I have only heard the 802diamond/802D. I have heard them over the years with Mcintosh, Musical Fidelity, Classe', Audio Research, W4S.
I am going to go agents the grain of all the $10,000+ amps people are going to recommend for these speakers. I am sure they are all great but unless you room is perfect the differences are not as great as one might think. I guess my point is that amp choice (from one good amp to another) is far less critical than speaker placement, room reverb, etc.
Every B&W I have ever used/heard needed a high power amp with good damping factor to make the bass drivers jump and stay in control. I would give Wyred 4 Sound's SX-1000 Mono-blocks a try. I know some will shake their heads but really if you are shopping in a cost no object price class the $2400 (per pair) asking price will be nothing and worth a try. The only thing you may give up compared to the cost no object amps is soundstage and the last bit of treble extension/sweetness. But to me the drive in the bass is well worth the trade off. I have yet to hear and amp that punched as hard in the bass as the big W4S, it is not big round bass but quick and clean. But to each their own if you listen to a lot of strings a sweeter amp might be more your ticket.
I am assuming you like your bass as you bought the 800ds in the first place.
I am going to go agents the grain of all the $10,000+ amps people are going to recommend for these speakers. I am sure they are all great but unless you room is perfect the differences are not as great as one might think. I guess my point is that amp choice (from one good amp to another) is far less critical than speaker placement, room reverb, etc.
Every B&W I have ever used/heard needed a high power amp with good damping factor to make the bass drivers jump and stay in control. I would give Wyred 4 Sound's SX-1000 Mono-blocks a try. I know some will shake their heads but really if you are shopping in a cost no object price class the $2400 (per pair) asking price will be nothing and worth a try. The only thing you may give up compared to the cost no object amps is soundstage and the last bit of treble extension/sweetness. But to me the drive in the bass is well worth the trade off. I have yet to hear and amp that punched as hard in the bass as the big W4S, it is not big round bass but quick and clean. But to each their own if you listen to a lot of strings a sweeter amp might be more your ticket.
I am assuming you like your bass as you bought the 800ds in the first place.