sigpho

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
2.45 of 5, 11.00 votes

Price Paid:  $3000.00 from Brack Electronics

Summary:
I just got a pair of 805s and I’m writing this review as I listen to them. Let it be known that I’ve been listening to music and doing nothing else with my spare time since I got them. In a nut shell these speakers are for anyone who wants to listen to music for hours at a time and require close to perfect sound. I own close to 1000 vinyl albums and about 400 CD’s and growing. I hope that qualifies me to make a comment about music and sound. Oh, my DVD collection isn’t too shabby either. Anyway, a friend and I use to dream about owning B&W speakers ever since we heard a pair of 801’s and 802’s about 10 years ago. He’s done very well for himself and now owns a pair of B&W 800’s and 802’s (like I said he’s doing very well). His setup; needless to say is”off the hook”. I got that term from my daughter who also loves music but that’s another story. I use his system as a point of reference especially when I go out on my own to listen to systems. I also love going to live concerns where they play real instruments and not that techno voice over digital crap. My pockets unlike my friend, barley allows me to afford 805’s, but I do, and they are the best bookshelf speakers I have ever heard. The voice reproduction is excellent and the tweeters make listing to music easy. I listen to music at all volumes, and when I decide to push the 805’s they deliver the smoothest most embracing sound you can imagine. This is an important point since some speakers become annoying when you turn them up. The first time I listened to the 805’s was at the store in a room twice the size of the room I have them in now. They performed remarkable in the store and do the same in my 12x15 family room. The imaging and clarity of the mid range had me sold. The voice reproduction has to be the highlight of these speakers. I wasn’t too concerned about the bass reproduction since I have a sub that handles anything I throw at it. That said I felt this was the best choice since I love the sound of the B&W 800 series. Although my friends 800s are my ultimate choice, I’m more than happy with my 805’s. If you don’t have time to read a bunch of reviews and go around auditioning speakers that are hooked up to amps worth more than good used car, just buy these speaker; you won’t be disappointed. You may need a sub if you like deep hardcore bass, beyond that they are perfect. In terms of what this has done for my music collection, I’m discovering elements in my music I didn’t hear before. No I don’t have a fancy amp, turntable or CD player, and yes the 805’s made a difference. I’m looking forward to upgrading those components in the near future but if that doesn’t happen for awhile I’ll still be happy. Oh, I should mention I listened to the complete 700 series and at the end of the day the 805’s was the better speaker from a purity and imaging perspective. I’m looking to get the HTM4s to go with my 805’s to increase my DVD watching experience. Anyway the 805’s are for anyone who want the best and don’t have extra deep pockets like me. Don’t get me wrong, they are a bit pricy especially when you throw in the stands, but considering the years of pleasure they will provide, it’s well worth it.

Strengths:
- Clear smooth sound - Easy to listen to. - Imaging is beautiful - Voice reporduction is excellent - They look nice which pleases my wife

Weaknesses:
- You’ll need a sub if you want real full range sound - Might be pricy if you don’t have $3000 plus to drop on speakers and stands.

Similar Products Used:
- Onkyo 85 watt receiver - Sony CD players - Tannoy mercury speakers - Velodyne sub Transparent cables Ultralink patch cables

