I owned a pair of N803's and recently sold them to go back to a speaker that I owned a few years ago and wound up missing more than I thought I would, the ProAc 3.8's. The B&W's were more detailed than the ProAc's, but the ProAc's are much more pleasant to listen to. The B&W's were more dynamic in that they had greater high frequency extension, but after a while that became more annoying than enjoyable to me.
Another point is that the Nautilus line has great resale value. The network of dealers are policed by B&W in regard to pricing and internet selling. This creates a strong secondary market because it not flooded with low prices due to great deals someone got from a gray dealer. I give B&W great credit for sticking by its dealers and not letting their products get into the wrong hands.
That is one reason why dealers will point you to their B&W speaker lines. They know that you will not get a much better price than what they offer because they are limited in what they can offer you. It is a safe recommendation in that regard. As far as sound quality is concerned, B&W makes an excellent product, but there are many speaker manufacturers that do the same. It all depends on your personal taste. I have found that ProAc more meets my needs.
Another point is that the Nautilus line has great resale value. The network of dealers are policed by B&W in regard to pricing and internet selling. This creates a strong secondary market because it not flooded with low prices due to great deals someone got from a gray dealer. I give B&W great credit for sticking by its dealers and not letting their products get into the wrong hands.
That is one reason why dealers will point you to their B&W speaker lines. They know that you will not get a much better price than what they offer because they are limited in what they can offer you. It is a safe recommendation in that regard. As far as sound quality is concerned, B&W makes an excellent product, but there are many speaker manufacturers that do the same. It all depends on your personal taste. I have found that ProAc more meets my needs.