Liked the Nautilus 805 but found better?

Hey Gthirteen: Did see the Merlin VSM's for $1500 on this sight? I think that will give you everything your looking for at a great price. No sub needed & in IMHO betters the 805's by far.

Gthirteen, I love the N805s, too, and ran the same amp you're using. I would try a fuller balanced speaker cable than the quite lean sounding Audioquest CV-4. I used the Goertz MI-2 biwired, which sounded smooth and full-bodied. If you'd like to stay with AQ, try the older Midnight cable; very rich and powerful bass. I also ran side wall diffusor/absorbers to prevent the tweeter's wide dispersion from tipping the balance towards the highs. For a good(and cheap) subwoofer, try a Definitive ProSub 80 crossed at 50 hz and turned down low.

I also sold my N804's to upgrade to N805's. Yes, this is not a typo. The sound of the N804's seemed to lack the dynamics that make pop and rock recordings enjoyable. I agree with Krellnot regarding the midrange, it did seem to be a bit agressive which made Diana Krall sound like she needed some Dristan. The N805's on the other hand have everything I could hope for. The sound is dynamic, transparent and highly detailed. The bass is excellent for such a compact speaker but that last ounce of weight is missing. I solved this problem by adding the associated subwoofer that Stereophile used when reviewing the N805's; the Paradigm Reference Servo 15. The amplification is a Bryston 4B-ST and BP25. The result is gorgeous. Other B&W Nautilus 805 owners take note, system synergy is extremely important otherwise you may be shortchanging these little gems.

When looking earlier this year, I auditioned the 804s, 805s, and Linn 5140s. Found that the Linns had more, smoother bass than the 804s and 805s. Agree that 804s didn't seem worth the extra money, but I do have a friend who has them & swears by them. I also agree that the B&Ws in general might provide a little more clarity than the 5140s (which are very smooth compared to the slightly harsh lower-end Ninkas).

At the end of the day, I got the store demo set of the 5140s because I didn't want to shell out the extra $1000 for the 804s and didn't like the lack of bass in the 805s. Also, I like the fact that the Linns could be placed pretty close to the wall -- I live in NYC. I felt I would have had to spend a lot more to do better than the 5140s or 804s. I'm very happy with my purchase. The same friend, who heard the 5140s with my very modest power behind them recently, thought again about his B&W stuff -- he figured he could have saved himself the extra money for the 804s *and* the B&W woofer he bought to boost their bass by going Linn. When he gets home to Seattle, though, he listens to the greater clarity of the B&Ws and changes his mind. It's only money, right? You can't go wrong. Good luck.

I am lucky enough to have N804 main, and N805 as surrounds. I liked the N804s rich midrange more than the N805s. Now I have the best of both worlds.