the nautilus 804 is a very respectable speaker. It does not have as powerful bass response as its bigger siblings in the Nautilus line but, like them, it is a masterpiece of worksmanship and musical reproduction in the mids and highs. The 804s can be as bright and analytical as the most detailed solid state amplifier on the market or as sweet and forgiving as the most musical tube amp available--it all depends.
The amp and other components play a huge role in how the 804s sound, so please don't take it out on the speaker when it is just doing what a great speaker is supposed to do. Namely provide flawless transparency and reveal exactly what is being amplified. if it's a terrible remaster played through a Krell amp, then it will sound terrible. but if it's a 20-bit CD remastered to perfection and played through a great tube amp, you will hear sweet midrange, detailed highs and a lush, tight bass, though not as muscular and full as that of the N802.

It appauls me when a reviewer pans a speaker (especially one with the quality of the 804) because he clearly cannot afford it. There is no reason whatsoever this speaker should get a bad review. Its design, worksmanship, and the sound it produces all put it in a very elite class, which i can only assume our friend Scott can unfortunately not afford on his salary--still no reason to take it out on the speaker.

If you're looking to hide your head in the sand and block your ears from the shorcomings of poor CD remasters and low-fi or mid-fi amps and other components, the Nautilus series is not for you. Rush out and buy any old piece of crap. But if you want to hear a recording in all its glory, if you are the type of listener who lives for details and that's your idea of musicality, then the Nautilus series is about the best there is.

And while I might be biased toward B&W's Nautilus series (IMO the Matrix series left a lot to be desired), it is still safe to say that anyone who gives a speaker of this quality such a poor review is dealing with "issues" other than speaker performance and quality. The N804 gets two stars for looks and build quality alone and the audio performance brings it up another two stars.

The Natilus 804's are definately not to my liking as well as all of the other speakers in the Nautilus series.They all seem to exibit that same super bright treble,super analytical midrange,and a total lack of bass.This seems to be the general character of the way that these speakers sound.Regardless of room and
equipment being used.I just cannot recommend them at all!The Nautilus 804's don't sound nearly as bad as the N801's and the N802's though(they make most recordings sound like an AM radio IMO!)
This is a terrible disappointment for me as I am a huge fan of the older Matrix series.The Nautilus 804's seem as if they belong in a recording studio and not in a domestic enviornment.They are way too analytical for my tastes.
I like to be able to listen to all the recordings in my collection.This is just not possible with the Nautilus series.The Nautilus series only make referance recordings sound good.I suppose this is not the speaker's fault,it's very revealing of the flaws on most recordings.It's just that it is not practical for everyday use IMO.Then again I guess it all depends on what types of music
you listen to.Technically the Nautilus 804's are better than the Matrix 804's but overall,I prefer the older Matrix 804's for their warmer,more laid-back presentation,and more forgiveness on most recordings.
Let's not forget the price either.The Nautilus 804's are way too expensive
IMO!

Terrific high and mid-range, very good soundstage

deep bass not enough

Definitely a great pair of speakers (and a good piece of furniture too!).

I paired the speakers with Chord pre-amp and amp (as used in many famous studios) + Marantz CD16D + Apex powercord + Apex speaker cables.

If you are a true music lover, you'll find the sound quality irresistable though if you are a deep bass lover, you will be disappointed (don't tell me a sub-woofer can help. For me, it's a absolute waste and mis-match!).

Although the speaker is quite expensive, I'm glad that I've made a very good decision. I think I'll keep it at least for 5 years

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KEF 104.2

exceptional detail in midrange & highs
very good stereo imaging

price? Maybe a bit expensive but the sound is wonderful.

I am not an "audiophile" just a music enthusiast. I listen to the music not the hardware. So brand name bragging rights has not impact on me.

In my opinion, the 804 is the bargain of the Nautilus line. Mated with the right amplifier and CD player this is a tough speaker to beat in it's price range.

Have owned these for over 1 year. Was using a Denon AVR-3300 surround sound amp rated at 105 WPC. It powered the speakers with a good sound but it seemed the bass was not what it could be. All was fine with the mid & highs.

Upgraded to a Rotel RB-1080 THX-certified stereo amp (200 WPC), with the Rotel RC-1070 pre-amp. Wow, what a difference! The speaker came alive with the Rotel amp. The bass is now strong and evenly balanced with the mids & highs. The Rotel seperates have the current to make these speakers sing. The sound is exceptional.

