Better B&W Matrix or Nautilus?

Having had a pair of 801 Matrix III's for 5 years and selling them for the Wilson Watt/Puppies 5.1's before the Nautilus 801 arrived, I would have opted for the new B&W's. The Nautilus are superior in efficiency, dynamics and imaging over the Matrix. The tweeter and midrange have been dramatically improved and the "polite sound" people criticized the original 801's of having is gone. I like my Wilson's, but the extra cost isn't worth the value associated with the Nautilus. By the way, I ran a Theta transport into an old Theta GenIII D/A through all Transparent Reference cable and interconnects into a Krell KRC-HR and a Krell FPB-300 amp.

The matrix bracing system has been carried over to the Nautilus line. The major improvements in the Nautilus series is the cabinent design and the tweeters. I have heard the N 801m 802, and 805 and was impressed with them all. However the original Maxtrix series are impressive in their own right. There is a big difference in price between the 2 series as you know so the best advice I could give is listen to both and decide for yourself if the improvements are worth the extra dough. Both lines have their benifits and whichever you choose you know you are getting a quality product. Good luck.

I have owned the following B&W's for extended periods in my own home in this order: 1.) B&W DM640 2.) B&W Matrix 802S3 3.) B&W Matrix 804 4.) B&W Nautilus 804 5.) B&W Nautilus 805 I by far enjoy the N805 the most. The N series is cleaner in the treble but I find the FST speakers to be a little forward sounding. The N805 is the best of both. Basically the old laid back matrix sound in the midrange with cleaner treble response. At the new price of $2000 for the N805 used M series are a tough sell - at least to me. Keep in mind I have a music only system.

I have a set of Matrix 802 S3's & love them; one of the few components I rarely think about changing. However I would be interested to know if Krellnot or anyone else has any comparisons with the M802's & N805's.

I had owned the 802 Series 3 for several years and prior to that the original 802 for over ten years. I now have the 802 Nautilus (about one year) and on an absolute basis, the Nautilus is better. It offers a more realistic treble presentation, a much wider sound stage and far greater bass extention. I must caution you that it can sound 'bright' with the wrong amp/or cables so auditioning with your equipment is important. Also, it can really soak up the power - to sound its best it requires a powerful and high quality amplifier. I currently use the Matrix 805 for surround and they are quite good but the new Nautilus 805 is better in the upper registers and has slightly deeper bass. However, both have fairly weak bass and need a sub to sound their best. In conclusion, if price is not a concern, go for the new Nautilus series (I have not heard the N 804 or N 803 but I bet they sound great). If adhering to a strict budget, you would be well served by a pair of late model Matrix 802s.