Short answer: the Bowers & Wilkins 804 D4 for better sound quality, the DALI Rubikore 6 for the lower price. The Bowers & Wilkins 804 D4 ranks #188 of 226 floorstanding speakers, rated 3.4/5, at $14,000. The DALI Rubikore 6 ranks #194, rated 3.3/5, at $8,000, $6,000 cheaper.
Why pick the Bowers & Wilkins 804 D4: Exquisite reverse-wrap curved wooden cabinet with aluminum top plate and solid-body Diamond dome tweeter housing. The tradeoff: House sound features a distinct upper-midrange dip followed by rising top-octave treble that deviates from neutral target linearity.
Why pick the DALI Rubikore 6: Unusual 2.5-plus-half-way, four-driver configuration: two woofers overlap up to 800Hz, then one continues alone to about 2600Hz where the tweeter takes over, followed by a supertweeter engaging at 14kHz. Watch for: On-axis, the treble sits 3-5dB above the midrange (especially around 4kHz), giving a sibilant, hot top end that the manufacturer itself recommends compensating for with 30° of toe-out (firing the speakers straight into the room rather than at the listener).
Buy the Bowers & Wilkins 804 D4 if sound quality matters more than the price. Buy the DALI Rubikore 6 if the price matters more than sound quality.
About the ratings: the Bowers & Wilkins 804 D4’s rating is estimated from measured siblings and predecessors rather than its own measurements, with a likely range of 3.2 to 3.6, so this verdict could change once it is measured.
Still deciding? The full Passive Home rankings cover every ranked option.
Specifications Side By Side
| Bowers & Wilkins 804 D4 | DALI Rubikore 6 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $14,000 per pair | $8000 per pair |
| Ranked | #188 of 226 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers Estimated | #194 of 226 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers |
| Drivers | 1” (25mm) Diamond dome tweeter, 5” (130mm) Continuum cone FST midrange, 2 x 6.5” (165mm) Aerofoil bass units | 28mm tweeter + dual 180mm woofers |
| Frequency Response | 24Hz - 28kHz (+/- 3dB, manufacturer specified) | - |
| Sensitivity | 89dB (2.83V/1m, manufacturer specified) | 86.4dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner; 88.5dB manufacturer specified) |
| Impedance | 8 ohms nominal, 3.0 ohms minimum (manufacturer specified) | 4 ohms nominal (4.3 ohms minimum above 80Hz, measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 24Hz (manufacturer specified) | 43Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 42.2”H x 12”W x 15.4”D (1071 x 306 x 391 mm) | 39”H x 7.9”W x 15”D (990.0 x 200.0 x 380.0 mm) |
| Weight | 81.2 lbs (36.85 kg) each | 114.9 lbs (52.1 kg) |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, down-firing Flowport | ported, rear |
| DIY Kit | No | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | - | 31Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | - | 5.27 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | - | 6.96 |
Related Speaker Comparisons
How Bowers & Wilkins 804 D4 compares with other leading options:
- Vandersteen Treo CT vs Bowers & Wilkins 804 D4
- Bowers & Wilkins 804 D4 vs DALI Rubikore 8
- DALI Rubikore 6 vs Endow Audio Bravura 7
- DALI Rubikore 6 vs DALI Rubikore 8
- PS Audio Aspen FR10 vs DALI Rubikore 6
Prices on this page were last checked October 11, 2026 at 4:59 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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The Two Speakers In Full
Bowers & Wilkins 804 D4: $14,000 per pair Estimated Bowers & Wilkins eBay
Newer model: the Bowers & Wilkins 804 D5, ranked higher, estimated 3.5/5, released Jul 2026. See every Bowers & Wilkins 800 Series generation.
Same family: the Bowers & Wilkins 805 D4 (bookshelf, estimated 3.2/5), the Bowers & Wilkins 803 D4 (larger floorstanding, ranked higher, estimated 3.5/5), the Bowers & Wilkins 802 D4 (larger floorstanding, ranked higher, estimated 3.6/5), the Bowers & Wilkins 801 D4 (larger floorstanding, ranked higher, estimated 3.7/5) and the Bowers & Wilkins HTM81 D4 (center, rated 3.3/5).
