+ Reply to Thread
Results 1 to 2 of 2

Thread: Biamping the B&W Nautilus 801 - an update

  1. #1
    Join Date: Jan 2014

    Location: County Durham, England

    Posts: 555
    I'm Malcolm.

    Default Biamping the B&W Nautilus 801 - an update

    Background

    This is an update and addendum to the review I wrote (here, on The Art of Sound) detailing our experiences with the B&W Nautilus 801s, moving from a single-amp configuration (Krell FPB-300) and adding a KAV-250i.

    It has to be said that Krell were very wary of the previous set-up. It will work is the short version of their advice, but their opinion that it was less than an ideal solution was plain. The listening panel (that would principally be me, Richard the system owner and Bernard) felt that the already excellent system was taken onward and upward by the addition of the second amplifier.

    We have had some thought on which way round to wire up the system. The 801s – as with many three-way speakers has biwire/biamp terminals. One set goes to the midrange and treble, the other set to the bass. (No tri-wire/tri-amp option here!) The default option seemed to be to amplify the bass with the FPB-300 (massive bass driver + massive amp - seems obvious), but it is true that all the subtlety, complexity and nuance in music is in the midrange. It makes sense, at least to me, to at least consider whether the better amp is best deployed on the midrange and treble or the bass. There were gains to be had by putting the 300 on the midrange and treble – but there was a subtle softening / loosening in the bass that we had noted when trying smaller amplifiers on the 801s. I always drew the analogy of a super-fit person who stops going to the gym – the six pack might have gone, but they still have a pretty impressive physique.

    Richard, it has to be said, has been on something of a quest for some years with the 801s. His desire has been to see them fully and properly amplified – to reach a version of the 801s that is arguably definitive. There may be other versions of this that involve bigger or different amplifiers (Classé would seem to be an obvious alternative, coming from the B&W family), but we’re quite big fans of the Krell. We were put on notice to find an FPB-300 on the internet, which was done almost absurdly quickly. Richard and Bernard went on a massive road trip to audition, buy and return home with a remarkably pristine FPB-300. (I missed the road trip as I was stuck at work.) The two look very smart sat side by side – and they clearly mean serious business. (The amplifiers that is, not Richard and Bernard!)

    Cabling was something of an issue. A pair of XLR Y-connectors was duly sourced from eBay as a quick and dirty solution, while Richard’s preferred cable manufacturer (who shall remain nameless) was contacted to arrange re-termination of two pairs of balanced XLR interconnects into a single connector at the preamplifier end (an ATC SCA2, for the record). They of course tried to do a little upselling - something along the lines of "That cable isn't very good for the bass" - that cable being a £200 balanced XLR interconnect. I would find it difficult here to overstate my distrust, scepticism and (possibly even) hatred of the audiophile cable industry. Of everything they stand for and the money they take from audiophiles by sowing seeds of doubt, assisted by the hi-fi magazine / advertising industry. It is very difficult for the average hi-fi enthusiast to A-B cables effectively at home, let alone carry out a genuine, scientific blind listening test. Expectation bias is a real risk factor and – coupled with the peer pressure and doubt fostered by magazines, dealers and cable companies – it is really difficult to come to any reliable conclusion about a cable’s effectiveness. This is why I tend to follow the rule of buy nice, but don’t spend too much, fit and then forget when it comes to cables. (Rant over.)

    That previous paragraph may cast a shadow over the subjective observations in the rest of this review. So be it. The observations came over an extended listening period spread across three Saturday afternoons, and are built on long experience of the speakers and system in question. Principal listening was done with a Garrard 301 turntable with Classic 301/401 PSU, SME 312S tonearm, Koetsu Rosewood Signature cartridge and PS Audio NuWave phono converter for vinyl, and a dCS SACD/CD player. Some listening was done with a VPI Super Scoutmaster, Koetsu Urushi (not sure which one) and Trichord Diablo/NC PSU. The VPI set up tends to be very clean and straight down the line (although that simplistic description does it a considerable disservice – it is perhaps the most phenomenally accurate, detailed and authoritative tool for the replay of records that I have ever heard). The Garrard, by comparison, kind of reaches out and touches you (maybe tickles you is a good way to put it) in a way the VPI sometimes doesn’t. This is a colouration no doubt but, what the hell! I think it’s particularly suited to music that was recorded in the era it was manufactured – a kind of authenticity and appropriateness that may well all be in my head.

