Bowers & Wilkins Nautilus 805

A two-way bookshelf loudspeaker from Bowers & Wilkins’ flagship Nautilus 800 series, featuring Kevlar cone drivers and a decoupled aluminum tweeter

Overview

The Bowers & Wilkins Nautilus 805 is a compact loudspeaker from the Nautilus 800 series, launched in the late 1990s. It was positioned as the top bookshelf model in B&W's lineup at the time of release. The speaker uses a two-way, rear-ported design with a dedicated high-frequency unit and a bass/midrange driver, housed in a heavily braced cabinet.

Specifications

Frequency Response	49Hz - 20kHz ±3dB on reference axis
Frequency Range	-6dB at 42Hz and 50kHz
Sensitivity	88dB spl (2.83V, 1m)
Impedance	8Ω (minimum 4.6Ω)
Recommended Amplifier Power	50W - 120W into 8Ω on unclipped programme
Dimensions	Height: 415mm (16.3 in); Width: 238mm (9.4 in); Depth: 351mm (13.8 in) Net
Weight	10.0kg (22.0 lb) Net
Drive Units	1x 25mm (1 in) aluminium dome high-frequency unit; 1x 165mm (6.5 in) Kevlar® cone bass/midrange
Crossover Frequencies	4kHz
Finish Options	Rosenut, Cherry, Black Ash
Grille	Black cloth

Design

The Nautilus 805 is a two-way, rear-ported bookshelf loudspeaker. The 1-inch aluminum dome tweeter is derived from the flagship Nautilus speaker and mounted in a solid aluminum 'tweeter-on-top' assembly that is decoupled from the main cabinet. The 6.5-inch mid/bass driver uses a yellow Kevlar cone. The cabinet is heavily braced and includes a rear-firing Flowport for bass extension.

Context

The Nautilus 805 was part of Bowers & Wilkins' Nautilus 800 series, introduced in the late 1990s. It served as the flagship bookshelf model within the range at launch, sharing design philosophies with the larger floorstanding variants.

Market

The Nautilus 805 is known to exhibit tweeter failures over time, particularly due to dried ferrofluid; the part number for the tweeter is TW026T0. Woofers are generally durable but may degrade under extreme environmental conditions. The speaker is considered revealing of source quality and benefits from careful amplifier pairing. Cabinet finishes should be cleaned with a soft, dry cloth, avoiding solvents or abrasives.