Bowers & Wilkins Matrix 805V
A bookshelf loudspeaker using woven Kevlar and Matrix bracing for reduced cabinet resonance
Overview
The Bowers & Wilkins Matrix 805V is a bookshelf speaker from the Matrix 800 Series. It is a compact version of the 804 Matrix. Bowers & Wilkins was founded in 1966 in Worthing, England, and the Matrix line came out in the mid-1980s to fight cabinet resonance. The 805V has a 25mm metal dome tweeter and a 165mm woven Kevlar cone driver. Both sit in a rigid cabinet reinforced with the proprietary Matrix bracing system.
Specifications
| Drive units | 1x 25mm (1 in) metal dome high-frequency, 1x 165mm (6.5 in) woven Kevlar cone bass/midrange |
| Frequency response | 49Hz – 20kHz ±3dB on reference axis |
| Frequency range | -6dB at 42Hz and 50kHz |
| Sensitivity | 88dB spl (2.83V, 1m) |
| Harmonic distortion | 2nd and 3rd harmonics (90dB, 1m) <1% 100Hz – 20kHz <0.5% 150Hz – 20kHz |
| Nominal impedance | 8Ω (minimum 4.0Ω) |
| Recommended amplifier power | 50W – 120W into 8Ω on unclipped programme |
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 425mm x 238mm x 307mm (16.7 in x 9.4 in x 12.1 in) |
| Net weight | 10.5kg (23.1 lb) |
| Finishes | Rosenut, Cherry, Black Ash |
Design
The Matrix bracing is an internal honeycomb of interlocking panels. It turns the cabinet walls into inert, non-resonant structures, which goes straight at cabinet resonance, a big enemy of speaker accuracy. The 805V also has a Flowport™ bass port. It inherits design principles from the larger 801 Matrix, including diffraction control through cabinet shaping.
Context
B&W brought out the Matrix series in the mid-1980s as its answer to cabinet resonance. The 801 Matrix became a reference monitor in classical recording and mastering. The 805V belongs to the Matrix 800 Series, which includes the 801, 802, 803, 804, 805, and HTM models. It is described as the bookshelf version of the 804 Matrix, with scaled-down performance and shared technologies.
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