Bowers & Wilkins Nautilus 805 Speakers - Cherry Finish

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General:
The B&W Nautilus 805's are exceptional stand-mount/bookshelf speakers and represent the very best B&W has offered in this form factor - ideal for smaller listening rooms. A new current version pair would retail for around $10,000, and that’s before factoring in the stands.

As part of B&W’s 800 Series, the Nautilus 805 incorporates the company’s hallmark technologies. Highlights include woven Kevlar mid/bass drivers, a dimpled bass Flowport designed to reduce air turbulence, and B&W’s renowned Matrix cabinet construction for superior rigidity and clarity.

It’s also worth noting that this particular pair was manufactured during the early years of the Nautilus range. Early models like these do not feature B&W’s later diamond tweeter, resulting in a slightly less bright, more relaxed presentation compared to newer versions - a trait many listeners actually prefer.

This matching pair is in excellent condition overall. They will include their original steel stands for an additional $600 if you select that option in this listing during purchase.

These are also "Red Cherry" variants, probably the most beautiful finish available for this speaker.

The original boxes are also  included and will ensure safe transit. 

SkyFi Cosmetic Notes:
Very light marks on the veneer as shown in the listing photos. Overall excellent shape.

Brand Background:
Excellence, uncompromised, and uncompromising. The world’s most famous recording studios demand Bowers & Wilkins 800 Series loudspeakers, for no other reason than they represent the pinnacle of sonic supremacy.

Ownership:
Second Owner

Connections:
5 Way binding Posts, Bi Wireable

General Sound:
Smooth, uncolored, undistorted natural and clean

Cosmetic Condition:
8/10 = Very Good. Excellent front faceplate, one minor flaw on chassis side or top. See our detailed rating description here.

Working Condition:
Working perfectly and tested in our lab and listening room.

Included:
Unit and box

Packing:
Original Manufacturers Packing

Specs:
two-way, stand-mounted, reflex-loaded dynamic loudspeaker

Drive-units per Speaker:
One 1" (25mm) metal-dome cooled tweeter
One 6.5" (165mm) woven-Kevlar bass/midrange cone with 1.24" (32mm) voice-coil

Crossover frequency:
3 kHz

Crossover slopes:
Third-order Butterworth alignment with 49Hz cutoff

Frequency response:
49 Hz - 22 kHz, ±3dB

Sensitivity:
88 dB/W/m (2.83V)

Nominal impedance:
8 ohms (minimum: 4.6 ohms)

Amplifier requirements:
50W minimum, 120W maximum

Maximum recommended cable impedance:
0.2 ohms

Finishes:
Cherrywood, red-stained cherrywood, black ash

Manufacturer:
B&W Loudspeakers Ltd., Meadow Road, Worthing BN11 2RX, England, UK

Dimensions:
16.3" (415mm) H by 9.4" (238mm) W by 13.5" (344mm) D

Weight:
20 lbs.

Recommended Cables:
Kimber Kable - Speaker Cables - Good

Kimber Kable - Speaker Cables - Better

Kimber Kable - Bi-Wire Speaker Cables - Best

Testing Process:
Our speaker evaluation process starts with a visual inspection of all drivers. We are looking for damaged or deteriorating woofer surrounds, dented tweeter domes, and cone damage. We also inspect the speaker connection points for loose or broken connectors.

After the initial visual inspection we connect the speakers to a reference amplifier with our preferred test tracks. With the speakers placed with proper distance we listen to each driver to make sure that they are producing the intended frequencies with no signs of distortion or rattle.

During listening tests with test tracks we check for proper stereo imaging and bass response at various listening levels. If there are any audible signs of issues, the speakers are taken to the bench where we perform a frequency sweep to isolate the issue so that it can be resolved by component repair or replacement.

Our subwoofer evaluation process starts with a visual inspection of all drivers. We are looking for damaged or deteriorating woofer surrounds, cone damage, or rubbing voice coils. We also inspect the input connections for damage.

After the initial visual inspection we connect the sub at our bench and perform a sine wave sweep from about 200 Hz down to around 10 Hz. During this sweep we are listening for excessive rattle or other signs of improper function.

If the sweep passes we then increase the input level to evaluate how the woofer performs at high output levels. If the woofer has built-in crossover adjustments or multiple connection options these features are tested at this time.

We complete the subwoofer evaluation by feeding the unit with an audio signal in conjunction with our house music system to see how it responds to low frequency content in real world conditions while paired with a full range system.