703 or 804s

[ray5]

If you were to make a choice between one of these two combos, which one would it be?

Choice 1: 6000$
Fronts: 703
Ctr: HTM7
Rears: 705
Sub: ASW 700

Choice 2:8175$
Fronts: 804s
Ctr: HTM 4S
Rears: 705
Sub: ASW 750
Of course they are not exactly the same but the the second one is 2 grand more!!
Is it worth the extra$$$$$? Also if I were to go for the 7.1 setup then either I pick up an extra pair of 705's for 1500$ or wait for something else. As the 700 series is being phased out I need to make a decision soon so that I can get the color I want. Room size 24ft x 21 ft . 75% HT and 25% music. Appreciate your help.

[Alaric]

I would take choice 2--but it's not my money!

[ray5]

I would take choice 2--but it's not my money!

Why? Is the performance that different and good ?

[htsteve]

ray5,

Yes, it's performance. I've had the predecessor to the current 700 series. I've also had N804's (still do as rears). The 800 series is the top line that B&W offers. The matrix bracing, better bass units, crossovers, etc. simply let it perform better. Especially with better electronics.

I would vote for option two. I understand that the price difference is there. do you currently have a sub? If yes, you might hang unto that for now and go for option 2 without the B&W sub.

I would concentrate on a great 5.1 system. You can always add the extra speakers later.

Another thing to consider is if you want to ultimately end up in the 800 series. If you do, it will likely cost you more in the long run. Buying 700 series now, 800 later. As many of us have learned the hard way, save up and get the better item when you are able. It save money over time.


Hope this helps.

[Alaric]

The 800 series is a grade above the 700 series for a reason. Also the better sub and center. Honestly , for HT @ 75% , choice 1 should be just fine-no disappointments. I'm more 2 channel and my bias likely shows in my initial post. At this expenditure range you have to make an honest assessment of your front end equipment. If you're using a $99 DVD player and HTIB receiver or seriously good stuff it's easy. If you're somewhere in the middle , like most of us , DEMO. Hear stuff , it's the only way to know what works best for you.

[NMG]

Honestly I think you have to listen to each of them with a bunch of different material and decide which you prefer for the price. You are at the point where regardless of which one you choose, you are going to have OUTSTANDING speakers that will give you years and years of enjoyment.

Like the others have said though, also make sure you give consideration to your other equipment. There is no point spending that kind of dough on speakers if your equipment won't do them justice. Even with the 700 series you are at the point where you want other solid pieces in the chain. Although they are below the 800 series, they aren't entry level by any means. The extra two grand is not insignificant and you could allocate that dough to other areas of your system that may benefit more from an upgrade than the upgrade from the 700's to the 800's. Just a thought.

I would love to have an 800 series 5.1 system, but the reality is that I just can't justify spending that kind of dough on speakers and necessary equipment at this stage in my life. If you can, then go for it! If you can't, there is no shame at all in having "only" 700 series speakers or even stuff lower in the B&W portfolio of products. It's all damn good

[Alaric]

If you spend the extra two grand on front end equipment , you'll wish you had better speakers. If you spend it on speakers , vice-versa. My view is , you can always get better amps-good speakers will last a lifetime. By the time you "need" better speakers , you won't be able to hear the stuff they do better!

[ray5]

I too am tending towards option 2 but the only snag is the rears being 705's. Will they be a good fit with the fronts being 804's?
Also later I want to go for the full 7.1 what options do I have for the extra two channels and then should my 705's become the sides or the rears.
Or the last option is just get the fronts and sub for now and later when I save up some more get the surrounds? 805's? But this way I don't get any surrounds for my HT till then. I currently do not have an HT and therefore have to allocate cash for the receiver(rotel1560) cables, remote etc.

[NMG]

Is there anyway that you could forego the 1560 and go with seperates right off the bat? While the 1560 would probably be fine for the centre and surrounds in a 5.1 system, I think you'd see a significant improvement with the fronts by having more power to them, especially for 2 channel listening.

I won't go so far as to say that you absolutely need more than the 1560 for the 804's, but if you are considering dropping that much dough on your fronts, I would HIGHLY recommend it . . .

If it were me, I'd go with the seperates and a 5 channel power amp right off the bat and add a second 2 channel amp when you want to go 7.1. I love Rotel, but I think you'd be asking allot of the 1560 to effectively power an entire 700 or 800 based 7.1 system on its own. You could also just add a 2 channel amp for the mains and have the 1560 run everything else along with having it perform processing duties.

[B&W_Group_Fan]

Another option if going with the 1560 / 804S in a 5.1 setup is bi-amplification. The 1560 allow for channel reassignment to accommodate this. You could then add another amp when you are ready for 7.1.

I can't say for sure that would still cover you power wise, but it is an option. If the electronics and the speakers are coming from the same dealer, they should be able to set this configuration up for you to demo.

Good luck.

[htsteve]

I too am tending towards option 2 but the only snag is the rears being 705's. Will they be a good fit with the fronts being 804's?
Also later I want to go for the full 7.1 what options do I have for the extra two channels and then should my 705's become the sides or the rears.
Or the last option is just get the fronts and sub for now and later when I save up some more get the surrounds? 805's? But this way I don't get any surrounds for my HT till then. I currently do not have an HT and therefore have to allocate cash for the receiver(rotel1560) cables, remote etc.

ray5,

At one point I had wall mounted rear speakers with N804's and an HTM1 up front. We flipped our family room and I decided to go with bookshelf rear speakers. The ideal solution would be to get some N805's, but these were hard to find at the time. I decided to consider the 705's. In talking with several people, I came to realize the new 705's would sound pretty similar to the N805's. So I got some 705's. They woked out very well with the N804's and HTM1. It was a sweet setup for HT, as well as multichannel music. The 705s have the detail and midrange you would expect, but had decent bass as well.

