A closer look at the B&W Signature Diamond

[Lewing]

I believe this is the first time we are able to get closer look at the new B&W Speakers. First stop of the world tour - Hong Kong.
The According to the site, the Signature Diamond is gonna be the ultra rare 40th anniversary speakers, which only 500 pairs will be built for the whole world.

I must say after seeing all those pictures i began to like it quite a bit. It still looks very classy, especially for the Diamond tweeter part - the tweeter case is actually made from Italian marble, what do you guys think? To me the speakers appear to be a bit "skinny".. haha, i always love BIG FAT B&W speakers.

Well, there are tons of high quality pictures of the new speakers (modem user beware), so enjoy!

http://www.avbuzz.com/audio-video/200610/bw40/index.htm

http://www.avbuzz.com/event/album236

[RebelMan]

Nice find Lewing.

After studying the unusual design and comparing it to the past B&W development projects and the fact that these anniversary editions will be in limited supply, I wonder if its conception was an attempt to encapsulate forty years of R&D into one speaker? If you look closely it seems to capture some of the elements found in each era. What do others think of this hypothesis?

[ChrisssB]

I think you are spot on Rebelman

[Briz vegas]

World tour hey I would check them out if they came to Brisbane.

I wonder if there is any chance of that.

[bigburner]

World tour hey I would check them out if they came to Brisbane.

I wonder if there is any chance of that.

Sure, after they tour New Zealand...

...in our dreams.

[sikoniko]

bad design if you use banana clips, like I do.

also, with the center channel stand, doesnt this speaker look like one of the robots from star wars?

http://www.avbuzz.com/event/album238/DSCF1903

[Jesse111]

One thing I notice is the large rubber surround of the mid-driver. That large surround goes against the grain and all the R&D that has led to the ultra high performance of the surroundless mid that offers the most accurate mids on the planet.

Of course one would have to hear it to know for sure but it certainly looks like a show boat promo marketing program. And that's ok if it is. Nothing wrong with concept design and showing off a bit. It can lead to great things. However, I doubt this speaker is going to (nor is it meant to) take B&W to new hights.

I don't necessarily see this as a novelty item though. I see it as an ultra modern European style design, but one that would never appeal to Americans as a whole. Designed more to impress with an architectual statement than with performance. The fact is, the top of the line 800 series is a beautiful piece of craftsmanship to me, but my wife and a whole lot of other people find it somewhate unatractive and even dorky looking. I might add however that she thinks this new design is even worse and completely ridiculous looking. I can see the pish posh crumpets and tea crowd finding this a more refined civilized style and much more suited for company of the same sort. My priority is the best sound possible, thus the 800D's that reside in my sound room. Others however, have a certain "look" they put as priority over actual performance.

Perhaps it's simply a matter of economics and B&W is trying to open a new inroad to a certain demographic. That's ok too.

As for me, I wouldn't be caught dead with that thing in my house. Unless of course it truly did outperform the 800D. I certainly don't see that happening by the construct that I can see in the pics

But who knows, it may still outperform most speakers in whatever price range it is and I sure would like to hear it for myself.

[Aldo]

:B I'm starting to like them! :B

[caleb]

Great thinking from the B&W crowd - to put the speaker binding post on the bottom so you have presumably to turn the speaker on it's side to get at them and also to check periodically that the post has not come loose.

Someone was definately smoking something strong when they thought of that!

[worldys]

thanks for the links, many of us here have been quite curious about these new speakers

i would love to hear them but i am disappointed with their looks, would have been much more excited about a tweaked nautilus shell with new drivers and crossovers, or the 800D cabinet wth a tiger's eye veneer and a cost-no-object crossover network

just out of curiousity, it looks like they set up 4 classe amps but are only using two of them, seems a bit gimicky if they just put them there to look impressive (unless they intended to bi-amp and some one forgot the extra cables), any one else have a better explanation?

[Aldo]

Those amps are 400watts each, so there is no logic to put 800watts in a 120watts 2 way speaker, I think that was just for show!

[marcelhold]

One thing I notice is the large rubber surround of the mid-driver. That large surround goes against the grain and all the R&D that has led to the ultra high performance of the surroundless mid that offers the most accurate mids on the planet.

Of course one would have to hear it to know for sure but it certainly looks like a show boat promo marketing program. And that's ok if it is. Nothing wrong with concept design and showing off a bit. It can lead to great things. However, I doubt this speaker is going to (nor is it meant to) take B&W to new hights.

I don't necessarily see this as a novelty item though. I see it as an ultra modern European style design, but one that would never appeal to Americans as a whole. Designed more to impress with an architectual statement than with performance. The fact is, the top of the line 800 series is a beautiful piece of craftsmanship to me, but my wife and a whole lot of other people find it somewhate unatractive and even dorky looking. I might add however that she thinks this new design is even worse and completely ridiculous looking. I can see the pish posh crumpets and tea crowd finding this a more refined civilized style and much more suited for company of the same sort. My priority is the best sound possible, thus the 800D's that reside in my sound room. Others however, have a certain "look" they put as priority over actual performance.

Perhaps it's simply a matter of economics and B&W is trying to open a new inroad to a certain demographic. That's ok too.

As for me, I wouldn't be caught dead with that thing in my house. Unless of course it truly did outperform the 800D. I certainly don't see that happening by the construct that I can see in the pics

But who knows, it may still outperform most speakers in whatever price range it is and I sure would like to hear it for myself.