My conclusion is you need to get the right amp if you buy 804's.

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have also owned B&W 602S2, and own a pair of B&W CDM-7NT

convenient ('wife approval') size, good looks, great/warm sound

can be pricey - but deals are avlbe

Mike from dc has a right to his opinion, however, i do too. I've been searching for the 'right' pair of speakers for over a year and the N804s seem to be the winner. i don't think this speaker is 'limited' or only does 'some things right' as dc mike states. i auditioned the Triangle Celius', Soliquoy 5.3s, ProAc Studio 125s, etc. and the 804s held their own quite well - if not better. The Triangle is definitely a very good speaker, however it is not the nicest looking and is a little big for an avg. size living room. The Silverlines are also quite nice, but are at least $4500!! and are also quite big. Needless to say, to sound its best, the 804 needs to be driven with good equipment - as do all the above -(i auditioned it & the Soliquoys & ProAcs w/ the beautiful Cary v12 tube amp and associated preamp, and the marvelous new Cary CD player, the 303s/200 - i think that's the player), but the 804s sounded wonderfully dynamic w/ a wider soundstage and overall warmer sound (probably due to the beautiful Carys) than the Soliquoy or ProAc,which we're priced at $4k. As for Silverline, i spoke w/ Mr. Yun and hope to get together at his shop after the New Year, but still $4500!!! is a lot to pay for a pair of speakers to me. Look - bottom line: if your looking for a very good speaker which your wife will also like (it's not too big like many speakers on the mkt)that recreates music wonderfully and that won't break your bank account (you can get new N804s for around $2500 - $2750), this is the speaker for you.

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Triangle, ProAc, Paradigm 100V2,B&W, Martin Logan

beautiful build and cabinet, clear sound

bright highs and lacking bass

Well, here four months have gone by and so have the N804s. I liked them but I could never get over the fact that the highs just hurt my ears and made music far too analytical. I have Mcintosh gear (MC202 and C712) that I absolutely love and worked great with the Vandersteens but I fell head over heals for the 804's looks and wanted a change. At first I attributed the bright highs to no break-in but a few weeks later, it had not changed. I was running Kimber PBJs and so changed them out with the MIT Terminator 2s and everything improved but after a few months I started looking around at other speakers.

I listened to a little of everything and even tested a Cary sli80 integrated to see if it could smooth out the highs but it didn't really and although its sound was beautiful, the bass was really lacking at that point so I continued my search. A good friend called me up one day and had me drive the two hours to his place for a music session on his recently acquired Paradigm Reference 100v2s. I fell in love. THESE WERE IT!!! I immediately found them and for a mere $1600 they were mine. I sold the N804s (easily I might add) and have been delighted with the Paradigms ever since. The highs are perfect, the bass is very solid and strong (finally no need for a sub - I never liked them anyway since I am not about overwhelming bass either). Just fabulous sound all around.

There is little wrong with the N804s and I do miss their looks but the sound is my prime interest and the 100s are just sweet in that regard. I gladly pocketed the difference in price and have not regretted it ever since. I had not checked them out despite rave reviews due to their "inferior" price and thus quality - man what an idiotic idea that was! No more of that elitest attitude here!

Check out the Paradigm Reference 100s if you are looking for speakers to buy and see if you like them as much as I do. In my opinion, you will not be sorry unless you want furniture.

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Paradigm Reference 100v2, Vandersteen 2ce, M&K s125

Transparent and detailed, cohension, natural mid range, attractive cabinet

Long break in

Many audiophiles say the sonic improvements gained from upgrading to a more expensive hifi gear are often subtle rather than dramatic, particularly if you upgrading from a reasonable good quality sound system. Well, I somewhat disagree after I purchased a pair of B&W Nautilus 804 speakers. These speakers made a rather dramatic improvement to my sound system, which consisted of B&W602s2 speakers, Yamaha DSP-A1 amp and Rotel 965BX CD player (used as a transport). The 804’s were much more refined, transparent and detailed compared to the highly acclaimed and much less expensive 602s2. The 804 imaged beautifully and when positioned right, produced a very pleasing soundstage. What impressed me the most about these speakers was the clarity and cohesiveness across the audio spectrum. Everything sounded natural and well balanced. I heard nuances in the music that were not noticeable when listening to the 602s2. I’ve read some consumer reviews being dissatisfied with the 804’s bass response. I’d suspect these people were not feeding the 804’s with appropriate good quality sources, in particular a high current capable amp. These speakers drop to a minimum of 3 ohms, which means they need ample current (power) to perform well. With correct placement (plenty of room) and powerful amplification, the 804’s bass response comes to life in a satisfyingly extended and rhythmic way. These speakers take some time to break in. At first they sounded somewhat clinical and brittle in the top end, but after a 100 hours of usage these are no longer evident. In fact the speakers are improving all the time, which suggests they are not fully broken in as yet.