garbz

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
4.09 of 5, 11.00 votes

Price Paid:  $4500.00 from Northside Hifi

Summary:
When looking for my first real pair of speakers, like my amplifier it was a long and painful learning process. Coming from a background with just headphones and no bias towards a specific company gives me the perfect excuse to write a review on the speakers I eventually bought after trialling for only 5 minutes. When I review equipment I try to objectively reveal all its flaws in its price range, in a battle against the speaker I try to strip it of all its value. In the case of the B&W Nautilus 805 I failed miserably. I can only conclude that B&W Signature 805 aside this is probably the best bookshelf speaker ever made. Initially I was looking for something big something that can wow my friends, scare my neighbours, and above all produce the finest music possible. Long searches in my local area through massive floor standing speakers to a wide variety of bookshelfs from various manufacturers led me to B&W. Initially looking at the 601s, then the 603s, and then back at bookshelf speakers to the 705s, there was always something missing, each speaker lacked something in some way. When I finally took the 705s for a final audition and asked if I could hear them with a subwoofer to boost their mediocre bass I was informed it would be cheaper to simply buy 805s. Being a poor student about to spend 2 years worth of savings I also searched for the best sound I could afford. The Nautilus 805s sound immaculate although ever so slightly on the bright side (great for my warm, dark amplifier). Treble comes through with unprecedented smoothness beaten only buy the 803Ds diamond tweeters. The midrange is equally smooth reproducing voices with pure perfection. But perhaps the most astonishing thing about this speaker is the bass. This is the only bookshelf speaker I will ever consider without a subwoofer. The 6.5" long-through kevlar driver moves incredible amounts of air, and its size makes its presentation punchy, precise, and fast giving music amazing visceral impact. Furthermore the design of the driver which prevents the cone from hitting the backplate means that this is one speaker where I am not worried about canon volleys in the Telarc recording of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture. The detail produce by these speakers is near perfect where each individual cymbal hit can be heard rolling off behind a mishmash of other music, and it is even possible to tell if you favourite singer is thirsty or wearing lipstick. Finally the staging of this speaker is perfect, which is its greatest short coming. It makes speaker positioning incredibly difficult and frustrating in certain rooms. While the curved cabinet surface reducing resonance means the speaker will not loose depth when close to rear walls, they still preform better given lots of room to breathe. The treble especially disperses very widely and bounces easily across an unbroken wall. If incorrectly positioned the speaker simply sound anemic and constipated. However if setup properly these speakers sound much larger then they really are. My parent’s friends frequently ask about my setup at the end of dinner parties. They look, and laugh. They hear, and gasp. Then they become incredibly difficult to get out of my listening room. If you are looking to impress this is your speaker. If you are looking for the best value for money, or simply one of the best bookshelf speakers ever made, then this is still your speaker. Bass-heads look elsewhere. A very detailed and technical review is available by searching stereophile's website.

Strengths:
- Smooth and detailed highs. - Warm and beautiful mids. - Strong and punchy bass. - If setup correctly will not need a subwoofer for all but the most demanding pieces. - Can play a very wide variety of music perfectly. Forte is defintly vocal jazz and classical. - Incredible speed and visceral impact. - Not fussy about placement in relation to rear wall. - Perfect staging. - Design makes speaker very resistant to damage via overdriving. - Well deserving of its position on stereophile's recomended components (Class A bass restricted)

Weaknesses:
- Perfect staging makes placement difficult. - Wide dispersion means speakers need lots of space to perform at their best. - While bass is incredible very challenging pieces such as pieces with deep pipe organs may require a subwoofer. - May not satisfy the pop-generation's desire for bass. - B&W stand is ludicrously expensive. Opt instead for a cheaper chinese replica, fill with sand, and bolt speakers to the stands.

Similar Products Used:
B&W Signature 802 are the only other speaker to compare in this class. Outclassed: B&W 601, 705, Quad 11L, 12L AudioVector M3 Signature

Kevin M

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Visitors rate this review
3.33 of 5, 3.00 votes

Price Paid:  $2500.00 from Almas HIFI

Summary:
Fantastic Speaker. I used to design and build speakers in a former life so it was very hard for me to find a speaker that suited me. I was replacing a set of CM2's that were very good, but I wanted to find the ultimate (small) speaker under $5k. After months of searching, I ended up back at B&W's door. The 705 was near perfect and a better bargin, but the 805s takes the next step. This is the most transparent speaker I know of. I would love to hear the new diamond tweeter becuase the "silver" is amazing. Very tight base. Note: The matching spekaer stands from B&W are $600. Look for VTI (brand) "VSP" stands. They look very similar and are a bargin at $170.

Strengths:
Very easy to place in a room. No cabinet noise. Outstanding! Bottom of cabinet is black wood so no concerns about scratching finish. Wide dispersion gives good sound around the room.

Weaknesses:
I didn't care for the jacks they use.

Similar Products Used:
Too many to list. Modest system (for now) Rotel/Adcom.

nikodemia

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
3.73 of 5, 22.00 votes

Price Paid:  $0.00 from N/A

Summary:
This is an excellent speaker, period! I am seriously considering a pair to replace my B&W 602's. I have heard all the speakers in the nautilus 800 line, and the 805's are definately the ones for me. They sound much better in smaller rooms than the bigger floorstanding speakers of the 800 series. And are a much better value than the 804's. I have always been a B&W fan, so I may be a little biased. If you are looking for a speaker in the $2000 price range you absolutely must check them out. Don't ignore them because they are small. The 805's seriosly blow away similar priced floorstanders in the lower 700 series.

Strengths:
Beautiful, natural sound that B&W is famous for. Excellent value.

Weaknesses:
Most listeners will probably want a subwoofer to match since this is a bookshelf speaker, low end drops off around 50hz