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User reviews and community discussions praise the Bowers & Wilkins 804 (particularly D4 models) for their clean, detailed sound, premium build, and musical engagement, though they note limitations in bass power and a high price.
### Sound Quality
Listeners consistently describe the sound as clean, open, crisp, and highly detailed, with excellent treble from the diamond dome tweeter that's fluid, extended, and seamlessly integrated into Kevlar mids, avoiding harshness. Midrange excels in vocal accuracy, reproducing natural "feel" without artificial sweetness, while imaging creates an expansive soundstage with precise spatial resolution and microdetails. Dynamics are lively and tuneful, capturing rhythm, transient quickness, and nuance across genres, though some find highs slightly bright or "well-lit." Bass is tight, tuneful, and controlled without boom—impressive for cabinet size—but limited in absolute power and extension, less ideal for power pop/rock; foam plugs help tune it.
### Build Quality
The elegant, striking design stands out, with the D4's reverse-wrap enclosure, curving front profile, aluminum spine, and incredible plinth reducing resonance and improving over predecessors. Users call it a "nonresonant cabinet" with premium looks that don't distract from music.
### Reliability
Few direct complaints on longevity, but upgrades from D3 to D4 (e.g., enclosure tweaks) address prior issues like front baffle problems, suggesting improved durability. Best Buy customer reviews show 100% recommendation rate, focusing positively on sound and filter without reliability flags.
### Strengths
- Versatile across music genres, fun, and listenable without flaws drawing attention.
- Excellent integration, timing, dynamics, and low-volume performance.
- Mainstream high-end appeal over esoteric designs.
### Weaknesses
- Bass lacks deep power/extension for some tastes, feeling detached vs. pricier rivals.
- High price is a frequent con.
- Minor brightness in highs; one contradictory user note called sound "terrible," likely an outlier amid praise.
### Overall Reputation
The 804 earns a strong reputation as a capable, modern premium floorstander—exciting, balanced, and worth auditioning for audiophiles seeking detail and engagement without hassle, though not bass-dominant or the absolute best in every metric. It's seen as an upgrade over D3, with "high-end without tears."
English (US)