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Bowers & Wilkins Nautilus
Nothing looks, or sounds, quite like Nautilus™. A revolution when it first launched 30 years ago and still an icon today, its ethos informs everything we do. Nautilus comes in three standard colors: Midnight Blue, Black, and Silver. We also offer a special service that can match any color from a sample or color reference.
Beyond the Curve
30 years of craftsmanship
Decades of passion, curiosity, and expert craftsmanship go into making our Nautilus loudspeakers. Each one is handmade, sprayed, polished, and tuned by specialists at our Worthing, UK factory. To honor the 30th Anniversary of the iconic loudspeaker, we’ve created a shimmering Abalone Pearl pair, directly influenced by the marine creature it takes its name from. Nautilus may be 30 years old, but exceptional design is timeless.
Making magic
Nautilus embodies everything Bowers & Wilkins stands for: a no-holds-barred approach to creating the perfect loudspeaker. It represents our fundamental purpose, our passion for True Sound, and the last wish of our founder, John Bowers. Nautilus is the pursuit of an ideal speaker and the approach and the methodology to get there. That's what we're instilling in everyone, and that thread runs through today 30 years later.
Shaped by sound
Very few would dare to make something so bold. Admittedly, Nautilus is bold, even for us. Its instantly recognizable form may be pure art, but it was defined by the science of sound, remaining a constant reminder of what's possible. The long, tapered damping tubes were a revolution, allowing the drive units to work optimally by gently absorbing stray energy. To this day, many of the ground-breaking technologies used in the creation of Nautilus are used elsewhere across our range of world-class loudspeakers.
Infinite colors
Nautilus comes in three standard colors: Silver, Black, and Midnight Blue. But, as befits such a unique speaker, we also offer a special service that can match any color you specify.
A lasting legacy
Nautilus is more than simply a beautifully designed object of desire: its high-quality performance is renowned the world over.
Decades of detail
Constructing the complex shapes and precision drive units demands decades of experience and exacting attention to detail.
Thinking beyond the box
To package our unique Nautilus tubes for use in the home, our designers developed the striking spiral form from which the speaker takes its name.
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Professional Reviews 94/100
Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
96/100
Build Quality
95/100
Value for Money
85/100
The Nautilus delivers crystalline detail, natural vocal warmth and deep, controlled bass inside one of hi-fi’s most sculptural forms. AudioSonic Haven reports expansive three-dimensional imaging, effortless dynamic swings and fatigue-free treble, while its hand-built tapered-tube architecture targets exceptionally low enclosure coloration. A rare, actively driven reference speaker for systems built without compromise.
What Reviewers Are Saying
Pros
Exceptionally transparent, detailed sound with fatigue-free treble, natural midrange warmth, and deep, articulate bass.
Broad, deep three-dimensional soundstage with outstanding instrumental separation and dynamic authority.
Meticulously hand-built construction, including a seamless glass-fiber-reinforced enclosure and extensive finishing process.
&
Cons
Requires four amplification channels per speaker, adding substantial system complexity and cost.
Extremely expensive and subject to a reported two-year waiting list.
Achieving its immersive imaging depends on careful placement and a suitably treated, spacious room.
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 96/100
The available listening report portrays the Nautilus as an exceptionally transparent, precise and immersive reference loudspeaker. It highlights unusually clear low-level detail, natural vocal presence, controlled deep bass, fatigue-free highs and commanding dynamic range; however, these listening findings come from a limited number of sources.
Bass
97/100
AudioSonic Haven describes bass as deep, controlled and free of distortion, with impact balanced by precision rather than simple weight. It reports that low frequencies retain articulation, definition and transparency even when the music becomes demanding.
Mid
96/100
The midrange is described as naturally warm, with exceptionally strong vocal presence and the ability to reveal breath, emotion and subtle reverberation in recordings. This points to a highly revealing yet expressive presentation rather than an analytical one-dimensional sound.
Treble
96/100
High frequencies are said to be crystalline and highly detailed without harshness or listening fatigue. The report particularly praises the speaker's ability to expose very fine recorded information while remaining refined.
Soundstage Imaging
96/100
The listening report describes a broad, deep three-dimensional image with exceptional instrumental separation and a striking sense of transparency. It also notes that a properly treated room is important to achieving the fully immersive presentation.
Dynamics
97/100
AudioSonic Haven calls the dynamic response astonishing, saying delicate material is rendered with exquisite softness while climaxes arrive with commanding authority. That combination suggests unusual control across both small shifts and large-scale musical swings.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
95/100
The Nautilus is an extraordinarily labor-intensive handmade design: its enclosure reportedly takes a week to build and further weeks to sand, paint and polish. Audioholics details a seamless 10 mm glass-fiber-reinforced ABS body, extensive lacquer finishing and carefully made voice coils, while the second source likewise emphasizes the lengthy hand-finishing and assembly process.
Value for Money
85/100
At approximately $100,000 per pair, the Nautilus is an uncompromising luxury purchase, further requiring four amplification channels per speaker and suitable high-power amplification. The reviews stress its unusual hand-built production and two-year wait, but offer no direct comparison with competing reference speakers or clear verdict on whether it represents strong value at this price.
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- Resolution A/V — in-store — New York City, New York, United States (website)
- 3mA Audio — online and in-store — Houston, Texas, United States (website)
- Absolute Audio - Canada — in-store — Calgary, Alberta, Canada (website)
- Abt Electronics — online and in-store — Glenview, Illinois, United States (website)
- Accessories 4 less — online and in-store — Apopka, Florida, United States (website)
- Acoustic Sounds — online and in-store — Salina, Kansas, United States (website)
- Acoustica — online and in-store — Chester, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Acton Gate Audio — online and in-store — Cymru, United Kingdom (website)
- AES — in-store — Mitte, Hessen, Germany (website)
- Ahead Stereo — in-store — Los Angeles, California, United States (website)
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