B & W 801 Series II Vs Yamaha NS 2000

The 801's are very power hungry. You will not get what this speaker has to offer unless it is mated to a high current ss amp. I was running a pair with a Bryston 4B (250w) and the sound was ok, but when I added another 4B and ran them as monoblocks into the 801's did the music really shine. They also need to be on a good stand, in a big enough room to open up and are fussy with placement. Taken all that into account, they are big and bold with a non fatiguing presentation when mated with a tube preamp.
I don't have any experiencer with the Yamaha speaker.

Garylim – you will hear many things from audiophiles about the 801’s. Some are true some are not. I would listen to actual owners and ask about their setups.

One thing true IMO is that this 801 is not a plug and play speaker. This means you will need experience and time. The first will come with the latter but patience is needed. Many audiophiles lack patience if I look at my friends. With me its not that I have a alot of patience but I am more stubborn.
For this reason alone I would skip on them unless you have patience - it could become a slippery road.
I have no experience with the Yamahas.
FWIW
I have known around 12 - 801 owners personally. Half from this group made the speaker their last, some with modifications. The other half moved on. Of the remaining ones many are now running a tube pre and amp/s. This was all that was needed for a few of them to eliminate the ESL speaker setup in the other room.

You will not get what this speaker has to offer unless it is mated to a high current ss amp.

Zenblaster – what amps have your tried other than a 4b?
The 4b’s had one good trait with me. Control of the woofer.
But they lost it on the mid/tweeter. And I am a Canadian that does not want to bad mouth another Canadian company.

Based on my experiences I would rephrase your statement to say "quality power" amp instead of high current SS amp. It covers more bases IMO. I know some that listen at low db with their 801's. This is possible with a tube amp too.

So 801’s need “quality” power whether SS or tube. The better the power quality gets - the better they keep sounding. I have not hit their limits yet in my room.

Based on my experience they sound really good on a quality 75-100 watt tube amp that is capable at 4 ohms.

Garylim

I have owned my current S3 since ’94-95 and 801fs prior to that.

A good reference site I can recommend.

John Bowers BAF

It will make you understand how the 800 matrix series were designed by John Bowers to be run in a sixth-order Butterworth alignment.

Some owners have chosen other BAF's. Krell, Northcreek, custom. I am considering the third option as a final step for me.

I have also provided a number of observations on my 801 ownership on my virtual page if you do choose them.
Look for Winnie the Pooh.

Cheers and Good luck.

A big Hello to other 801 owners here. I think its time we were more vocal guys. Someone start an 801 owners thread – I would participate ? I have yet to find a speaker that brings this kind of energy into my room – that won’t cost me a second mortgage.

These are two entirely different speakers so the music you prefer will be important. Both can be excellent in different ways. The B&W's are "british speakers" and literally define the concept. They tend toward polite and refined. They can be strong and aggresive with enough power but it is not their strong suit. The bass is very controlled but lacks slam and bounce your balls authority. A simple visualization is that you tend to lean forward when you listen into the music. Think classical and jazz with a big smile.
Yamaha would probably claim the 2000's as one of the finest speakers they ever made. Siome have called them amoung the best rock and roll speakers of all time. Incredably accurate (beryllium domes mid and high), serious bass, and blow you back in your seat authority. They can and do do all the rest and are of the "clinical" style of speakers. I love them with tubes where they become a world class speaker that are still revered around the world. They do LOUD without stress and remain compossed till your ears bleed. Because they have the beryllium domes, they also do soft better than most speakers.
I can have more to say since I love both speakers in different ways. Both were "world class" in their day and both remain at the top of the vintage speaker world.
Denny
989-673-8493