B&W D1 vs D2 Diamond D1 vs Diamond D2

But the 801s of any generation won't sing without the proper amp or amps behind them!

Yeah, I agree, that was one Hell of a speaker. I had the pleasure of auditioning one in 1990 or '91 at a local dealer. I liked it a lot, but I couldn't quite afford it, really. And so it goes...Years later I heard the 801Ds, and let me tell you, they were the best 801s ever made, I don't care what anyone says. A lot of guys say the Matrix 2 or 3, some the Nautilus, and those are very good, but the 801D is something special, imo. I have yet to find one on the used market! I'm sure I've missed some listings here or there, but I bet when an 801D goes up for sale, they get snapped up immediately! The 802Ds are dime a dozen, sorry about that!

WELL I WISH... B&W would re-introduce a speaker like the Matrix-800 with a woofer on top and on the bottom, with the mids and tweets in the middle.
Use the current tech advances but make a true flagship (again). the last reference system was "the Snail" which was (is) pretty special, as well as pretty impractical (requiring 4 monoblock amplifiers/channel, as well as special preamps and crossovers, wiring, etc.).
But... they need something really spectacular to compete with other reference systems out there, not that the 800-D2 is not-so-great; that is NOT what i am saying here. my present fav is the 802d2 and the 805d2.
anyway, i even wrote to them just for the heck of it. no response of course.
So i look a lot at other manufacturers these days for innovations. one last thing is the use of a diamond tweeter which is interesting but- so few manufacturers are joining with B&W in developing this technology. i always liked silk dome tweeters for what they do (and what they don't do).

I wish B&W would bring back the 801D.

Also the D2 ( diamond) have magnets...not holes for the gills. as far as differences in the sound between the two.... only you can decide...

i personally do not believe the differences , if any, justify the cost.

i use the nautilus 802

The newer D-2's have narrow chrome ring trim around the cone drivers and chrome trim ring around the screen cover of the Diamond tweeter. The older D series has the letters B&W on the lower grill cloth where as the D-2 has the names bowers&wilkins on them. My two cents worth, and I suspect I will get heat from this as I have in the past. I compared the older 802D-1 vs 802D-2 side by side, same equipment same room and could hear virtually no difference between the two. Two other salespersons had the same reaction. Although it was a whole new story with either the 800D or 800D-2 vs either 802 newer or older.