Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) has been a supplier to the famous Abbey Road recording studio for many years, 45 years to be exact. That is partly the reason for releasing a special anniversary edition floorstanding loudspeaker. The B&W X 801 Abbey Road Limited Edition, which is based on the 801 D4 Signature, comes in a run of only 140 pairs.
B&W X 801 Abbey Road Limited Edition: Inspired by the home of iconic music
For almost a century, Abbey Road has been instrumental in creating the greatest songs, albums and film scores from the world’s most influential artists and composers. When Abbey Road opened in November 1931, it was the world’s first purpose-built music recording studio. Featuring state-of-the-art equipment and innovative techniques, much of it inspired by Alan Blumlein, who made the first ever stereo music recording in Studio Two in 1934, the studio’s name quickly became associated with some of the greatest names in pop music.
Abbey Road continues to shape the future of music by developing groundbreaking technologies and enabling new generations of artists and creators to record their own music.
Ever since its foundation in 1966 in Worthing, UK, the name Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) has been at the forefront of loudspeaker technology. From the very beginning, John Bowers, the company’s founder, had his own unique conviction when it came to loudspeaker design. And this conviction still lies at the heart of the company he founded almost sixty years ago: that a hi-fi loudspeaker should be to the ear what a perfect pane of glass is to the eye. This means that it should allow a sensory image to pass through clearly, untainted and true to the original in every nuance. This is what B&W calls “True Sound”.
In 1980, John Bowers visited Abbey Road Studios to demonstrate his new design, the floorstanding 801. This was the first model in what he described as a new generation of loudspeakers, designed for both the professional and the exceptionally critical listener. The 801 was designed to be the ultimate loudspeaker for hi-fi enthusiasts, but John Bowers also deliberately designed it to be accurate enough for use in professional studios. Abbey Road engineers immediately saw the value of this and adopted it as their monitor of choice, making Abbey Road the first recording studio in the world to use the 801 full-time.
This was the beginning of a lasting and fruitful collaboration that has lasted for 45 years. Since 1980, Abbey Road’s renowned engineers have relied on six successive generations of B&W 800 Series loudspeakers in their control rooms.
B&W X 801 Abbey Road Limited Edition
With the 801 Abbey Road Limited Edition, Abbey Road Studios and Bowers & Wilkins celebrate a unique relationship that has lasted 45 years. Paying homage to the world’s most iconic recording studio, Bowers & Wilkins has taken the 801 D4 Signature , the company’s highest-end loudspeaker currently made, and given it an exclusive design. Also read our review of the B&W 801 D4 Signature .
The 801 Abbey Road Limited Edition features a meticulously crafted Vintage Walnut cabinet inspired by the iconic studio interiors and the many iconic musical instruments that have played a significant role in the recordings at Abbey Road over the decades. This unique wooden finish is complemented by a bespoke Connolly red leather finish that references both the aesthetics of the control room in Studio Two, perhaps the most famous studio space in the world, and the red leather chairs that have sat in at Abbey Road for generations of recording artists.
A plaque on the rear panel indicates that this is one of only 140 pairs of speakers that will be produced. Those who purchase these speakers will also receive a unique, commissioned book that details the history of the two brands and their collaboration, with never-before-published photographs.
Bowers & Wilkins X 801 Abbey Road Limited Edition: price and delivery information
The Abbey Road Limited Edition is available to order now for €60,000 per pair.
