I had owned the 802 Series 3 for several years and prior to that the original 802 for over ten years. I now have the 802 Nautilus (about one year) and on an absolute basis, the Nautilus is better. It offers a more realistic treble presentation, a much wider sound stage and far greater bass extention. I must caution you that it can sound 'bright' with the wrong amp/or cables so auditioning with your equipment is important. Also, it can really soak up the power - to sound its best it requires a powerful and high quality amplifier. I currently use the Matrix 805 for surround and they are quite good but the new Nautilus 805 is better in the upper registers and has slightly deeper bass. However, both have fairly weak bass and need a sub to sound their best. In conclusion, if price is not a concern, go for the new Nautilus series (I have not heard the N 804 or N 803 but I bet they sound great). If adhering to a strict budget, you would be well served by a pair of late model Matrix 802s.
