Bowers & Wilkins DS8S 2-Way Closed Box Surround System

Accommodating surround channels in the home usually involves mounting a speaker to the side or to the rear of the listening room. In larger 6- or 7-channel systems, it may even involve both. In order to maximise the quality of each location, the DS8S has been designed to operate as either a monopole or dipole design. For use at the side of a room, the diffuse dipole mode gives a more cinematic feel, yet at the rear of a room, the direct monopole mode gives better directional information.

In monopole mode, the DS8S is a 2-way system, using a 180mm (7 in) Kevlar® cone bass/midrange driver and 25mm (1 in) tube-loaded aluminium dome tweeter mounted on the front of the cabinet. In dipole mode, the front tweeter is switched off and the side firing midrange and tweeter units come into play. The system is then a 3-way, with the front main driver acting only as a bass unit.

Switching between the two modes can be done manually, using a switch on the front of the speaker, or, more conveniently, by means of a 12V trigger.

Designed and balanced for mounting on-wall, the DS8S is provided with three keyhole plates on the back panel for easy fitting.

Technical Specifications : DS8S
Description	2-way closed-box dipole / monopole surround system
Dimensions	Height: 360mm (14.2 in) Width: 622mm (24.5 in) Depth: 205mm (8.1 in)
Net Weight	15kg (33 lb)
Freq. Response	60Hz - 22kHz ±3dB on reference axis (monopole mode) 60Hz - 15kHz ±3dB power averaged over front hemisphere(dipole mode)
Freq. Range	-6dB at 45Hz and 50kHz (monopole mode) -6dB at 45Hz and 18kHz (dipole mode)
Sensitivity	89dB spl (2.83V, 1m)
Normal Impedance	8 ohms (minimum 4.4 ohms)
Power Handling	25W - 120W into 8 ohms on unclipped programme
Drive Units	Unit 1: 3x 25mm (1 in) aluminium dome high-frequency Unit 2: 2x 100mm (4 in) woven Kevlar® cone midrange Unit 3: 1x 180mm (7 in) woven Kevlar® cone bass / midrange
Finish	Cabinet: Real wood veneers of Cherrywood, Rosenut and Black Ash Grille: Black cloth
Dispersion	Description: Monopole mode: within 2dB of reference response Horizontal: over 40º arc Vertical: over 10º arc Dipole mode: horizontal figure of eight Effective null zone ±30º (250Hz - 15kHz)
Harmonic Distortion	2nd and 3rd harmonics (90dB, 1m) <1%120Hz - 22kHz <0.5% 150Hz - 20kHz
Crossover Frequency	4kHz (monopole mode) 250Hz & 4kHz (dipole mode)
Max. Recommended Cable Impedance	0.1 ohms