkins 805 D3 are the supercharged sportscars of the high-end speaker world, combining whiplash-inducing looks, cutting edge technology and exquisite performance.

The Bowers & Wilkins 805 D3 is one of the best standmount speakers you can buy; The speaker combines immaculate build quality and sumptuous good looks; Sound quality is amongst the best of the best with a wide and deep soundstage and excellent articulation and dynamic heft; The diamond tweeter's detailed treble never resorts to the harshness seen in cheaper speakers.

The 805 D3 is priced like the ultra-high-end speaker it is; Its relative lack of low end won't suit bass heads.

Outstanding imaging precision; Not too picky about placement; Super-clean treble; Beautifully finished cabinets;

Lean bass;