The large surround on the Kevlar unit here is 'cos it's a two way design, there's no separate bass unit here... (similar to the smaller speakers in the 600 s3 range)
These boxes are indeed quite special in the looks department (another thread refers to them as looking like R2D2 or even a pedal bin... :B ) and though they probably will sound brilliant, I don't think they could quite match the 800D.
I also think that I will never, ever, find out whether they do or not, 'cos I am firmly rooted in the cheap end of the bottom of budget hifi :cry:
Marcel

[Jesse111]

The large surround on the Kevlar unit here is 'cos it's a two way design, there's no separate bass unit here... (similar to the smaller speakers in the 600 s3 range)
These boxes are indeed quite special in the looks department (another thread refers to them as looking like R2D2 or even a pedal bin... :B ) and though they probably will sound brilliant, I don't think they could quite match the 800D.
I also think that I will never, ever, find out whether they do or not, 'cos I am firmly rooted in the cheap end of the bottom of budget hifi :cry:
Marcel

You are of course correct and that is my blatant oversight. I didn't even consider the fact that they were 2 way. Of course that would confirm to me they are not intended to be any sort of replacement of the 800 series, and certainly not top of the line. No doubt some performance knowledge came out of this interesting design, but I'll stand by my earlier post suggesting this was a demographic decision by B&W, not a perfromance one.

[Kal Rubinson]

The large surround on the Kevlar unit here is 'cos it's a two way design, there's no separate bass unit here... (similar to the smaller speakers in the 600 s3 range)

Or, more directly, compare the Kevlar unit on the 805S with that on the 804S. You need that additional compliance for the bass extension.

Kal

[Nolan B]

Design

I just cant get over how ugly they look. I mean they really really are. If they had a no name brand attached to them i think most would agree.

I dont say they are ugly because i have a typical north american taste, because I dont. They may sound great and it may incumpass 40 years of their speakers, but they should have hired B&O to design the look of it.

[Kal Rubinson]

I just cant get over how ugly they look. I mean they really really are. If they had a no name brand attached to them i think most would agree.

I dont say they are ugly because i have a typical north american taste, because I dont. They may sound great and it may incumpass 40 years of their speakers, but they should have hired B&O to design the look of it.

They would have added flippers! :roll:

Kal

[akhter]

bad design if you use banana clips, like I do.

also, with the center channel stand, doesnt this speaker look like one of the robots from star wars?

http://www.avbuzz.com/event/album238/DSCF1903

i don't think those are center channels, but they are old speakers from the 60s.

[Kal Rubinson]

i don't think those are center channels, but they are old speakers from the 60s.

The famous DM-70s. Electrostatic HF and a hefty bass unit.

Kal

[caleb]

The famous DM-70s. Electrostatic HF and a hefty bass unit.

Kal

I had a pair of DM 70s many MANY years ago - very advanced sound for it's day I thought.

[Rolex]

I just don't get it. This topic has come up before, and everyone says how ugly they are. How is this any different than any other nautilus design idea they have come up with. Because the cabinet is a cylinder shape? Big deal. I bet the quality is up there. Competing with the 800D? I doubt it. It seems as though this may take the place of the rumored 805D speaker. Hence the rubber surround on the mid bass driver.

[sikoniko]

i don't think those are center channels, but they are old speakers from the 60s.

The speaker isn't a center channel, but it is sitting on the htm stand for center channels, which look like feet to me.

[Nolan B]

I just don't get it. This topic has come up before, and everyone says how ugly they are. How is this any different than any other nautilus design idea they have come up with. Because the cabinet is a cylinder shape? Big deal. I bet the quality is up there. Competing with the 800D? I doubt it. It seems as though this may take the place of the rumored 805D speaker. Hence the rubber surround on the mid bass driver.

True. As much as I like B&W 75% of thier speakers seriously lack in cuting edge forward design. B&W of couse never claimed to be pieces of visual art.

XT Series
FPM series
CM Series
PV1 Sub
800Ds
805s


Purely subjective but those are the only speakers which have notable design features...in my opinion.

[joetama]

I agree with the idea that they tried to encompass something from all the generations of speaker lines. However, a Two-Way design? Hmmm, If anything they cabinet is such a weird shape to add the low end response needed for a higher-end B&W series like that. With out listening to them personally I can't really give much of an opinion on them other than the following: THOSE ARE SOME GOOFY LOOKING SPEAKERS. But, maybe they sound like god's home stereo? If so I'd take a pair, but I highly doubt they sound much better than 800D or maybe even the 802D. They might in the mid/high-range department but not in the low-end performance.

[EastCoaster]

If so I'd take a pair.

Based on their looks - I'd never buy them... If they offered me a pair for free, I might take it... But I can't, with my hand on my heart, swear that I won't put them on audiogon the next day.... :B

[joetama]

Based on their looks - I'd never buy them... If they offered me a pair for free, I might take it... But I can't, with my hand on my heart, swear that I won't put them on audiogon the next day.... :B

Well I was saying pretty much that they are very ugly... However, I would be able to over look that fact if they sounded like god's home stereo system, which I doubt they do..... You are probably right about that audiogon the next day thing... Hahaha :rofl:

[Ralph]

bad design if you use banana clips, like I do.

also, with the center channel stand, doesnt this speaker look like one of the robots from star wars?

http://www.avbuzz.com/event/album238/DSCF1903

R2D2's big brother. :E