Amplifiers for B&W 804 Nautilus - Need Help


Can you recommend some good-quality amplifiers (used or NEW, integrated or pre/power)for the B&W 804 N? The speakers have a 89db sensitity but I heard it need a decent 80W x2 to drive.

How about a tube amplifier? What's the min. requirement for power output- tube and solid state?

Also, any suggestions for good cables to pair with the 804N to bring out its potential?

Thanks for your help.
r0817

Showing 2 responses by lewinskih01

Yeap, Pass, Classe, McIntosh are generally liked with B&W.

I own 804S and back 3 years ago I auditioned Classe, McIntosh solid state and McIntosh tubed MC275 and went with it. I just love tubes with the 804S. You do miss some slam, but you gain oh so much. Of course, that was me with my ears!

Cables? I suggest you postpone that one until you get an amp, learn to know it, and only then look for cables that will match the speaker/amp combo well. I got that advice 3 years ago and now I'm about to buy speaker cables!
I don´t really have suggestions within that price range. I can tell you about my experience, though: I used to have a Rotel RB-1080 amp connected to CM-4 speakers, and it sounded great. I then upgraded speakers to 804S and the shortcomings of the Rotel became apparent. Don't get me wrong, I think very highly of the RB1080 for the price, but a more revealing speaker made me want to change the amp.

Interestingly enough, the 804S delivered better bass with the 2x75W tubed MC275 than with 2x200W SS Rotel...go figure! One explanation I got was the B&Ws are overdamped (which is why many say they are bass shy) and the 1000 damping factor of the Rotel was too much of a good thing. The tube amp, with it's typical low damping factor, allegedly was evening things out. I don't know if this explains what I heard, but the bass is better. And mids and trebble are just on a different order of magnitude.