B&W Nautilus 802 compared to 804

Yo Jeffc,
The N804's are nice speakers and can be made to sound even better with the addition of a sub. B&W has a sub that will add the bottom octave and take a little load off that NuVista amp. I recommend the ASW-4000 (if you feel like spending $3K) or the REL Studio III (also $3k) and then you wont have to upgrade later. On the other side is the fact that the N802 has far better midrange and tweeter technology going for it. The bass issue aside, the midrange "bowling ball head" and driver is what sets the N802, N801, and the new N800 apart from the N803 and N804. On good electronics they can deliver the tranparency of ribbons and have set new standards for performance for their respective prices. I have a freind that has sold his Apogee Divas to go to the N802's. Another is selling his Slant 8's to buy 802's. Most of my friend have N802's and one just sold his to get the N800's Unless your room is huge and has high ceilings, your NuVista should be plenty of power. If you have the room and the bucks, I think your NuVista with the N802's and a sub would be a killer combo.
Best regards,

I would consider the N803's. I have owned 805's, 804's, and 803's. The 803's were fabulous! Unless you really have a VERY large room that can handle the 802's, I would upgrade to the 803's for less money than getting high quality subs. Your room will be less cluttered too. The footprint of the 803's isn't radically larger than the 804's yet the difference in performance is dramatic -- much greater depth and more extended bottom end.

I must have heard the 802s on a bad system because everyone else seems to like them. My head hurt terribly after about 25 minutes. It was one of the most fatigueing set ups i had ever heard, which i blamed on the speakers. I must admit though the upper frequencies were incredibly clear and free from grain. The bass however was amost non existant. I must have heard them in a poorly set up system - Ian

I have owned my 802N for more than a year. I have not heard the 804s much but I really like my 802s. However I agree with many of the comments above. a) with the 802s plan on upgrading your amplification to more power or bi-amping them. I had the Krell KAV300i and it could not handle them. I now run them with the FPB200c and one day will bi-amp them b) for my ears a good subwoofer does help them sound better. I run a Velodyne sub with mine. c) these speakers will reveal any weaknesses in your system. Every upgrade in cables for example has been easy to assess. d) If you're like me the 802s can be a love/hate thing because they make you want to constantly upgrade. They do not help an already nasty addiction.

Hmm...I too would consider the 803s IF you can sit far enough back from them to get good coherence. I couldn't.
Frankly, I'd swap out the 804s for the Revel Performa F30 if nearfield listening is required. Otherwise get the 803 and forget adding the sub. The 803 produces PRODIGIOUS bass, and has a far better balanced frequency response in most rooms than the 804's anemic bottom end.