B&W Nautilus 803 & 804 Vs The World


How different does the 803 and 804 sound? And how do these compare to other comparablely priced dynamic speakers, such as a Revel F30, Dunlavy Aletha or even the more expensive Avalon Arcus?
tbonephile
The 803's really do it right. I have the 805's and am very happy with them (and my REL Strata III sub). When I was auditioning speakers it was the 803's that gave me a sense of real balance. I also tried the Aeriel model 6, and the Audio Pysic Tempo. I did prefer them to the 805's but I had space cosiderations and happily settled on the 805's. How they compare to the 803's ?,I would have to check them all out again.
I have owned a pair of 804s for about 6 months. There is no question 804s are a great value and have a great sound..But how does it compare to the 803s, that is totally different things then.. the 803s are better. Definitely better.. But, they are $2000 more.. Now I own a pair of the N 802s, these are the best. But again, they are $2500 more than the 803s... How do the 803 & 804 compare to other speakers? You really have to listen for yourself, remember audio is probably one of the most subjective hobby out there, especially when it comes to speakers..
Calvin the BW 802 is one of the most aesthetically beautiful speakers ever made, absolutely stunning. The 803 & 4 are also very nice but the 802 is the full culmination of this design. The midrange and tweeter enclosures are works of art, and the rounded back is sooo nice......I can't afford this model but I would buy it for appearance alone!
I breifly owned the N804, and compared it to the Revel F30. I would have to say that I prefered the N804 to the F30, the F30 seemed to tranmit the sound seperatly from its 3 drivers, and the bass seemed disconected from the rest of the range. I have to say that I was ulimatly dis-satisfied with the N804 and returned to Vandersteen 3A Sig. which I find to be a much more musicaly satisfiying speaker.