Bowers & Wilkins B&W DM4 loudspeakers

The team at B&W was either very arrogant or very confident when they released the DM4 at the International Audio Fair, October 1972 with the aim of "out-performing competitive loudspeaker systems three times the size and twice the price".

Truly British, the DM4 is not a 100% B&W development, the three units are the renowed DW200/4 Bextrene cone woofer designed and produced by B&W, the Celestion HF1300 MkII lower high frequency unit (used also on Celestion,  Spendor speakers) and a Coles 4001 19mm plastic domed supertweeter (also found on Spendor, IMF, Cambridge and other B&W productions).

This pair is an original from the very first series. To identify this, you have to look a four signs. First the badge on the covers should have the first B&W logo. Second, the woofer is bolted flat on the face without recessed holes. Third, the banana connectors at the back are classic red and black layout, not the integrated plastic plate. And finally, there is no metal stamped plate with the serial number, but a quality check paper sticker on the front.

Vintage speaker are regularly known for producing a warm, smooth, lush and comfy signature.

But these DM4 may be vintage, they are monitors before being loudspeakers. The sound is rather transparent and precise, a little bit bright. The mids are very refined, vocals and strings seem more descriptive than speakers of the same period. The bass rendition requires close back wall distance. It is articulate, deep and mastered.

They shine on classical music, acoustic, jazz, piano, strings, guitars, vocals, all genres that existed before electronic music.