    That the vintage dCS (model number eludes me but I can update later) can hold its head aloft in this exalted, rarefied company - and sometimes wipe the floor with them (it’s all about the right recording sometimes) is a testament to the British digital masters. I’d love to hear a Meridian Ultra someday – and to hear it in this system I think would be a real treat.

    The Listening Sessions

    Listening ranged far and wide across genres and styles – from London Grammar’s latest on CD, through the 2017 new stereo version of Sgt. Pepper’s on vinyl, Schubert’s Rosamunde string quartet on a lovely and rare Japanese LP, Jeff Beck’s Loud Hailer, more Beatles with Mono Masters and Abbey Road, the final Leonard Cohen LP and Yello’s latest Toy. We also found time for James Blake’s Limit to Your Love (on 10 inch maxi single) and the recent Reference Recordings SACD of Saint-Saëns Organ Symphony.

    The 801s remain, to my ears, the most complete hi-fi system I have ever experienced. Clearly, sources and amplification have to be spot on but – with those things sorted – it’s all about the 801s. They are effectively invisible (providing you’re not looking at their immense physical form) – the music simply ‘appears’ and trifling hi-fi considerations are forgotten or irrelevant. This character (of having no real character) seems to be prevalent whatever amplification is used to drive them.

    Now powered by a pair of Krell FPB-300s, the system now seems to have an ease and effortlessness that’s different than before. You could almost say that it’s a laid back sound – but this is not the softly-softly ‘laid back’ that I recall from my early hi-fi days with the Musical Fidelity A1 (or the rather lovely Leak Stereo 20 I fell in love with a little while ago). It is more that the system has such effortless reserves, that there is never a rough electronic edge to the sound and you never feel like it is stressed or under pressure. The sound is so easy and free of grain even at shocking, frightening listening levels (an unstrained >105dB easily measured at the listening position), that the listener is put completely at ease. Everything is correct and in its place. The torrent of sound that comes in the finale of the Organ Symphony (with waves of deep, true bass from the organ pedals) is awesome in every sense of the word. You never feel like the system will hit the buffers and give up. I think I would give up long before they do.

    Don’t think, though, that the unstrained, unruffled and composed nature of the system means that it can’t get down and dirty. Playing Jeff Beck’s Loud Hailer or (perhaps even better) the single version of The Beatles’ Revolution from the LP of Mono Masters is incredible. On Revolution, the heavily distorted guitar - so much better in mono as both speakers get to play along and amplify the effect – seems to rip from the speakers with a terrible and almost violent force (terrible in a good way). We also listen regularly to Monitor Audio Platinum PL300 Mk I and, sometimes, we might say that they do this better than the 801s. They do indeed have a facility with and affinity for rock music, they are free of grain and deep of bass. They are endlessly entertaining with all kinds of music. But we are wrong. Turn back to the 801s and there’s just something more. It’s an extra authority, it’s a step closer to the live experience and just that bit more stress free as mentioned above.

    The wonderful electronic soundscape of Yello’s Toy - with its synthesised blips and bleeps, and wibbles and wobbles, the delightfully silly sprechgesang-style vocals and the lovely guest appearances from Malia – is reproduced in glorious fashion. Again, the physicality of the sound – especially in the bass – is remarkable. Rapid fire percussion hits like a weapon, with real force. Tiny details and textures are laid out before you without pulling the bigger picture apart.

