Heard the B&W N804d3s ...


I've owned the original iteration of the N804s since I bought them new in '01. After 15 years, I thought perhaps it was time to upgrade to a newer model. So, I auditioned the new N804d3s at a local retailer. They sounded great, and are an improvement over the originals in the areas of bass slam and airiness. However, that step up to my ears is equivalent to about 10-15%. Not sure that that sort of improvement justifies the price ($9K for the d3s vs. $3,500 for the original N804s), although "upgradeitis" tempts me to pull the plug. Is it just me, or does the law of diminishing returns apply in this case? Your thoughts on this or the qualitiative differences between the old and new Nautilus lines would be most appreciated.

rlb61
Just never spend more than you can easily afford. I have heard better speakers, but my trusty old 803's with subs keep me happy enough. If I wanted to have ecstatic listening experiences. I would go see Jethro Tull, Alice Cooper, Pink floyd, Heifitz, Oscars Peterson, etc. OH, I DID! 
rlb61, 

I cannot say if the bass above 25 or 30 Hz is noticeably better represented on the F12 than the L12's, as I was going to try them but went a different direction. They are both well regarded by users.  I did try two smaller sealed SVS subs in a room about twice the size of your listening space to match with some Monitor Audio stand mounts, and sent them back as they just didn't have the sound quality I was looking for.  I replaced with B&W PV1D and and extremely happy with that. I own a PSB sub in another system that lists for more than the speakers and find it very musical. YMMV.

The L12 may do the trick with the 804's, but there are good reasons to buy a high quality sub beyond it's low frequency capability, not the least of which being speed, tone, and integration with your speaker's bass drivers. No matter what, I recommend a decent sound level meter and some analysis software to help you tune your sub to your speakers and your room.  Enjoy.

kn
UPDATE ... So, I received the L12 yesterday and have integrated it into my system with a cross-over at about 55Hz. Integration was seamless and quite easy. The L12 has made a huge difference in that: (a) it gives me that extra bit of articulate, bottom "oomph" for which I have been looking without sounding boomy; and (b) mids and highs have more clarity and presence, perhaps due to relieving the cross-overs from digging down deep. This is my first experience with a sealed subwoofer and it has really improved my system and listening experience tremendously ... plus, it has prevented me from spending $9K on new speakers, just to get that little "extra" low end which the L12 provides in abundance.
@rlb61 

Congratulations, enjoy, sounds like the Rhythmik is doing a great job.

Cheers,

Scott