Integrated amp for B&W 805S under $1200?

I have heard the 805S' driven with a mcintosh 6900 integrated, Rotel separates, and a 100w Yamaha reciever (yes, I said it, "receiver"). The 805 got about as loud as you would want to go on a bookshelf (about 90 db peaks on Von Karajan's Eroica from 1963 on DG (CD), driven by the reciever, and I heard no distortion. Out of the bunch, the mcintosh sounded the best, but my second choice would not be the Rotels. Bryston makes a nice 100 watt integrated also, which you may be able to find for around 1200 not new but I only heard it driving Dali's and Dynaudio consumers and have a sneaky suscpicion that it may be a little harsh for the B&W's, particularly with classical music. For my ears ( and other than an occasional nostalgic listen to the Stones or Janis I listen to classical 99.5 hours out of 100) the 805 sounded very nice without a sub, to get down low you will need a sub anyway. Only relatively few works will leave you somewhat lacking - heavy bass such as Mahler's 9th for example - you can get to ok levels say 90 db peaks with the 805 and to do so won't actually take more than 50 watts in a normal room of say 8 ft. ceilings and 12 by 20 positioned about 6 feet away. As far as musical, the 805S is really hard to beat - for anything other than concert levels for big bass heavy works, I do not think I heard any speaker sound better than the 805S - and that includes the 802D, Focal's beryllium tweeter floorstander listed at around 10k, Dali's Helicon 4 Mk II, and the magnepan 3.6.

If you have the rack space and strength for it (56 lbs, 19+" deep), 4" clearance top and sides), look into a Denon PMA 2000 IVR. 80wpc into 8 ohms, but a full 160wpc into 4 ohms. This is one of those really high current amps, the type I've always found to sound uncommonly liquid and musical while keeping a tight grip on bass control and extension.

Lots of reviews at audioreview and elsewhere. Price is exactly what you're looking for. I think that its ability to deliver high current on demand would bring out the potential in your B&Ws.

As far as accessibility goes, there's gotta be at least one Denon dealer in every town. Even Crutchfield is a dealer. With the weight of that monster, their free shipping is attractive.

I hate it when people say "if you could find just a few more dollars..." but, if you could find a few more dollars, try to find a used Ayre AX-7e. I believe the B&W 805s has a first-order crossover, but cannot say if they are time and phase aligned. The Ayre would be a good match.

The room really dictates the need for a sub with the 805s'. I also disagree with the need to high-pass your amps for solid subwoofer integration. I had a REL Strata III when I owned B&W N805 speakers, and had it rolled off somewhere in the 30's. Integration was smooth and seamless. Again, the room has a lot to do with this.

Congratulations on the 805S speakers. They are indeed wonderful speakers that will sound sublime given the right amplification. We know your budget is $1,200 but I agree with a few posters that suggested not to skimp on the amp. I have owned the N805, although an inferior version of the 805S, I have somehow found that the point of diminishing return happens at around $3,500(used) worth of amplification, in my case.

If you couldn't find a few more dollars, the Classe Cap-151 or Plinius 8200Mk2 might cut it considering your musical priority which leans towards violin and piano. It would however be important if you can listen to both pieces to ensure they wouldn't sound muffled on pianos as with your YBA amp. I would also agree on the recommendation of Bryston B-100SST which will render a more neutral sound in comparison to Classe and Plinius, if you can find a few more dollars. Sound of piano notes may be slightly precise and true to the recording. The B-60SST is slightly underpowered in driving the 805S,.

Apart from the selection of amp, it is also very important to play around with speaker placement. If you want wide soundstaging, try to work with the room. Assuming you don't have any allowance for room treatments, these speakers need to be placed away from the front and side walls at least 3' for a more convincing soundstage and better imaging.

Good luck.

Agree with all, these are very nice speakers and will embarrass lesser electronics.

Try these budget solutions;

Preamplifier:

-Used Odyssey Tempest(2 for sale now on Audiogon)
-Used NAD C162

Amplification:

-Used Odyssey Stratos
-New Emotiva XPA-2
-New or used NAD C272

or Integrated Amplifier:

-Used Xindak XA6950 US Model (for sale now on Audiogon)
-Used Naim Nait 5 (not sure this will actually drive these speakers, although I have not seen one fail to drive any speakers yet to at least pleasant listening levels)
-New Shanling A300 (on ebay)
-Used Primaluna ProLogue 2 - not so many watts but good power supply and hassle-free tube listening.