Rotel RA-1592 MK II or something else to deliver around 200W to B&W towers around $3000?


So I just purchased a pair of B&W CDM-9NT and am now going deep down the rabbit hole trying to find an amp that’s going to let these speakers sing to their fullest. I keep coming back to Rotel as the consensus appears to be that these amps pair very well with B&Ws. I was trying to keep the budget to $1000...then $1500...now I’m looking at $3000 options...I’m not willing to go up to the McIntosh prices at the moment so I’m capping myself at $3k new or used.

I was thinking that going integrated was the best option when looking at the $1500ish options. Now maybe separates would make sense at $3000?

Goals in sound are excellent imaging and separation. Strong and tight bass is a must. Music selection is mainly very bass forward genres like hip hop & EDM. I also enjoy jazz, rock and sometimes classical as the mood strikes. A must have is digital connectivity for hi-res streaming. The room is 14x18 if that matters.

Any help is appreciated.
yukispier

Showing 1 response by rhljazz

You will get a lot of responses from non B&W owners who guess at an optimal pairing.  I have two pairs of B&W, N802’s and Concept 90’s.  The W4S ST500 produces deep controlled bass and tames the inherent brightness in the top end that many amps fail to do.  I have always paired the ST500 with a tube preamp, either a VAC Renaissance or Manley Shrimp.  I believe that a tubed preamp is part of the excellent resulting sound.  Since I no longer own a SS preamp, I cannot confirm that.
Wyred for Sound also makes an integrated amp which I have no experience with.