Experience on B&W N800 with Tube Amplifier

Nickt,
Thank you very much, I am arranging a demo with a pair of Cary amps as you suggested, will try. By the way, currently, I use an ARC VT-200. I also tried some SS amps, although I admit they improved the dynamics and impact, midrange clarity, musicality ans sounstage was missing to my taste, so I always kept my VT-200. However, I want to ugrade to mono amps, so I am looking for some alternatives. Thank you for your advice again.

I suggest the CAT tube amps for driving hard-to-drive speakers. Other high powered tube amps that sound good and have the kind of output transformers and power supplies required to drive such speakers include the big Audio Valve Challengers, the Air Tight Reference and the better VAC amps. Audio Research's reference amps will work, but I think they sound like crap in most systems because of the amount of negative feedback they use (they also produce a ton of heat). The big VTL's are too primitive (parts quality, not to mention lousy output trannies -- they are way less powerful than they ought to be), but VTL's new Siegfried is the real deal. The Sonic Frontiers Power 3's will work if you want to do it on the cheap. Just my opinions, folks.

Because of the very high cost of the above-mentionned tube amps, I suggest that you stick with high powered classic Rowland (Model 8, Model 9) or other solid-state amps known to work well with B&W.

If you like the ARC amp, then may be you could consider just going up their line to Ref-300 or Ref-600 monos.
or get the VTM200 monoblocks to add to your VT200. That's going to be a crazy set up. I'll feel for you when you'll need to re-tube though.....

I currently utilize a pair of Cary V12R monoblocks(100 watts triode/ 200 UL)to drive a pair of B&W 801 Matrix ser. II's(87bd eff.)I get fairly tight tunefull bass and great mids/treb, utilizing triode(always). Very dynamic, even on large scale music. I think it's due to the large, high quality transformers Dennis Had uses on these amps. My room is only 14' x 18' w/ 13' cathedral ceiling, so it dosnt take too much to get into the high 90's/low 100 spl levels. Hope this helps. Jim

One amp you might consider is the Moscode 401HR. Its
a hybrid amp that has many of the qualities of good tube
amp. I'm using it on my Signature 805's with great results.
It replaced the well respected DNA 500. You can audition
it for 30days and if you don't like it you can return it.

Cmach