2. speakers
  3. 1267986110

Good amp for B&W 804S for the space-constrained

Good morning folks. I've recently purchased a pair of B&W 804S speakers and need to upgrade my electronics (Denon AV Receiver) to get the most of their sound. Unfortunately the shelves I can use are somewhat shallow. Thus, I'm looking for a solid amplification system that will fit in, let's say no more than 16" including space for the interconnects. Not an easy task, unfortunately. Some ideas I've had (and even demo'd to some extent):

Naim NAIT XS (or maybe even SuperNAIT)
Simaudio Moon i3.3
Rotel RB1552 + pre?

Anything else I should be looking at? Has anyone had experience with any of these in combination with B&W 804S?
nichomoff
jaybo
4,478 posts
 
Of the above, the rotel pair.
nichomoff OP
16 posts
 
Thanks for the response. Are you saying it's your opinion that the Rotel is the better choice, or that it's the one you've heard? Somewhat contrary to what the dealers say when I sugggest it, but then again, they're dealers and the other choices are more expensive. What type of pre would you recommend with the Rotel? Something to keep the sound warm?
jaybo
4,478 posts
 
nichomoff. sorry for the delayed response. i have concluded that given your space restrictions, there is no need to 'settle'. check out a cyrus 6 or 8 integrated. they are both about 8 inches wide and 14.1 inches deep. they are not as forward as the naim, and warmer than the sim. i've bought naim gear over the years, and except for a vintage nait 2, have found it to be fun for awhile, and then tiring. the cyrus competes with my mac gear, and ias infinitely smaller and more convenient. people are shocked when i play the tiny integrated...they assume its the mc275. the rotel is solid, but matching with a proper pre may present space problems, additional interconnects, etc. the b&w's will sing with the 6 or the 8.
james63
534 posts
 
I used the now discontinued Rotel RB-1072 (class-D, 100 watt@8ohms, 190 watts@4ohms) with a pair of 703s for awhile and it did a very good job IMO. I paid $500 for it as a dealer demo off e-bay. I feel it is one of the best audio deals I have gotten.

From what I understand the new models from Rotel use the same basic internals as my RB-1072.

Over a receiver running B&Ws you will get a lot more bass power and control. I found the mids to be more fleshed out too. But the big difference will be in the bass.

There are lots of good amps out there and a lot more with big price tags too... No need to break the bank at this point because even a "budget" amp (from a good brand) will blow away a low end Dennon.

Another good budget brand that gets great review for playing out of it price class is
"Wyred 4 Sound"
More to discover