Review: B & W Loudspeakers Nautilus 805 Monitor

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.

Amazing how two people with different ears can come up with the same opinions about B&W. Bravo Ttrulis! Yes, the B&W pairs will not and cannot be intergrated. May be, B&W should sell their speakers individually so consumers can pick and choose and maybe out of random, we can find a matching pairs. Also the marvelous Natilus tweeter makes Diana Krall voice metallic high. So sorry Diana but I still love your silky voice. I own GP from Sonus, Aerius I by M/L and none of these give me these symtoms. Some of these hi-end reviewers must sold their souls for a few extra dollars. But let's be fair, B&W is good for a second system while working or reading but not a system for serious listenning. I dare any one to do a/b comparison B&W with Logan and Sonus Faber. I did. Sorry, B&W my money goes some place else from now on.

I have found B&W's, expecially the current and recent models to be very revealing of any flaws upstream, which I think accounts for the diversity of opinions on them. I went thru 3 amplifiers and a cd transport before I found a combination that worked with mine, but once I got the right setup, they sound very good.