I own a pair of N801's (in storage in the USA) and N805's (in use in Paris). I have enjoyed the N805's ever since I purchased them nearly two years ago, when I moved to France for a 3 year assignment. Because of their size they are not perfect for all types of music. Forget high level rock, dynamic brass, deep bass etc. For general listening, especially female vocal they are superb. Very detailed and revealing. If you want to find out just how good they can sound, try a demonstration using the Norah Jones CD. I went to the Frankfurt High End show last week. I can honestly say there were no speakers demonstrated at this show (including one $100k rig) that sounded better than the N805's on this CD. I have experimented with 3 power amplifiers over the last two years; QUAD 606 MKII, Pioneer Elite M91 and a Krell KSA-250. The Krell was nothing short of a revelation, my wife and children were able to notice an immediate improvement in resolution with the Krell/N805 combination.
In conclusion, if your tastes lean towards female vocal and late night listening at moderate volume, you will not be disappointed. Forgot to mention; IMHO the red stained cherry wood finish on black B&W stands look superb and elicit many positive comments about esthetics and sound quality.
In conclusion, if your tastes lean towards female vocal and late night listening at moderate volume, you will not be disappointed. Forgot to mention; IMHO the red stained cherry wood finish on black B&W stands look superb and elicit many positive comments about esthetics and sound quality.