Beautifull, sound stage, and dimension.

None considering they're a bookshelf speaker.

I have owned these speakers since 1999 and decided to write a review after recently upgrading my system. I was always told to invest first in speakers, and that's what I did. Along with the 805's, I have a center Nautilus HTM1. Not to bore you with history and the equipement driving the speaker, but the equipement makes a HUGE difference. I originally ran these speakers with a mid 1990'2 Carver 405-5 channel amp. Speakers did the job with Sunfire's sub. I then stepped up to Denon's clasic AVR5600 140 X 5. Sounded even better. I then upgraded do to reciever problems and found a great deal on a new Sunfire Signature 200 X 5 amp. To save money, I am using Marantz's AVR SR7500 as a pre amp. I could not believe the diffence in sound with the new pre-amp/amp combo. The sound is seamless in the front and center channels, and the output is amazing. Vocals is the 805's strongest point making it sound as though the artist is in the room with you. Just remember, your speakers are only as good as the equipment driving them, though the B&W's performed well with the various amps that have driven them.

Silky smooth highs, great midrange, exceptional bass for a bookshelf. And they look every bit as good as the money they cost. If music can sound any better, I'd sure love to hear how.

I got a good deal on the set with stands, but it would be hard for me to buy the stands new at full retail. I have absolutely no complaints about the speakers themselves, I think they're wonderful.

I've never done one of these reviews, but have used this site extensively so wanted to "repay" all the good people who have done reviews before me. More than anything, I was inclined to write this review because of how overwhelmed I found myself with a new set of the Nautilus 805. I bought them to complete a surround sound system which includes a set of B&W 704 up front, HTM 7 center, and B&W ASW600 subwoofer run by a Rotel RMB-1075 amp. I knew that the N805's, while not necessarily a mismatch for the 704, might actually outclass them a little but I found a nice deal on a used flawless set of 805 (price above includes stands) and figured "what the heck, I'll treat myself." I'd heard them before in an audio shop, so I had high expectations. But I am stunned by how amazing they sound. First off, the bass is outstanding for a speaker of this size. Actually, it's not just outstanding for a speaker of this size, it's outstanding period. The bass, in fact, is as good as if not better than the bass with my floor-standing 704's. I didn't expect that, and I don't care how many people say "that's impossible"...trust me, I'm listening and doing A-B comparisons with my own ears and the speakers side by side. Given the reputation of the N805, maybe I'm the one who shouldn't be so surprised. In my opinion, other than with certain bass-heavy dance music or very hard rock, I wouldn't use the sub if I were using the N805 for 2 channel music. Of course, the nautilus tweeter is silky smooth. I've tried everything from rock (Ryan Adams, Sarah McLachlan, Police, Metallica) to Vocals/Jazz (Diana Krall, Jacintha) to Country (Allison Krauss) and it all sounds incredible. Not too bright, or harsh. With an amazing airiness and presence, as if the speakers are much larger than they really are. And it's true what other people have said: they really do disappear, similar to my 704's. As if the music is coming from "everywhere", if that makes any sense. I'm ecstatic, and for someone who isn't wealthy and can't spend $1800 for speakers and stands everyday it's testament to how amazing these sound that the money seems trivial just one day after getting them home. Are there really any better bookshelf speakers available anywhere for under $2000?

Similar Products Used:

B&W, Klipsch, Wharfedale, Infinity, ADS

Gorgeous woodwork. Superb resolution. Immense imaging capabilities. A true reference product.

Bass can be a little dry. A subwoofer should be used for bass enthusiasts.

This stunning standmount Nautilus design packs all the Company's top technologies into a decidedly elegant and compact two-way package. The woodwork is a sight to behold with a fit and finish of a Hatori Samurai sword. This speaker is quite heavy with it's Matrix bracing, so a top quality stand is mandatory. The Kevlar woofer needs a firm break-in period to sound it's best, but then one is blessed with a purity and detail that makes music an experience never forgotten. Bass is a little dry, but immensely tuneful. Overall midrange quality is in the benchmark class with superb resolution and inner detail. The tweeter is dynamic, open, and beautifully voiced to compliment the woofer. Imaging after careful placement brings an ambience of a live broadcast to whole new level. This is a speaker that is at home in a Recording Studio picking out subtle nuances, or in your living room making you smile with enjoyment with each one of your CDs. An absolute pleasure to own and listen to, and well worth the extra cost.

