Review: B & W Loudspeakers Nautilus 805 Monitor

I read the reviews above and figured I better keep my opinions to myself concerning B & W speakers. Then I read the honest opinions concerning Bose 901's, a healthy discussion of why audiophiles (myself included) tend to trash them.

So I came back to this B & W thread, mainly to gain some understanding. I've never understood the rave reviews about this company. Almost every audio reviewer on this continent and Europe loves B & W loudspeakers. I audition every speaker I can find, and I find myself wanting to like B & W's, mainly so I can hear what everyone's so excited about. Yet every time I audition them (no matter what model) I leave disappointed. What am I missing here? Are my ears so much different from the majority of the audiophile world? I'm not trying to trash B & W; I feel the same after listening to Paradigm, Theil, PSB, Legacy, etc. I tend to lean towards; Wilson, Alon, Nestorovic, Aeriel, and VMPS.

Are tastes in speakers really so vastly different?
Are my ears just screwed up?
Is there a learning curve I need to catch up to?

I'm feeling so alone!:-)

Flip,
I feel your pain! I've never been impressed by B&Ws despite having many friends who swear that they "disappear" and are perfectly neutral, etc. etc. The sound I hear? Dry, I call it, and lifeless. Even metallic and edgy sounding. Not like the Thiels I've been so impressed with, Linns, or even the el-cheapo(el-cheapest more like it) Sound Dynamics RTS-3s I can't seem to find much wrong with. Must be my low-grade ears. Oh, the original DM-302 went the right direction, IMHO (even more evidence of my low-grade ears).
Stephen

The not so positive views on b&w products are understandable. It only goes to show there are as many opinions and views out there of what good sound really is. I've listened to a lot of brands myself and i've settled with this brand because to my ears they have done a better job at balancing the virtues and sins that many others are less successful at. I agree it sounds dull at first, but kevlar cones are known to break-in longer. Once it's settled, it gives you honest and neutral delivery which is a good temper for a lot of bad recordings out there(especially on cd).It combines good rhythm, midrange clarity and expression a decent bass and imaging to create a believable soundstage. They are not party animals for sure but its handling of a wide range of material is an acceptable compromise. Also, selection of ancillary equipment is critical.

I was a B&W guy for about 15 years. I finally "upgraded" to the 805 Nautilus. Just some comments that relate to my preferences.
The metal dome tweeter is absolutley relentless. To borrow a cliche, you better wear sunglasses to protect you from the biting brightness.
There is virtually no bass.
The music is right on top of you all the time.
The speakers never sounded like an integrated pair. They always sounded like 2 individual speakers acting independently.
I tried various cables and cords and i-connects. Nothing tamed them, inclduing putting acoustic foam directly in front of the tweeters. (At the time, I had the Plinus integrated amp and a tube cd player. The Plinus produces the most powerful bass I have ever heard, and yet it could not extract an ounce from the B&W's.)
I did not get the imaging, or the transparency that reviewers hear. Maybe it is there, but I just could not get past that biting brightness. I simply could not even listen anymore.
I sold them after less than 6 months, and am no longer in the B&W family.
Before anyone drops the 2 grand plus for the B&W, listen to some other's. This is a very popular price point for speakers.
A sub would add to the overall cost, and I'm not sure
that a sub would solve the problems. If it's not right at the start, just adding more stuff is not going to correct it.
However, if your taste prefers a leaner, bright speaker, the 805's will be the right choice for you.

I am a B&W N801 owner. When I demoed them in the showrooms, I never really liked the sound. The sound was never convincing. At times the sound was dry and lifeless.
When I installed them in my listening room with a good combination of upstream components, the speakers became everything I dreamed of...after over a year of trial and error in speaker placement. If you hear dryness, I would try tubes for the mids and tweets, a tube preamp, and play around with different cables. The difference to my ears was amazing.