Best amp to drive B&W N805's

Muskrat
My friend own a the N805 He runs then with sa 100
plinius, its sounds so musical,he also use sony 9000 es
but of course at the end its your choice,remember
plinius products are excellent.

I had good success with Musical Fidelity's original A3cr pre and power combo, though it was driving the much cheaper B&W 602 bookshelves. The Musical Fidelity top-end is smooth and grain-free, which makes it a good match with the metal dome tweeters of B&W. The 602s can sound harsh on other amplification. Bi-amp with two if you really want to make those 805s sing. You will be surprised how much bass they can output given enough clean power. Properly driven, even small B&Ws have shattering dynamics.

PS Audio's new HCA-2 could also work well. Though rated rougly the same power, it seems to have higher peak current for driving reticent loudspeakers such as Magnepan.

With its peak current output of 30 amps and high damping factor Magnum Dynalab can easily handle ANY speaker load, including b@W 805's! With MD 208 you also get the world class tuner. Get 208 and don't look back! Good Luck!

Has anyone tried the Cary Rocket 88 with the N805s?

These are the amps I recommend. Mark Levinson 27, Meridian 557, NAD S200 amp.

Before you make your purchase, be sure to audition the McIntosh 6900 or 6500 integrated amps. I found them to be superb performers with the b&w 805 speakers. The build quality, and features, and resale value are also excellent.

Many Mac dealers will let you try one out in your home with your speakers. (absolutely a must)

By the way I had the musical fidelity A300 with the 805's. A very nice piece, and good sound. The Mac gave me better sound and better bass out of the 805's.

Hope this helps,
Bennett

Two schools of thought.First off ,tubes are great.The only way I would use tubes is to X-out bass.Somewhere around 65hz.Bryston makes a sweet xover.This system could be costly and would require subs.Don't be talked into a small sub because they are faster.Bass is bass and if you do your homework you can integrate anything with anything.I could talk your ear off on bass ! Next, solid state.Mark levenson ML-27. Bar none the best 100 watt class A monster walking the planet.Next the Krell ksa-80.REMEMBER to double sound presure you must quadruple power output.Don't scrutinize watts in the 100 to 200 watt range. The room is 22by 18.Buy a good sub. Good Luck!

I have a Kinergetics KBA-75 Class A amp that will blow those amps out of the water.

Send me an email if you are interested.

Peter

Hey Y'all,

The match made in heaven is B&W and Krell. I can honestly say that I have never heard the N series sound better than when Krell powers them. I have owned both and had different power amps pushing the N805 on other occasions in my home and I can't explain it but the Krell always matched up better. Who knew?.......John

i have heard people have success with Musical Fidelity produts with B&W in addition some inmates over at aa have used CJ gear. SOmething to think about I suppose...
-Vik

My listening room is around 22' X 18'.

You did not mention the size of your listening room. My Arcam A32's 100Ws are fine with the N805s on a small to medium sized room. As long as the amp can provide enough current for peaks it is fine.