Liked the Nautilus 805 but found better?

I also sold my N804's to upgrade to N805's. Yes, this is not a typo. The sound of the N804's seemed to lack the dynamics that make pop and rock recordings enjoyable. I agree with Krellnot regarding the midrange, it did seem to be a bit agressive which made Diana Krall sound like she needed some Dristan. The N805's on the other hand have everything I could hope for. The sound is dynamic, transparent and highly detailed. The bass is excellent for such a compact speaker but that last ounce of weight is missing. I solved this problem by adding the associated subwoofer that Stereophile used when reviewing the N805's; the Paradigm Reference Servo 15. The amplification is a Bryston 4B-ST and BP25. The result is gorgeous. Other B&W Nautilus 805 owners take note, system synergy is extremely important otherwise you may be shortchanging these little gems.

When looking earlier this year, I auditioned the 804s, 805s, and Linn 5140s. Found that the Linns had more, smoother bass than the 804s and 805s. Agree that 804s didn't seem worth the extra money, but I do have a friend who has them & swears by them. I also agree that the B&Ws in general might provide a little more clarity than the 5140s (which are very smooth compared to the slightly harsh lower-end Ninkas).

At the end of the day, I got the store demo set of the 5140s because I didn't want to shell out the extra $1000 for the 804s and didn't like the lack of bass in the 805s. Also, I like the fact that the Linns could be placed pretty close to the wall -- I live in NYC. I felt I would have had to spend a lot more to do better than the 5140s or 804s. I'm very happy with my purchase. The same friend, who heard the 5140s with my very modest power behind them recently, thought again about his B&W stuff -- he figured he could have saved himself the extra money for the 804s *and* the B&W woofer he bought to boost their bass by going Linn. When he gets home to Seattle, though, he listens to the greater clarity of the B&Ws and changes his mind. It's only money, right? You can't go wrong. Good luck.

I am lucky enough to have N804 main, and N805 as surrounds. I liked the N804s rich midrange more than the N805s. Now I have the best of both worlds.

I used to work for a dealer who carried B&W and I also liked the 805s, but no matter what we did they just don't have much by way of bass--not bad, just not much.

Then we picked up Soliloquy, and although there are trade-offs(as always) overall I preferred the Soliloquy 5.0, which also provided enough bass to consider not adding a sub if you're not a bass freak. Oh, and they only cost around $1300 which includes extremely attractive and solid matching stands that are sand fillable. They are also not nearly as picky with amplification as the B&Ws, although they will reveal differences. You've got nothing to lose by listening and potentially over $1000 to gain(assuming you need stands for the 805s).

You asked for any and all suggestions, so I'll add Tyler and Coincident Technology X1(I think) monitors and the Triangle Antal floorstanders which will all give the 805s a run for the money and then some, depending on your tastes.

Don't know what you've already heard, but there are certainly a boatload of competitive options in this price range so I'd highly recommend you give some of them a listen if you haven't already to make sure B&Ws are the right choice. Best of luck.

Tim

Gthirteen,

Look out for a pair of Totem Mani-2's. These speakers will do exactly what you want. I see them used for as low as $1700.00. I see them every once in awhile on the used market.