B & W Nautilus 805 Bookshelf Speakers

What happens when audio engineers say, "Let's take all the fancy tech from our big, expensive speakers and cram it into something that will fit in a small room and won’t require a second mortgage." The result is the Bowers and Wilkins Nautilus 805 bookshelf speakers. They may be the baby of the Nautilus family, but don't let their size fool you – it's how that size is used that counts.

B&W's engineers have thrown everything but the kitchen sink into these speakers, including some of the technology borrowed from their flagship models.

It's not short on space-age features, either. The teardrop-shaped Nautilus tweeter on top would be right at home on the set of Bladerunner. Then there's the Kevlar mid/bass driver (because paper cones are too last century). And what's up with the Flowport in front that's dimpled like a golf ball? We’ll get to that.

Design & Construction of the Nautilus 805

B&W decided that boring old, sharp-edged cabinet enclosures had to go, so they went with a curved design that's part egg, part spaceship. There's a reason for those curves—they help reduce resonance and enable a sound that's cleaner than a whistle.

If you're curious about the tweeter on top, it isn't there just for show; it's housed in its own little shape to keep it isolated from the mid/bass vibrations. Speaking of which, Kevlar is used for the mid/bass driver because of its stiff and light properties. This makes it great for pushing air around and not adding its own flavor to the sound.

Inside the Nautilus 805 is like peeking into a high-tech beehive, with its Matrix bracing system to stiffen the cabinet. And let's not forget the Flowport mentioned earlier – those tell-tale dimples are there to smooth out the airflow.

Sound Quality

If you're expecting these compact speakers to shake your fillings loose with booming bass, you might be a bit disappointed. That doesn't mean it's not present. These are bookshelf speakers, and despite their size, the bass is impressively deep and tight. They do seem to bend the laws of physics… just a little bit.

The midrange is where the Nautilus 805s shine. Voices come through clearer than a dinner bell. Whether spinning an Aretha Franklin record or streaming Freddie Mercury, you'll hear every nuance in their voices. It's almost as if they had walked into the room (minus the entourage and rider demands).

The tweeter's highs are as smooth as silk, which is exactly what you want from a tweeter, and here, it excels. You know how some speakers make cymbals sound like someone is crushing a bag of potato chips through a megaphone? There's none of that here.

Audiophiles will be most impressed by the 805s imaging and soundstage. They place you at the center of the mix, and you won't want to leave your seat.

Setup and Optimization

Setting up the 805s takes a bit of tweaking to get everything just right and to hear them sing. Room placement is crucial. They need some breathing room, so they won't behave if put in a corner (I'm so tempted to throw a Dirty Dancing reference here – oops, I just did). They'll also voice their displeasure if shoved up against a wall. They require space to work their magic.

With a sensitivity of 88dB, the 805s aren't too picky, but they do like some power behind them. Like high-performance cars, they run just fine on regular gas, but give them the premium stuff and watch them fly.

Not unlike a fine wine, these speakers get better with age. After 100 hours of play, they really begin to open up. It's a good idea to pour yourself a glass of wine while breaking them in. It makes the waiting much more enjoyable.

B&W also makes dedicated stands for the Nautilus 805s that were designed to get the best out of them. If you can swing it, they are worth considering.

Value Proposition

While they are not inexpensive, when you consider the engineering that's gone into them, they're actually pretty reasonable. The 805s have a lot going for them to justify their price - they sound fantastic, look like they came out of a science fiction show, and are built like tanks.

Who are the 805s for? That's easy. They are for music lovers who value quality and detail over bassy boom and don't mind investing in their listening experience. If you're someone who gets goosebumps from a crystal-clear piano note or who can spend hours picking out new details in familiar songs, these speakers are calling to you.