What do i need to drive 804s, HTM-1 & 805s

[rs28192]

Hey Guys,

I am upgrading my HT. I just bought 804s as front, HTM-1 Center, 805s as rear speakers and ASW 800 sub. Currently I am using Marantz Receiver SR7300.

My dealer told me that I should look at better receiver or amplifier to drive these speakers & sub.

Can you guys advise me what kind of amplifier/receiver do I need to drive these speakers ? My budget is around $1500, can go up or down a bit though.

Thanks for your advice and time.

[Aussie Geoff]

RS,

Your dealer is right! With your budget I'd keep the reciever but add outboard amplifiers to drive the B&Ws' since the high current from these is what they seek. There are several options:

• Rotel RMB-1095 Amplifer (review HERE retails for US $1999 but you can get it for about $1750 or $1800 if you look arround.
• Outlaw Audio www.outlawaudio.com model 755 Amp HERE
• Sherwood Newcastles P965 7 channel amp HERE

There are some other great amps from Anthem, Parasoud, Earthquake, Bryston etc but they will (as far as I know) all exceed you budget...

Geoff

[dpolmann]

Greetings. I have N804s as L/R fronts, HTM-2 center, four CCM-80 in ceiling for surrounds and backs, plus Velodyne SPL 8 sub. I started with Yamaha RXV-2400. I now use that receiver as pre/pro for L/C/R speakers, and have three Rotel RB-980 BX amps that I picked up used on eBay to power the L/C/R speakers bi-amped. So, 120 watts to top and also to bottom on each speaker. I could have also bridged each of the amps and run 380 watts straight to each speaker, but have not tried that. I use the Yamaha to power the ceiling. Entire system sounds good to me, even though I haven't tweaked the Yamaha pre/pro settings at all yet. The difference when I added the Rotels to the fronts and center was remarkable! Bought amps in three separate deals, with total less than $800. Point is, don't ignore multiple amps and don't ignore the possibility of used equipment. Another example would be a set of RB-1080's driving the fronts; that would sound great!

[htsteve]

rs28192m,

I have N804's, HTM1 up front and SCM8's in the back. I'm driving them with a Rotel 1095. It does a very nice job. I concur with Aussie Goeff , use your Marantz as a pre/pro and get an outboard amp. The Nautilus' love power, so get an amp with beef. With your stated budget, I would definitely consider the 1095. Another possibility is to do 2 Rotel 1075's (I don't htink one 1075 will be enough). If you find them used, you could be right at your budget. Hope this helps.

[b&Wman]

What kind of sound do you like? If you like a warmer mellow sound, I hear Rotel is good for B&W. I don't think the 1075 will cut it for the nautilus series, but the 1095 should.

If you like highly detailed accurate neutral sound, I would look into Odyssey Audio HT-5. They can drive the nauts with ease and the build quality is second to none at the price. I'm not sure how much it costs, but my guess is it comes in between $1500-$2000.

Of course Bryston, Parasound Halo, Classes are good, but exceed your price range.

[sikoniko]

I have a very similar setup (804's, HTM1, SCM1's, ASW 850) and I use the cinenova grande5. I think it is an amazing amp and was able to get a great deal on it. I highly recommend it.