Pros: Exquisite reverse-wrap curved wooden cabinet with aluminum top plate and solid-body Diamond dome tweeter housing. Downward-firing Flowport and dual 6.5-inch Aerofoil woofers extend bass down to 24Hz with low distortion.
Cons: House sound features a distinct upper-midrange dip followed by rising top-octave treble that deviates from neutral target linearity. Minimum impedance drops to 3.0 ohms, demanding an amplifier capable of handling difficult reactive loads.
Full Bowers & Wilkins 804 D4 review and specifications →
| Released | Sep 2021 (5 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 24Hz (manufacturer specified) |
| DIY Kit | No |
| Dimensions | 42.2”H x 12”W x 15.4”D (1071 x 306 x 391 mm) |
| Drivers | 1” (25mm) Diamond dome tweeter, 5” (130mm) Continuum cone FST midrange, 2 x 6.5” (165mm) Aerofoil bass units |
| Frequency Response | 24Hz - 28kHz (+/- 3dB, manufacturer specified) |
| Impedance | 8 ohms nominal, 3.0 ohms minimum (manufacturer specified) |
| Sensitivity | 89dB (2.83V/1m, manufacturer specified) |
| Weight | 81.2 lbs (36.85 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, down-firing Flowport |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- No independent measurement review is linked for this model; it is ranked from hands-on listening and comparison against similarly priced speakers.
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
DALI Rubikore 6: $8000 per pair Safe and Sound HQ eBay
Same family: the DALI Rubikore 2 (bookshelf, estimated 3.2/5), the DALI Rubikore 8 (larger floorstanding, ranked higher, estimated 3.4/5) and the DALI Rubikore Cinema (center, estimated 3.1/5).
Pros: Unusual 2.5-plus-half-way, four-driver configuration: two woofers overlap up to 800Hz, then one continues alone to about 2600Hz where the tweeter takes over, followed by a supertweeter engaging at 14kHz. A design layout the reviewer says he’d never encountered before. Bass extension reaches a solid 40-45Hz in-room. Distortion is quite low overall, with an especially impressive gap between second- and third-order harmonic distortion in the midwoofers. Wide horizontal radiation of about ±75°, close to the reviewer’s preferred range for an enveloping soundstage. Very good dynamic range, holding up to about 26dB of level increase (70dB to 102dB) with distortion staying within the reviewer’s 3% threshold even at full output. Multiple attractive finish options, including bi-wireable connections. Measured bass extension of 43Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 86.4dB.
Cons: On-axis, the treble sits 3-5dB above the midrange (especially around 4kHz), giving a sibilant, hot top end that the manufacturer itself recommends compensating for with 30° of toe-out (firing the speakers straight into the room rather than at the listener). Even with that toe-out, the midrange still reads as somewhat scooped and recessed: the reviewer needed a wide, +2dB EQ boost around 2.5kHz to bring vocals back into proper balance. A high-Q resonance appears around 590Hz, and another shows up around 800Hz in burst decay measurements. Best combined with sidewall absorption to help tame the elevated 4-5kHz energy, adding to setup complexity. Needs specific listening-height positioning: ears should be at the tweeter (not supertweeter) level for the most accurate sound. Without EQ or acoustic treatment, the reviewer found the combination of a hot tweeter and recessed midrange a “tough sale” despite otherwise strong measured performance.
Full DALI Rubikore 6 review and specifications →
| Released | Jun 2024 (2 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 31Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 43Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| DIY Kit | No |
| Dimensions | 39”H x 7.9”W x 15”D (990.0 x 200.0 x 380.0 mm) |
| Drivers | 28mm tweeter + dual 180mm woofers |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal (4.3 ohms minimum above 80Hz, measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 86.4dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner; 88.5dB manufacturer specified) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 5.27 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 6.96 |
| Weight | 114.9 lbs (52.1 kg) |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
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- DALI Rubikore 6 vs Atlantic Technology 8600eLR
- DALI Rubikore 6 vs Endow Audio Bravura 7
- DALI Rubikore 6 vs Børresen X3
- DALI Rubikore 6 vs Klipsch Klipschorn AK7
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- DALI Rubikore 6 vs PS Audio Aspen FR10
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