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Amplifiers for B&W 803D/802D

I'm new to high end home audio (have extensive high end Pioneer ODR system in the car) and am looking for amps to pair with either B&W 803D or 802D. My local B&W dealer only sells Rotel and Classe and hasn't been able to set both amps up together so I can listen/switch between the two. Is there a significant difference in sound between these amps with these speakers and is it worth the expense? Are the Classe amps reliable long term? Has anyone heard B&W with Mcintosh amps? I listened to Mcintosh with Infinity speakers that sounded great but can't find a way to demo Mcintosh with B&W. Thanks a lot.
statusnine
statusnine OP
8 posts
 
One other thought.....I've read some comments that people can't hear the difference between the 803D and 802D. I agreed when listening with Rotel 5 x 200 amps...but...when using Classe amps, either 200w/ch or the 400 monos, the differences became much more striking and the 802's blew the 803's away.
tlday
137 posts
 
I upgraded from the 803 to 802 Nautilus (not the Diamond Series). At that point, the 802 had a much bigger sound stage. I now drive them with the 350 watt MF TriVista Integrated, which is a great match -- head turning. If you are going to buy the Diamonds, you should invest in something better and more powerful than the Rotel. The Classe sound very good, but not head turning IMO. Because of the B&W somewhat bright sound, the MacIntosh might be a great fit, as long as you have at least 300 watts of power.
joey_v
667 posts
 
Heard the BW802D driven by Mcintosh 501... PHENOMENAL combo I thought.
tboooe's avatar
tboooe
1,009 posts
 
I used to own the 802D. Between Classe and Mac I would pick Classe. That being said, I still felt that the Classe we too polite and smooth sounding. I would consider getting something more dynamic as B&W to me sounds slow. A real good choice at a very reasonable price would be a pair of Parasound Halo JC1 monoblocks. I drove my 802D with the Parasound Halo A21 2 channel amp with good success.
bar81
791 posts
 
I've found that Ayre amps sound great with B&W. You could get away with a V-5xe with the 803D but you'd really need the V-1xe or preferably, the MX-R, for the 802D (and they definitely don't hurt for the 803D).
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