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Description :
The B&W 801 Nautilus features a teardrop-terminated, spherical-profile midrange "head" cast from a mineral-filled resin called Marlan, which is coupled to a round-backed wooden Matrix woofer enclosure. Nested into the top of the midrange head is the tweeter enclosure---a racy-looking, streamlined, teardrop-shaped nacelle scarcely larger in diameter than the tweeter itself. It is a handsome speaker, the glossy black curves of the tweeter and midrange housings nicely set off by the black-fabric lid and rich wood finish of the woofer cabinet. The 6" woven Kevlar FST suspensionless midrange is housed in a sleek, high-gloss black shell constructed of Marlan. By situating each driver in purpose designed enclosures, B&W eliminates back resonance thus delivering unrivalled clarity, accuracy and dynamic scale. It is characterized by open-backed transmission line loading for both the metal dome tweeter as the cone midrange speaker. The transmission lines lead most of the backwards radiated sound away from its transducer, confronting the latter with a near-ideal acoustic load. Despite their enormous bulk and weight, these speakers do blend in rather nicely in a living room.

The B&W 801 Nautilus is a very musical but non-fatiguing speaker that faithfully reproduces music, as intended by the artist, with the clarity, accuracy and dynamic scale required by discerning audiophiles and recording engineers. It is one of the very elites for image placement, proficient at portraying an extremely detailed soundstage with unmatched imaging, placing sonic images almost anywhere. It is a remarkable feat, indicating these speakers' response and phase linearity, their lack of coloration and diffractive second-order emissions. With a big room to support its deep bass, the B&W Nautilus 801 are a revelation in terms of low-end definition and sheer slam. The low bass line slams like a series of hammer blows. Disc sounds are very pumped up, and is more than capable of hurling the bass attacks, while never sounding strained or overloaded throughout the rest of the musical spectrum. Fundamental tones and harmonics of the piano are presented with intensity and thrust from the midrange. The B&W 801 Nautilus has a clarity and tonal truth that very few speakers match. It reveals details which are usually unheard, while at the same time illuminating the inner truth of the recording granting listeners even greater access to the very properties that have made them cherish recordings. The three drivers combine with seamless integration and produce music with life. The vocals sound meltingly pure, full of warmth and passion. Cello concerti fares very well in depicting the solo instrument in all its glory, from the deepest and most sonorous lows to the rich harmonics of the strings. The complete orchestra of thundering bass and bass drum, emotional vocal lines, fresh acoustic guitars and jangling electric guitars sound sublimely detailed and natural. With such realistic musical authenticity and pinpoint accuracy, the B&W 801 Nautilus sets the standard of music reproduction so high that it will be unsurpassed by most speakers for a long time.

Specifications :
Technical Features..........................Nautilus Tweeter
                           ...........................Nautilus Head
                           ...........................Kelvar Brand Fibre Cone FST Drive Unit
                           ...........................Matrix Cabinet
                           ...........................Flowport
Description......................................3-way vented-box system
Drive Units......................................1x 25mm (1 in) metal dome high-frequency
               .......................................1x 150mm (6in) woven Kevlar cone midrange
               .......................................1x 380mm (15 in) paper/Kevlar cone bass
Frequency Range............................-6dB at 23Hz and 30kHz
                         ............................-3dB at 29Hz and 22kHz
Frequency Response.......................37Hz - 20kHz ±2dB on reference axis
Dispersion......................................Within 2dB of response on reference axis
               .......................................over 60 degrees arc (Horizontal)
               .......................................over 10 degrees arc (Vertical)
Sensitivity.......................................91dB spl (2.83V, 1m)
Harmonic Distortion.........................2nd and 3rd harmonics (90dB, 1m)
                            ..........................<1.0% 50Hz - 20kHz
                            ..........................<0.5% 60Hz - 18kHz
Nominal Impedance..........................8ohm (minimum 3ohms)
Crossover Frequencies.....................350Hz and 4kHz
Power Handling................................50W – 1000W into 8ohms on unclipped programme
Max Rec. Cable Impedance..............0.1ohm
Dimensions(w x d x h)......................52.5 x 69 x 111.5 cm
Weight............................................52kg per side

Miscellaneous :
Matching.........................................Sound Anchor B&W 801 Nautilus Stands
Made in...........................................UK, England
Condition.........................................8/10

Product Information :
http://www.bwgroup-support.com/downloads/manuals/bw/N801-802-OM.pdf
http://www.bwgroup-support.com/downloads/specsheets/bw/N801%20InfoSheet.pdf

Reviews :
http://www.stereophile.com/content/bw-nautilus-801-loudspeaker
http://www.soundstage.com/revequip/bw_nautilus_801.htm
http://www.audioreview.com/cat/speakers/floorstanding-speakers/b-and-w/nautilus-801/prd_119108_1594crx.aspx
http://www.tnt-audio.com/casse/bw801e.html