Andrew Everard Reports 
In a worldwide launch event held on Wednesday, September 9th, Bowers & Wilkins announced an all-new generation of its celebrated 800 Series. The new 800 Series Diamond may have a familiar ring to its name – after all, the current speakers have been using the company’s diamond-dome tweeter for many years now – but is in fact completely redesigned.

In fact, the company says that, of the 800+ components making up the new 802 D3 speaker, which is the range-topper for now until the flagship 800 D3 comes on-stream next spring, only a handful is carried over from the model it replaces: the dome of the tweeter, the terminals on the rear and – well, that’s almost it.

Selling for rather less, but still expected to be in the premium audio sector, is the C700 Series range of components: this will comprise the ST-C700 network audio player, the SL-C700 CD player, the SU-C700 integrated amplifier and bookshelf/standmount SB-C700 speakers. A CD player is available as an £800 option.

The link between the R1 preamplifier and power amplifier is digital, using a 32-bit/192kHz Technics Link interface, also found between the network player and the integrated amplifier in the C700 system, while the amplification in both systems uses a Load Adaptive Phase Calibration system able to measure the output of speakers to which the amplifiers are connected, and adjust the amps’ output characteristics accordingly.