Compared to the 805’s, the 804’s offer more bottom end and improved cohesiveness across the spectrum. Generally, the 805’s seemed a little rounded and smoother at the extremes, whereas the 804’s seemed slightly more angular and detailed, particularly in the upper freqs.

Is there anything negative about these speakers? Well, not really, except some consideration should be made with matching of other components. If the rest of your system leans towards the bright side you may find the 804’s a little too revealing. The 804’s reveal bad recordings, changes in cables and other components more than any other speaker I’ve heard.

The 804’s have given me a taste of the hi-end and the desire to upgrade my other components to take advantage of its fine sonic attributes. There’s no turning back for me!

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B&W Natilius 805

Sound Stage, Bass, Treble, Mid-range

None

I am constantly amazed by the people who try the 804s, and either complain about a lack of bass or the treble being to bright. While I do understand what is causing their problem what most people don't understand about the Nautilus range is that they are ruthlessy revealing of your Components and require very high quality equipment. The 804s are not designed to color the music, or to be musical. As far as the tweeter is concerned it has no top-end, so it does not truncate signals like many other musical(colored) speakers. When I first purchased my 804s, I had similar problems. What I quickly learned was that if I wanted to play in the big leagues, it requires commitment and investment. As a result, I have spent 3 years building a system with the 804s that is warm, and lush with no glare or electronic hardness. My system sounds like tubes, but I have considerable bass slam and I do not need a sub-woofer. I have the best of both words. The power that comes with electronics, and the lushness and warmth that comes with tubes. The sound-stage is deep, wide and sounds natural. On some music, the bass is so strong that it literally rattles the room. If you buy the 804s, and they sound bright, then you should review your equipment and ask yourself whether you are an enthusiast or and audiophile. If you are the latter then you will know what to do. If not, then take the 804s back, and purchase something that colors the music the way you want to hear it. For those below with a disappointing experience with the 804s, you are just hearing what your eqiupment sounds like!

Bryston 9B ST THX
Tag Mclaren AV32R EX
Sony DVP-9000ES (Transport/SACD)
PS Audio Power Plant P300
PS Audio Lab Cable
B&W Nautilus 804
B&W Nautilus HTM1
TMC Gold Label Reference (Bi-wire)
Kimber Kable Postmaster Spades (TMC Gold Label)
TMC Yellow Label Interconnects
TMC White Label Interconnects
Shunyata Research Viper V2 Powersnake
Shunyata Research Black Mamba Powersnakes(2)
Sound Anchor Speaker Stands
Vibrapod Isolaters under all equipment
Auric Illuminator CD/DVD treatment
CAIGs Deoxit and Pro Gold treatment of all Connectors

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Have heard lost of different speakers

Efficient, clean, great looks, great build quality

Low end lacking, but could be my power

Wow, these speakers can make Bing Crosby's White Christmas sound great. I really looked at the CDM-9nt prior to purchasing these speakers, but man you can tell the difference that a cabinet makes. These have been great speakers. I haven't "got on them" because they are still in the break in period. However they are really starting to sound quite nice. Compare, compare, compare and you will always comeback to these, at least I did. They are great in the movie arena as well, The velodyne SPL-1000 adds allot though.

My system:
Onkyo Tx-DS787
Onkyo m282 (7.1 add amp)
HTM-2
804's
(4)601 s3
Velodyne SPL-1000

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Infinty, JBL (not similar just used)

VERY clear high end, great volume, and good looks

Price

In july of 2000 our old home theater burned down along with our old home. We are now in our new home and have begun the process of replacing everything, including the theater. we currently have two B&W 804's hooked up to a marantz SR14EX and you cannot even begin to imagine the sound that comes out of these things. The old system consisted of a pioneer elite reciever and infinity il50's in about a 15 by 16 room. These B&W's are in a 20 by 20 room and they still blow the infinity's out of the water. highly recomend buying a pair

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Triangle, Paradigm, PSB, M&K, Ruark