Similar Products Used:

B&W CDM7NT, B&W CDM1NT, Tannoy System 800 Reference Studio Monitors, Tannoy Reveal Studio Monitors.

soundstage, beautiful detailed, extended sound.

bass may not be as strong as you would like

I had my N805s for more than 2 years now. I went through many stages with those speakers, all other components have been changed one after another in my system, and they still remained. It says something about 805's capability. I like those speakers from the start, they produce very dynamic and detailed sound, but I also experienced their supposed weakness--like too aggressive tweeters and weak bass--as many other reviewers had discovered. Actually, at one point in time, after trying different cables to try to tame the tweeters without success, I almost wanted to sell them. But after changing to better amplifier, CD player, D/A, cables, and isolation devices, and noticed improvement along the way, now the sound from the speakers are very transparent, with great extension on both ends, but without harshness. I concluded that I should not have blamed the N805s for the most part, the speakers are simply so good that they revealed faithfully of the rest of my system. I am now using Gryphon Callisto 2100 integrated, Meridian 588 CD player, and a Stellavox D/A, all of the above individually costs about the same or much more than the N805s, and I am really happy with the combination. I would recommend highly of those speakers, but beware that they maybe more demanding in system match up.

Imaging, soundstaging, midrange clarity, detail, lovely lack of boxy sound

Bass output (understandably), treble grain/harshness

I had a long relationship with the B&W Nautilus 805's that lasted a little over 2 years. I have been listening to some incarnation of B&W monitors for over 12 years now, the N805's being my final pair. I have come to love the neutrality, clarity, detail, and precise soundstaging that the B&Ws provided. The Nautilus 805's are better in that regard than my prior B&W's (DM302s and Matrix 805's), and exhibit tendancies of speakers costing much, much more. Although I truly enjoyed the time I spent with them, in the end I was left a little cold. They are certainly a neutral and insightful look into the soul of your music collection, but 2 factors eventually made me seek replacement: 1) Bass. Obviously, as small standmount speakers, these will not dig as deep as a larger floorstander with greater cabinet volume. I have been ok with this for the past 12 years, but recently I have found myself wanting more bass. My at-home listening tastes have changed over the years, and really more to fit a restricted frequency extreme monitor rather than parallelling a shift in interest. Additionally, I had a small suckout in the 63-80hz region that I could never quite ameliorate and made the 805's sound even thinner than they should. A few moments over the last few years with other speakers at my local hifi shop started the wheels in motion, and I realized entire genres of my cd collection were standing unplayed because the 805's couldn't give me the warmth or fundamental underpinning bass reproduction provides. I initially attempted to integrate a subwoofer, but I just couldn't get "a match" to my ears (some may have better luck with very flexible placement options and a very high quality sub; I just couldn't get it to work in my room with domestic restrictions!) 2) High frequencies. One of the things that initially attracted me to the N805 in listening sessions at my local shop, the tweeter was eventually the undoing of this speaker for me. The sound is very extended, and there is a good amount of air added to the proceedings that makes music sound more like instruments in an acoustic space rather than a vacuum. But I found myself shuffling CDs and eventually getting fatigued during long listening sessions... All I wanted to do was to listen to the music, but I found myself getting fatigued and annoyed. After much thought, and many auditions of other brands, I suspect it has something to do with tweeter distortion. I don't think the 805's are bright, per se, but I think they exhibit some sort of high frequency nastyness that eventually tires my ears. Some folks don't notice it, but it would leave me feeling very unrelaxed even when listening to music that should relax me! Those two shortcomings were the final nails in the coffin of my relationship with the 805 series from B&W. I can hardly fault the speaker for #1, but I mentioned it because I have read some reviews that say you don't need a sub (eventually I felt like I did), or just to add a sub (which I never felt integrated as well as a design created to produce deeper bass to begin with). In the end, I am left with many fond memories of the 805's, however much I ended up wanting to switch them out in their final months at home. They soundstage and image like a champ, and their midrange is something to behold IMO. Very detailed and the timbral accuracy is simply gorgeous. I never once heard them sound "boxy" so those elaborate enclosures must work well. This midrange detail and beauty was very difficult to find when I went shopping for a replacement, and required me to spend much more money than the N805's cost to combine the same midrange excellence with the deeper bass and sweeter treble I wanted. In fact, I ended up with a pair of ProAc Response D25's, which like all ProAc's are known to have a beautiful midrange; I found the midrange ever so slightly more sweet, detailed, and expressive than the 805's, but it was the highs and the lows of the D25 that really got me. What does that mean? To me, the 805's had one of the best midranges I have ever heard. I suspect the Signature 805's could have given me the treble I was looking for (although with no way to hear them I will never know)... But not the bass, so that's how I ended up in the ProAc camp. If you're looking for a standmounter like the 805, I highly suggest you take a look at the Signature version, as I suspect it would be the better longterm partner. Otherwise, for $2000, I still think these are value champs, as you really have to spend much more to improve upon their virtues. FWIW, do buy the ridiculously overpriced stands, the 805's really need the solidity for the taut midbass they are capable of. Also, I preferred the N805's partnered with tubes, although I actually had them partnered with SS for the longest period, I started with and came back to tubes. No SETs, either, they need at least 30-50 watts, IMO.

