B&W 805S vs. Usher BE718

Neilspeed,

I use the 805s in my bedroom system [nearfield] and have heard, like EVERYONE else by now, the Usher BE 718...
Really no contest imo; the 805's give music of a whole, presented naturally with no undue emphasis.
The sound is smoother, not shouting at you with the harsher tones from the Usher
Started this hobby with a Krell 150 so i think you will be most pleases .

good luck!

Hi,

I used to own but sold the Nautilus 805, NON-"S" but original series. I found that it has no warmth and a screechy top end that bothered me and couldn't really relax and enjoy the music with it. Also, auditioned a pair of 803S at a local dealer with Krell amp (forgot the model) but found it analytical and uninvolving.

The Usher BE-718 which I currently own however is much more, mature, refined and complete as a speaker from top to bottom. More pristine highs that'll go up to 30Khz+ w/ seductively wamish vocals and low enough to not sound light with male vocals. Its bass power too is surprisingly potent for a speaker of its size and puts the B&W to shame. However, you do need some clean power to unleash its potential. Also, used with cables that are not overly bright or lean and you're not gonna get any shouting mentioned above. So, if you're willing to find some synergy for it, the speakers will bring you beautiful music.

Not that it matter too much in the final analysis but if you read the reviews for both speakers, you'll find that Usher is a lot more highly raved. Whereas the 805S is just not really exceptional in its price range. Yet the B&W is a more recognized brand with bigger marketing $$$ behind its effort.

I am currently driving mine with a Nuforce MCH3SE (Ref 9SE V2, multi-channel equivalent) to good effect. All in all, YMMV. Realistically, nothing beats an in-home audition to see if it'll synergize with what you have and what you're looking for out of your next speakers.

I have not tried the Usher but have owned the original N805. Contrary to Kenk168's findings, I find the N805 to be a warm speaker with smooth top-end. In fact the sound was so smooth that I switched to some Proac speakers after a while. I am often amazed when reading comments about the bright sound of B&W speakers as I find them to sound the total opposite -smooth, lush and warm. However, one may get a clinical bright sound from B&W speakers if using Krell amps.