b&w 801n used price? need a sub?

I would say $6k and under would be a great price for these. Think Krell FPB or similar for amplification. I hope you have a nice big room for these!

Sub is not required.

my room total size is 25' by 25'.... but i only use half for home theater the other half is billiards. but it is an open room.... i worry about how far they would be sitting out from the wall since my projector screen is mounted to the wall and these might reflect light a bunch.

Goatwuss is right on the money. I bought mine in 2006 for close to $5.5K but I have not seen any pair listed for less than $5K since. When driven by the proper amp, you definitely don't need a sub. I went through several amps and nothing could bring out the best from these amazing speakers except the Krell FPB. After Bryston 7BST, Citation 4.1, Mac 501s, CAL MCA2500, I ended up with the FPB 650mc now. At the used price around $6k, I have not found anything better. After several audio shows including CES, I still don't feel the need for upgrade. Matched with Transparent cables and Krell, they could really sing.

But... Would be using them for the front sound stage in a home theater be way over kill?

"But... Would be using them for the front sound stage in a home theater be way over kill?"

It's all relative. I'm sure there are people out there who have bought brand new Wilson X2s for theater fronts. The 801N 's high dynamic capability would make them a good choice for theater.

Assuming you are using a modern HT processor with room correction, that will give you a more placement flexibility as you can tune the bass response to your room.