Recommended integrated for B&W 802?


Hi all-

Looking for integrated amps to put on the audition list. Speakers are B&W Matrix 802s - would like phono section as well. After reading the posts here, it seems like the overwhelming consensus is that Krells are too bright for the B&Ws. Levinson is pricey - plinius? mcintosh? Looking for something around $2k new/used. Need a good foundation to build the system around.
devsung
Plinius is DEFINITELY a good choice. Have heard it extensively (in my dad's system) with B&W 803's. Taut bass, tubey mids. Very, very detailed. Audition first, but you won't be disappointed.
I just switched to a Classe CAP-150 with my Hales Rev 3s. I am very impressed. I recently spent a couple of hours with N804s and some Classe amps and was also very pleased with the results. The CAP seems to have gobs of current and has plenty of the smoothness that the Ns will demand. The pre outs allow you to add a second amp (CA-100, 150, 200 etc) for biamping. Used, the units are in the $1k region, but the phono boards are rare and out of production. I looked long and hard at lots of integrated options, and the Classe had the right blend of what I was looking for. The $ you save can go into some real nice interconnects or speaker cables.
Based solely on a number of articles that I've read over the past 6 months, there seems to be a goodly number of excellent integrated amps on the market right now. Some of the ones that have received very good reviews include: Bryston B-60 (Canadian); Lavardin (French); Brinkmann (German); Sim Audio I-5 (Canadian); and Creek 5350SE (British). If you have some major bucks to spend, then you should also take a look at Mark Levinson's new integrated.
Well......why does it have to be an integrated? These are really good speakers; you can go pretty crazy with associated components with these & not out-class the speakers. But I would say, avoid the Krell KAV's, check out the Plinius & Classe's for integrated's. These speakers sound great with tubes, but you need more power than most tube integrateds have. Good luck!