Tube amp

I've been using VTL 450MKII tube amp with my B&W 801S3 for years. I also have a not often used Jolida 1000a intergrated amp that uses EL-34's tubes.  

The VTL is smooth with good bass and is in line with modern high powered tube amps.  The Jolida reminds me of 60's tube gear, very lush and warm.  My comments are based on my related gear and room conditions.

That's interesting because your speakers are identical to mine. I'm not a loud music listener. Occasionally, very occasionally I may turn it up a bit but I don't think I've ever pushed my Levinson much over half tilt. To my music sounds best at modest volumes and not where my ears bleed lol. That's where considering some of the cheaper Chinese stuff comes in to play. If I have a 60wpc amp, but am only listening at a few watts, how will it perform. Do you use a tube pre as well or ss? Thanks for your input as well. I'm going to look into as options.

Hi,
Generally speaking the B&W 801 seems designed with solid state amplifiers in use driving them. They dip to 3 ohm impedance at some frequencies and have a difficult phase angle in the mid bass region. So it appears that they need a high current transistor amplifier.

However in some cases actual use provide outcomes not predicated by measurements and specifications. There are likely some tube amplifiers that could successfully drive this speaker (the VTL 450 mentioned above by vegasears). With tube amplifiers it is most probably a case by case proposition. No question that some and possibly many  tube amplifiers may struggle with this particular speaker load.

My suspicion is that most owners of these speakers drive them with high current transistor amplifiers given their load characteristics.
Charles

I use a McIntosh C2500 tubed pre-amp.

@luvrockin   Very familiar with your 801s, all 3 of the series. I do not question the use of a tube amp, but ime, as Charles indicated, always driven with beefy ss. Are you happy with your system, musically ( not talking visually ) ? I have always recommended with the series 3 vertical biamping.