2. speakers
  3. 1068984350

Has the B&W S805 actually changed from N805?

I visited a B&W dealer yesterday to check out the new S805 speakers. I told him I currently have the N805s in my 2 channel system. He advised me not to upgrade because the S805 are "unchanged" from the N805s except for the cabinet veneer finishes. I challenged him about this (based on my understanding) he asked the store manager for clarification and the manager agreed and supported the sales associate. While I appreciate his avoidance of a sales pitch for a commission, his info seems inconsistent with the B&W web site and many comments from people here on Audiogon. Many previous posts here have stated the significant audible improvement of the sigs over the nautilus, please advise. Thanks in advance guys.
mijknarf
g_m_c
443 posts
 
There are changes, although I am not up on all of them. I do believe the bass drive nose cone is solid metal in the Sig's. Possible wiring modifications as well.
valleyplastic
149 posts
 
I had a pair of 805 sig's and I can tell you this the difference for one is in the up graded cross over that is used in the Signature line over the Nautalus line. In the 805 Sigs you are also getting the same speakers that are used in the 802's. The Sig's offer a better soundstage and bass response over the 805N. There are 2 finishes available, Red Birds Eye & also Gray Tigers Eye, both are awesome to look at and both are finished with 40 coats of clear coat. A dealer telling you there is no difference in the 2 other then the finish, really should not be a dealer to start with.
Dave
prpixel
876 posts
 
I purchased a pair of N805sigs about 3 months ago. If contains a different tweeter, woofer and crossover than the "stock" N805's. Also, as dave mentioned, the finish is different. It does not share any drivers with the N802's. The surround is different on the woofer and the tweeter is a updated design.

I owned a pair of "stock" N805's for a few years. Recently, I decided to upgrade and listened to speakers from about a dozen different manufacturers. The 805sigs were not even on my list of speakers to audition. I was at a dealer to hear the new B&W704's when he suggested I listen to the sigs. I was blown away. My wife, who is not an audiphile, was also blown away. She hates black (grey tigers eye)speakers, but said the sound was "good enough" to look the other way. I am hearing things that I never hear on the "stock" 805's and the bass, mids and highs are all smoother and have a "rightness" to them. Worth the price of admission!

Good luck,
More to discover