Liked the Nautilus 805 but found better?

O.K. I'm with ya Gthirteen...Your gonna think I'm crazy, but I actually like the way the CDM1SE's sound over the 805's. Of course even though I did listen to them the same day, they were in two different systems & rooms. 805's with Krell separates, cdm's with a Mcintosh intergrated. So I would say the 805's had the advantage in electronics. Anyway, maybe the CDM's with a REL sub??? Just thought I'd throw it out there for ya.

If you wait, there are REL's which show up for around $750. If that is within your budget, you won't be sorry. The 805's run around 2 grand, so $750 for a sub sounds like a reasonable amount. I agree with you Gthitreen, don't settle for something less than par, patience will be rewarded in this case. Try reading the Robert Harley review of the REL Strata II through www.rel.net, everything said about it is true of the Strata III and more (tighter bass). Good luck.

Hey Gthirteen: Did see the Merlin VSM's for $1500 on this sight? I think that will give you everything your looking for at a great price. No sub needed & in IMHO betters the 805's by far.

Gthirteen, I love the N805s, too, and ran the same amp you're using. I would try a fuller balanced speaker cable than the quite lean sounding Audioquest CV-4. I used the Goertz MI-2 biwired, which sounded smooth and full-bodied. If you'd like to stay with AQ, try the older Midnight cable; very rich and powerful bass. I also ran side wall diffusor/absorbers to prevent the tweeter's wide dispersion from tipping the balance towards the highs. For a good(and cheap) subwoofer, try a Definitive ProSub 80 crossed at 50 hz and turned down low.

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.