B&W
Nautilus 805s $2800pr: Stands $700pr
HiFi Plus 805S
Review, PDF
HiFi Choice
805S Review, PDF
With all the hoo-ha of this
and that technology being blabbered about in the speaker world, we need to take a step
back and appreciate one of the finest speakers on the market, B&W’s Nautilus
805s.
N805s was upgraded (from
N805) in 2006. The refinement was substantial.
N805s is among the most
neutral, least boxy sounding speakers
available. It does a great job with everything, but in the most critical area of voices,
be it of humans, pianos, guitars or whatever, N805s is right there with the best speakers
available at any price.
When you hear N805s, largely
due to its Matrix cabinet design, you get no sense of BOX. The Matrix cabinet is
constructed much differently from the other guys. Almost everyone else stuffs some Dacron
in their cabinet and calls it a day. Good enough. Not for B&W! The entire 800 Series
uses a cross membered array of masonite slats, creating a honeycomb which reinforces
structure within the cabinet. That presents the cabinet with a number of inner CELLS that
B&W fills with a special absorptive foam. The result is that the cabinet doesn’t
ring.
A recent review in
Stereophile mentions a speaker company who is using thick cabinets and even has a fancy
EXTRA front panel made of poplar. The speaker is internally braced and sells for 20% more
than N805s. You would think this speaker would be solid, right? Well, Stereophile says it
is the most resonant speaker cabinet it has ever measured- which clouds the midrange.
My point is- you can’t
accomplish what N805s has just by having a thick box. It takes some smarts too! Anyone
can, and does, buy thick MDF. Bigger and thicker aren’t always better. Smarter is
always better.
N805s uses a top mounted
aluminum tweeter with B&W’s patented Nautilus tube on the back. The Nautilus tube
ascends from the rear of the tweeter, dissipating the back wave to silence. You end up
hearing only what B&W intends for you to hear, not ricocheting sound within a box that
ultimately gives the music a tinny or harsh sound.
N805s features a Kevlar
midrange driver with a fixed bullet guide post. The Kevlar is treated with two processes
to provide a unique molecular structure in the speaker world. The result is a light yet
stiff driver that moves in a linear fashion.
N805s features a cabinet of
rounded design to avoid standing waves. It starts out as a flat board but is formed in
B&W’s Danish factory to become the shape you see. The result is not only resonant
controlling, but beautiful!
N805s stands are custom made
and run $700pr, available in black or silver. The speaker screws on to the stand for
proper alignment, rigidity and beauty.
Musically, N805s is extremely
well balanced. It presents a spacious image and isn’t very fussy about where you
place it- because it isn’t resonant. You’ll find dispersion is huge. You can sit
to the left of the left speaker and still hear the right speaker comfortably. Putting the
speaker fairly near or far from the wall will change its performance, of course, but
you’ll find N805s just isn’t as touchy as traditional speakers in terms of
placement.
The frequency balance from
N805s is very smooth. Its tendency is to be warm, not bright. You’ll like the bass.
You’re likely to think we have a subwoofer connected when you hear it. Will you need
one? That’s for you to decide. We have lots of great options if you do, like
B&W’s new ASW-610XP for $1200. But even without a sub, N805s is very full
figured!
There’s a reason why
B&W is used in the world’s foremost recording studios! Abbey Road
in London and LucasFilms in California
make the best sounding music and movie recordings available. They master and mix with
B&W. They could use anything!
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