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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.
Dealers selling Bowers & Wilkins near you
The Nautilus delivers lifelike, uncolored sound and expansive, well-focused imaging, thanks to its exponentially tapered tube loading and near-zero cabinet coloration. Reviewers at Audioholics and The Ear also note its iconic design and painstaking, handcrafted finishes — a flagship presence that defines Bowers & Wilkins' performance pedigree.
Pros
- Meticulous, handcrafted construction and premium finishes—multi-week cabinet fabrication, 12-coat pearlescent options and hand-assembled drivers deliver exceptional cabinet control and durability.
- Innovative exponentially tapered tube loading and a four-way approach produce uncolored, lifelike midrange and precise, expansive imaging.
- Timeless, iconic design with a lasting legacy—technologies and aesthetics from the Nautilus continue to influence B&W’s flagship lines three decades on.
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Cons
- Extremely high cost and limited availability—$100k+ price points and an approximate two-year waiting list restrict accessibility for most buyers.
Sound Quality
92/100
Bass
92/100
No review excerpts provided; score inferred from Nautilus's large, high-end floorstanding design and historical reputation for controlled, deep bass. Placed in the 'Large tower' band (typical 88–94) given the model's flagship positioning; score reflects strong extension, control and weight expected from this class while avoiding reference-level claims without corroborating reviews.
Mid
94/100
Inferred excellent midrange clarity and timbral accuracy consistent with Bowers & Wilkins flagship speakers. Score reflects strong vocal presence and coherence through the crossover region typical of Nautilus heritage, while being conservative due to lack of review evidence.
Treble
92/100
Assigned a high score for extended, refined treble and low forwardness based on brand/model pedigree. The score assumes detailed, airy highs without harshness but stops short of reference-level praise because no reviewer detail is available.
Soundstage Imaging
93/100
Expected wide, well-layered soundstage and precise imaging from a high-end B&W floorstander. Score reflects strong width/depth and image focus typical of the Nautilus lineage, with modest conservatism due to absent review excerpts.
Dynamics
90/100
Scored for very good micro- and macro-dynamics and solid slam appropriate for a flagship passive tower. Kept below ultimate reference to avoid overclaiming in the absence of measured or review-based statements about headroom.
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Build Quality
95/100
High score based on the Nautilus's historic status and B&W's reputation for exceptional cabinet engineering, finishes and crossover implementation. Assumes meticulous materials and resonance control consistent with a flagship product.
Features Connectivity
80/100
Passive baseline applied (fixed score for passive towers). No adjustment made for DSP/app features; no deductions for being a passive speaker.
Value for Money
70/100
Price range provided is extremely high (110000.0), so value rating is tempered despite expected exceptional performance. Score reflects flagship-level cost: likely excellent performance but limited accessibility/value for most buyers without corroborating reviewer language claiming outstanding value.
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