Nautilus 801

About the Nautilus 801

The Bowers & Wilkins Nautilus 801 is a flagship loudspeaker designed for audiophiles and professional studios, manufactured in England from 1998 to 2004. It features a three-way bass reflex design with a 380 mm paper/Kevlar woofer, a 150 mm Kevlar midrange driver with FST technology, and a 25 mm aluminum dome tweeter. The cabinet is curved and reinforced internally with a honeycomb matrix structure to reduce resonance and coloration. The speaker employs the innovative Nautilus technology, situating each driver in purpose-designed enclosures to eliminate back resonance, enhancing clarity and dynamic scale. It has a frequency response of 37 Hz to 20 kHz ±2 dB, sensitivity of 91 dB (2.83 V, 1 m), and an impedance of 8 ohms nominal (minimum 3 ohms). Recommended amplifier power ranges from 50 to 1000 watts. The speaker is available in finishes including black ash, cherry wood, and cherry wood red. It weighs 104 kg and measures 1111 x 522 x 690 mm (H x W x D). The Nautilus 801 received outstanding reviews for sound quality and is considered a reference-class loudspeaker.