B&W Nautilus Loudspeaker story Part 1

Bowers and Wilkins Nautilus Loudspeaker story.
2 Part story on the invention of the Nautilus Loudspeaker, B&W's flagship monitor. This is the final version 3.
This Video, by Jake Purches and written by Roy Stannard was made in 1993 and shows the development of one of the most important advances in acoustic engineering. Nautilus is still B&W's flagship loudspeaker in 2010. Video © Jake Purches 1993/2010.
Laurence Dickie has since taken the Nautilus concept further with his own Vivid Audio GIYA. www.fideliosound.com

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• fidelio
• sound

[superbert3000]

What's the music at 6:24? I'd guess Steve Reich but I wouldn't know what particular piece it'd be.

[theprof291166]

@superbert3000 Yes its Steve Reich - from SEXTET 1st movement. From the CD Sextet/Six Marimbas.

Its a cool piece of music. In fact I have just put it on the stereo. I like your call to prayer song too.

[Melt2000Africa]

Just a piece of perhaps useless information. John Bowers inspiration for the backless dipole speaker prototype came from an article in the AES journal in1975 by Peter Baxandall:A Bi-Directional Line-Source Loudspeaker with Von Braunmühl and Weber Baffle.

Robert Trunz

[theprof291166]

@Melt2000Africa Yes I read that too. 

[roypolloi]

What a wonderful video - beautifully produced, carefully written and voiced in a wonderful resonant way by Peter King. Thanks to Jake Purches for posting it. A complete lesson in audio electronics and soundscapes from the team - Laurence Dickie, Robert Trunz, Jake Purches and Roy Stannard - none of whom are currently involved with B&W. Watch and wonder. Listen and you'll see.

[theprof291166]

@roypolloi Is Peter Kind still alive?

[sunsetsniper]

4:39 you can see a driver with an obvious defect in the surround.

[roypolloi]

No new of Peter King - he was the voice of the BBC broadcasts to to the Falklands - most poignantly during the Falklands War - Callin the Falklands ended in 2006 - Peter's exhortation was to 'Keep your heads down and your hearts high' at the end of every broadcast. He was quite advanced in years back then - but have no way of telling whether he is still with us. A wonderful man and a joy to be with even for a brief time - great stories.

[theprof291166]

Nautilus story - I remember (I think it might have been me) back in the prototype Nautilus time, which used the 801 driver, destroying it on some deep bass from an Organ CD of mine that had 16 and 32 hz tones, that nearly broke the foundations of Heathside - you came storming in wanting to know what it was, which resulted in a rather shagged out bass driver - which prompted Dic to make a much more powerful new bass vented driver. Jake

[theprof291166]

@Melt2000Africa Dear Robert, glad you enjoyed the video. Remastering it reminded me how complex it was to put together with the technology of the late 80s and early 90s. I still have all the rush tapes, about 3 boxes of them. I don't have the heart to dispose of them. They all play perfectly on my U-Matic Highband SP and are pushing 19 years old.

[Melt2000Africa]

Nice Jake, it has been a long time since we put this video together and to see Steyning brings back memories of the times when John and I started that lab. Dic truly hasn't lost his touch and the creation of Vivid Audio's GIYA G1 and G2 is ample proof that his decision to leave B&W and to continue the research and development of what he started with Nautilus was correct - thanks god or we would never have had such a wonderful and amazing sounding speaker like the Giya!

Robert

[Melt2000Africa]

Only yesterday i moved my original first ever built pair of Nautilus to a friend of mine (Giya G1 has taken over in my living room - sorry) and Bruno and I remain terribly disappointed that Dic never got round to offer a set of VIVID drivers that would fit the Nautilus - something that would bring Nautilus up to date in the true spirit of the creator. Sorry Dic we still love you all the same ! Robert Trunz