Bowers & Wilkins Nautilus 805

Name: Bowers & Wilkins Nautilus 805
Brand: Bowers & Wilkins

A two-way bookshelf loudspeaker from the flagship Bowers & Wilkins Nautilus 800 series, with 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. At release it was the top bookshelf model in B&W's lineup. It is a two-way, rear-ported design with a dedicated high-frequency unit and a bass/midrange driver, 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 comes from the flagship Nautilus speaker. It sits in a solid aluminum 'tweeter-on-top' assembly, decoupled from the main cabinet. The 6.5-inch mid/bass driver has a yellow Kevlar cone. The cabinet is heavily braced and has a rear-firing Flowport for bass extension.

Context

The Nautilus 805 was part of the Bowers & Wilkins Nautilus 800 series, introduced in the late 1990s. At launch it was the flagship bookshelf model in the range, and it shared design ideas with the larger floorstanding models.

Market

The Nautilus 805 is known for tweeter failures over time, mostly from dried ferrofluid. The tweeter part number is TW026T0. The woofers are generally durable, though extreme environmental conditions may degrade them. The speaker is considered revealing of source quality and benefits from careful amplifier pairing. Clean the cabinet finish with a soft, dry cloth and keep solvents and abrasives away from it.