The smaller 1555 could start to run out of gas on movies when you start turning up the volume pretty high.
Which amp for B&W 805 D3 and HTM2 D3 speakers - Rotel RMB-1555?
I am setting up a system with L&R of 805D3 and Center of HTM2 D3. My understanding is that just the receiver (plan on getting Onkyo TX-RZ50) will not power these speakers well enough to get the most out of their potential. I am thus considering adding a Rotel RMB-1555 for the LCR. I would maybe consider bi-amping L&R since RMB-1555 is 5 channel. My question is whether the RMB-1555 (120W x 5) is sufficient or would there be a significant improvement in going to RMB-1585 (200W x 5). I do not listen to the music too loud. Just want clarity. Per B&W, the recommended amp for 805 D3 is 50W - 120W into 8Ω on unclipped program.
While you are advising me on RMB 1555 vs 1585 for this set-up, I am open to other options in the price range as well.
Thanks
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First, DON’T buy an Onkyo. Their reliability is atrocious, and worse, they’re now owned by a hedge fund or private equity firm that will only make it worse going forward. Next, and this will be a bit of a surprise because it sure was to me, I worked for Magnolia and demoed 804 D3s with a Yamaha RX-A2080 AVR and I gotta tellya, the sound was STELLAR. I’ve got a $30k stereo at home, and this pairing gave up very little to my home system when listening to my best reference music. I’m not a B&W fan nor an AVR fan, but I can tell you I could’ve easily lived with that pairing. My recommendation — buy a used 2080 or 3080 or, even better, one of their newer versions and see if you even need a separate amp. You might be very happy and will save you $$$. Plus, Yamaha’s reliability is top notch, and there was a synergy between the 2080 and the 804 D3s that was pretty special and utterly unexpected. FWIW, and best of luck. |
+1 for what @soix says in the Mid-Fi/ HT realm Yamaha is great gear. They make a decent Bass to and their dirt bikes are a hoot. |
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