Amplifiers for B&W 804 Nautilus - Need Help

You have a lot of good options with those speakers. They were in my main system for 7 or 8 years. (I now have 803D's.) I used a Krell KAV 2250 and then a Classe CA 2200. The Classe is smoother and seems more musical to me. Pre is a VTL 5.5. This combo works quite well. Another SS option would be Mcintosh, Mccormack or maybe Musical Fidelity. I have heard the Mcintosh solid state offerings with B&W and like those results.

Have also heard the Audio Research VT 100 with AR LS 16 which was quite good. I would think that Rogue 150 monos's would do well also. The mcintosh MC275 is wonderful amplifier although i've never heard it with the 804's.

One option that I want to try is the Luxman 505u integrated which is 100 wpc. So you might think about that or even one of the other possible interateds that are available such as Mcintosh MA 6600, Musical Fidelity M6, NAD 375bee, Cayin H80, etc.

All cables are Synergistic Research Alpha Sterling Active, but previously I had the Paul Speltz Anti-Cables and they are quite good. Hope I didn't confuse things too much, but I do second Lewinskih01's comment that Classe and Mac work well with B&W. Good luck

Thanks for your suggestions. I forgot to mention that I want to get an amplifier new or used around $1,500 to $2,000 that drive the 804 well. Not sure what the price range of those amps you recommended.

The best amps are Audio Research and Ayre. They deliver accuracy. McIntosh is very pleasant but not accurate.

A tubed preamp and a W4S amp is my suggestion which should be within your budget.

I don't have experience with the 804N, but I do have experience with the current 804 Diamond model, and I suspect there are a lot more similarities than there are differences between the two. If the 804N is anything like the 804 Diamond, a solid state 80w/channel is not going to cut it. I can't speak to what you'd need in a tube amp, but if you go solid state, don't even consider less than 150 w/channel unless it's a really high end piece of equipment. Also, 804's are considered by some to be a bit weak in the bass department so you will be well served by an amp that is notable for its bass reproduction.

I use Musical Fidelity M6PRE/M6PRX separates with my 804 Diamonds with wonderful results. The M6PRX is 260w/channel, a far cry from 80. Classe and McIntosh are also great pairings with the B&W 800 series.