Similar Products Used:

B&W DM302, Matrix 805, CDM1NT, CDM7NT, N804, N802, Thiel CS 1.5, 1.6, CS2.3, CS2.4, ProAc Tablette 2000, Tablette Ref 8, D25.

The closest thing to being in a concert hall.

none

I bought the 805 "signature" (there is a difference). used with Rotel 1098 preamp Rotel 1095 speakers I couldn't believe the sound coming out of these speakers. Natural, staging is excellent, vocals unsurpassed. I am writing this review in appreciation of all the reviews that people have posted that helped in making my decision. This speaker must have been designed with classical music and Jazz music lovers in mind.

Similar Products Used:

Dynaudio Contour 1.3se, Revel 20.

everything is good

none, perhaps the bass isn't there, but they are bookshelf speakers, get a subwoofer and you'll be fine.

Honestly, I first heard these while I was a junior in college. I was completely blown away at the dealer room. I had always just resorted to my computer monitors (altec lansings) for audio since I was a student and mp3's were rampant on campus. I've listened to many mediocre systems before, however most of them were more of the general mass consumer grade audio systems like JBL, Bose, and Polk Audio. The 805's were my first true audiophile experience and I will forever remember that moment of enlightment. Anyhow, give that amazing impression, I never had the funds or opportunity to own a pair until recently I finally decided to take the plunge into the world of hi-fi audio. Needless to say, they sound exactly like the first time I heard them. Absolutely wonderful. It's uncanny how much sound can be squeezed from these speakers. They are so "musical", as in they depict the musical so well. Not some stoic un-moving analytical transducer, but soulful. The sound coming out wasn't just a faithful reproduction of the digital code encapsulated by the CD, but it actually was able to bring forth the essence, the feeling of the music. I currently have a 5 speaker set up and because the 805's are so good, I more often than not find myself ending listening to just stereo. It's just incredible how well these things soundstage, image, etc... Just two speakers can sound almost as good as 5! Anyhow, I digress. The speakers are a very good choice for those who are making the first step into the true hi-fi realm. They play any type of music with ease and are a great investment that will bring joy for years to come. I rate these speakers as highly recommended.

If you like the B&W sound, these 'speakers provide one of the most detailed and musical versions of it.

If you want the deepest bass, you'll need a sub.

No review is useful without a context, so here is the rest of my system: Musical Fidelity A3.2CD player, AVI S2000MP Pre-Amp, Sugden A21aP power amp, REL Q200E sub, and Nordist Blue Heaven interconnects and 'speaker cable. I purchased the N805's about 3 months ago second hand from Oxford Audio Consultants, along with a very expensive pair of cast iron stands which weigh about 25kg each. The speakers are in perfect condition. I listen to pretty much everything apart from rap, R&B, hip-hop, world music or cheesy pop. I particularly like soft rock. Before I upgraded to the N805s I used a pair of CDM 1NTs, which I have owned for about 14 months, and was generally very happy with. In case you don't know, the CDM 1NTs have very similar drivers to the N805s, but employ a more conventional cabinet and less expensive crossover (at half the price of the N805s I didn't complain). So then, in what ways does that matrix braced curved cabinet, and higher grade components, improve the sound? Well since I'm writing this review you should already know that it makes a sufficient difference for me to part with £950 (or at least that it did on demo). As the previous reviewer rightly noted, a 'speaker review is often very much at the mercy of the personal tastes of the reviewer. However, it is of course possible to describe the attributes of speakers relative to other speakers, in order to convey a sense of the sound to a reader. I like the B&W sound. I have had three different pairs of them in the last 3 years, and at the time of buying each, I demo'd many alternatives (which all had their merits). I would describe the CDM 1NT's as having a very crisp treble, tight and relatively deep bass. They sound very even accross all frequencies, and work well for a variety of music. They sound exciting and get the foot tapping. However, they can occasionally sound a little harsh when pushed. Perhaps in a different system context this could be tamed. When first swapping in the N805s there is a clear, but not a vast difference. After all, the drivers are almost identical. The N805s have a very similar tone to the CDM 1NT's, and after a while the differences become much more noticable and appreciable. The treble on the N805 is only slightly more detailed, but much cleaner than the CDM 1NTs. The speakers do sound laid back in comparison, but it's no bad thing. There is something absent from the CDM 1NTs, which makes these speakers sound 'right', and natural. After lengthy comparison, the N805 emerge as the superior in every area. The CDM 1NT's are incredibly capable speakers, thanks to the technology employed by them, but it seems to me that you need to spend more to blend such capable technology into a s'speaker that sounds musical, accurate and immensely enjoyable. I give these speakers a definite recommendation; they demonstrate the full capability of the Nautilus technology, and go that one extra mile that makes all the difference.