    It’s great fun to hear the 801s reproduce the downright silly bass on something like James Blake’s Limit to Your Love. They transform themselves, chameleon-style, into nightclub bass bins when pumping out a banging dance choon, or some choice disco. But there’s no one-note thump – they move air, start-and-stop with surprising agility and not a trace of overhang – but they play the tunes that exist even in the deepest bass.

    Turn to classical or jazz, and the ‘closer to live’ bit is equally true. With a small group jazz recording (something like Carmen Lundy or Stacey Kent) the presence and directness of the sound reminds me of being in there in the audience Ronnie Scott’s (particularly with Stacey Kent – who I have seen perform there). The 801s way with a plucked double bass brings a smile to Bernard's face in particular. Only the martini and the waiters are missing. Oscar Peterson’s piano on the 1968 MPS album The Way I Really Play (AAA pure analogue vinyl) – close miked in a live recording - is right there in the room with incredible dynamics and sheer volume. A front row seat. The Krell/801 combo can take a grand piano and reproduce it at realistic levels in the room. ‘You are there’ is a good way to put it.

    In the old system with different amplifiers, the choice had to be made to put the big one on the bass or the mid and treble. On the bass, the FPB-300 gave the best power, authority and realism where a smaller amplifier (like the KAV-250i) would soften the sound slightly. Still impressive, but ever so slightly diminished in terms of scale and solidity. The FPB-300 on the midrange and treble allows the system to resolve tiny spatial cues and minute details. It improves stereo imagery, soundstage depth and the recreation of acoustic spaces. Leonard Cohen on You Want It Darker takes on a three-dimensional presence, seemingly carved out of space – an almost visible presence. All the folds, cracks and crevices of his voice, captured in microscopic detail by the recording, are given a solid, tangible existence. The KAV-250i didn’t quite manage this feat and had to settle for mere excellence - ever so slightly smoothed and homogenised by comparison.

    Verdict

    Adding the KAV-250i had certainly added to the system’s authority and composure, compared to the FPB-300 on its own. However, with the benefit of hindsight, perhaps some of the grace and ease through the mid and top had been lost. Balance is restored with matching FPB-300s – the authority of the extra amplification is there and improved. Power feels limitless, yet the resolution of minute details – is improved.
    Richard seems to feel that his journey with the 801s is complete – that they are done complete justice by being bi-amped with the Krell FPB-300s. I am inclined to agree, and if I had the space to do so I could live with the 801s and a box of the Mahler symphonies on SACD – and possibly never leave the house (other than to pick up some Beethoven). I think they are the speakers of and for a lifetime, and you could spend a lifetime with them and the Krells and never be bored. They are the antithesis of hi-fi and the audiophile pursuit, in that tweaking and upgraditis become irrelevant diversions of the past. I love and cherish every moment that I get to spend with this system.

    Technics SL1210 MkII / SME 309 / Timestep PSU / Achromat / Denon DL-304
    Phono stage PS Audio NuWave Phono Converter
    Lossless / MP3 / Tidal > Roon > Bryston BDP-1USB > Marantz NA-11S1
    Marantz UD7007 SACD/Blu-ray/DVD-V/DVD-A
    Toshiba BDX1200 Blu-ray player (Zone A & Region 1)
    Audiolab 8200AP pre-amp/processor
    Power amp: Arcam P7
    B&W 804S stereo (bi-amped), HTM4S centre, CDMSNT surrounds (5.0)
    Sennheiser HD 700 headphones
    Panasonic PT-AT6000 projector

  2. #2
    Join Date: Apr 2011

    Location: London

    Posts: 4,419
    I'm Robert.

    Default

    Excellent speakers / Studio monitors. What I call proper hi fidelity boxes.
    I've always loved the look and build of the entire series of big B&W's like the 801's.

    You are very fortunate to have the space to house speakers like these.
    Hardly surprising they like lots of power and quality ampage, add quality source and bingo !
    Glad they're doing the business in your system

+ Reply to Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •