Bowers & Wilkins Announce Prestige Editions

Bowers & Wilkins has created new Prestige Editions of its 802 and 805 models, featuring a special Santos Rosewood finish.

The 802 and 805 Prestige Edition models are acoustically unchanged from standard 800 Series Diamond loudspeakers and feature the same specification, including the Diamond dome tweeter, Turbine Head, Continuum and Aerofoil drive units and Matrix cabinet construction. The high-gloss Santos Rosewood finish is prepared by hand by Bowers & Wilkins craftsmen at the company’s factory in the UK.

Crafting each cabinet is labour intensive, with the finishing process requiring 40% more manufacturing time than a standard 800 Series Diamond loudspeaker. Bowers & Wilkins highlights the Santos Rosewood veneer used on each loudspeaker with thirteen coats of lacquer. In total, the process to create the Santos Rosewood finish takes over four weeks. The stand mount 805 Prestige Edition costs £5500 per pair; the larger floor standing 802 Prestige Edition is £19,500 per pair.

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