Similar Products Used:

B&W CDM 1NT, Monitor Audio GR10, Kef Q7, Dynaudio Audience 52, Monitor Audio studio 20se.

Excellent highs and midrange. These are monitor speakers - no coloration. imaging and soundstage.

Low Bass (they are bookshelf!) Need Stands and placement to fully optimize.

It is frankly amazing the passion that folks put into reviewing speakers. There is no more subjective component in the stereo rig than a speaker - everybody will have a different perception of what they hear. That said, saying a speaker is terrible or the best is idiotic. You either like the sound or you don't. Period. So rating speakers especially are suspect. Your ears are the only proper judge but if you do not like them that does not mean they suck. I have owned the N805s for over a year and until recently ran them off of old Carver preamp/amp equipment from the 80's. They sounded excellent: balanced sound; imaging and little coloration. The room they are in is not very well suited to HiFi but when matched with a Velodyne Sub for the deep bass I could not be more pleased with the music. Recently upgraded to Bryston BP-20 PreAmp with the 3B-SST to follow. If anything, the sound opened up incredibly and has just blown me away. As a drummer I expect cymbals and percussion sounds to mirror what I hear live and the 805s are as accurate as any speaker I've heard. The shimmer of cymbals is truly amazing on these! The midrange and bass are likewise detailed and accurate with excellent attack. Fantastic sound. The break-in period is lengthy but this speaker will provide ample reward for the patient. Regarding soundstage, my placement is far from optimum but the soundstage is damn good. If I had the perfect room I would get the stands and place them properly only because I know I can get more out of them. Anyone who complains about lack of dimension has simply not placed the speakers correctly. Finally, these speakers will reveal flaws in both your equipment and/or sound source so you will want to run them off of decent equipment. They are worth a listen. For me, I have not found a finer speaker for their size and price point.

Similar Products Used:

Hale Boston Acoustics M&K

So sweet, so sweet, especially vocal. (The sound stage is usually a bit up front compared to other speakers, feel like you on dominant sit in the studio)

Sensitive setup matching

I own this speaker in nearly 9 months, it should be the time for me to reveal my opinion. This speaker was first impressed me from it looks, of course I do have some studies and listened to B&W other models. B&W speakers is usually offers a lot of details and tight bass, which these I was ever agree. Vocal representing was impressive even without carefully matching. I been awalys listened and persuaded form other audiophiles that B&W needed High High powers in order to make it sings. In practical, I do agreed " it make it sings in a different way", the speed is spot on, bass is powerful and high frequencies is beating. But in terms of the Natural Replay, do you recogn dynamic is the reference? In the pass, I hate B&W of its tweeter is being too bright to me " it applies to all models I been listen to", but the bass is impressively good and built quality cheerful. Anyway, I was never like it as I been persuaded and tested with transistors Amp in terms of power gain, it just too bright, can't bear for long listening. I am a 300B and EL34 Tubes Amp Audiophile, to be honest, I have not really make test on B&W speakers with Tubes Amp. Thanks to my friend Simon for lent me his Nautilus 805. Surprisingly, it sound incredible, the over bright was subside. Every details are being pick, with a smooth, open, harshing free, tonal balance is exceptional good. If you use 300B (8 watts/ channal), vocal is so sweet and so sweet. Please note, for tubes Amp, cables choose is very important. For the best on its sound, we used Van Den Hul The First Ultimate interconnect and Van Den Hul Revelation speaker cable. Revelation speaker cable is a MUST setup for low power tubes Amp, it increase the bass extension and balance the timing on high volume. Of course CD player has to be good too, please don't choose the bright one like Sony or Marantz. Last but not least, I am so happy found of this setup with B&W speakers, the overall tonal is so balance even the bass is attacking in wonder. If you tell me B&W speaker need loadzzz of power, I would say power should be apply on love. he~heh

Similar Products Used:

Paradigm, Tyler Acoustics, JMLab