Also, I agree that if you go option two, you would want to get into separates
relatively quickly. For the price of a new 1560, you could get a used Rotel 1069 pre-amp and 1075 amp. These would drive either set of speakers very nicely.


Hope this helps.

[KyaDawn]

This may be completely unhelpful, but with $8,175, I would try to finagle a pair of 803Ds and be done with it (for now). If you are planning to have these speakers for a long time, then it would be worth it to have as good of fronts as you can, and you can build up the rest of your system later.

Instead of the RSX-1560, for a little less you can buy the Rotel RB-1092 which is a 500 wpc stereo amp, more than enough for the 803Ds.

Of course, that leaves you with a magnificent stereo system and no 5.1 HT. If you must have the full 5.1 HT now, then I think either option 1 or 2 would be great, though personally I would choose option 1 as I think it's preferable to have balanced speakers throughout, though having said that, I have never heard the 800 series mixed with the 700, so it might be fine.

I actually had the same dilemma as you did about building my system. For a second, I was considering the 700 series for the entire 5.1 set-up, which would cost less than half of a pair of 802Ds, and seemed incredible value.

However, the more I thought about it, the more I knew I would not be satisfied with the system. I hadn't heard the 703 yet, but I did audition the 804S before and while it was an excellent speaker, it wasn't at the level that I wanted. Knowing that, I was about to audition the 703 at the dealer when I eyed the 802D again, and coupled with the news that the 700 series was to be discontinued, I just took the plunge on the 802Ds.

Of course, this is all personal taste and it's up to you how much performance you want from your fronts. If the 804S or 703 is up to your expectations, then problem solved and by all means, go for it! However, if you have that itch that perhaps you want the diamond series, then I would just get the fronts first and build from there.

Going that route, there are of course many HTIB systems out there for less than $400 that you can use as a "stop-gap". I know it's almost blasphemous to speak of such a thing on a B&W forum, but I have used one before in my bedroom, and while the quality was certainly lacking, finding one with at least a strong sub made it somewhat acceptable. In this case, you will have the 803Ds for stereo and the HTIB for HT, while you build out the rest of your HT with the 800 series.

On that note, B&W also has a 5.1 speaker system, the MT-10, for around $1,200 I think, though it lacks a receiver and for those prices, you are close to defeating the purpose of a "stop-gap". Still, something to think about.

Most likely I have confused you more than anything, but these are some of the options that would be going through my head if I was in your scenario. Since you've stated that HT will comprise 75% of the use of your system, perhaps a stop-gap would not be attractive and one of the earlier options you mentioned would be better. In that case, I would choose option 1 and perhaps use the savings from the difference toward separates and more amp power.

[ray5]

ray5,

At one point I had wall mounted rear speakers with N804's and an HTM1 up front. We flipped our family room and I decided to go with bookshelf rear speakers. The ideal solution would be to get some N805's, but these were hard to find at the time. I decided to cinsider the 705's. In talking with several people, I can to realize the new 705's would sound pretty similar to the N805's. So I got some 705's. They woked out very well with the N804's and HTM1. It was a sweet setup for HT, as well as multichannel music. The 705s have the detail and midrange you would expect, but had decent bass aw well.

Also, I agree that if you go option two, you would want to get into separates
relatively quickly. For the price of a new 1560, you could get a used Rotel 1069 pre-amp and 1075 amp. These would drive either set of speakers very nicely.


Hope this helps.

Thanks. I have thought of separates and I know most in this forum advise that. However I am uncertain how easy it is to setup and troubleshoot. I am literally entering a different league not only in terms of quality but also financially. I am somewhat handy but definitely nowhere close to the audiophiles in this forum. So, the idea was to keep it simple. Though technically the idea of separates is solid, just don't know if I am biting more than I can chew! Also, if I find a 1069 does it have all the new formats like TrueHD etc?
What if I get the Rotel receiver and then add a separate amp like the Emotive XPA 3 to power my fronts and let the receiver power the rest?
One other question does anyone have experience with the HTM 4S?

[Race Car Driver]

I vote two 801Ds run off a Sony mini shelf system.

[Audio_ElF]

Using a processor and power amp rather than an integrated is only really complicated by two things (compared with the integrated)

1. When setting up, you have to connect 5/6/7 interconects between the pre amp and processor, plus optionally a trigger lead.
2. It adds to the permiatations possible when considering what to buy.

As you've suggested adding a 3 channel amp to an integrated as another option then you've already complicated the setup as to make the separated route no more complicated.

As for troubleshooting, really this is no more difficult - just check the interconnects are in right order and that the power amp is on.

[NMG]

Audio_EIF is correct. If you can install and hook-up the receiver, you could install and hook-up seperates. It's very simple to do. The "difficult" part will be configuring all of your settings and you'll be doing that whether you go with a receiver or stand alone processor.

[Allegiance]

I vote two 801Ds run off a Sony mini shelf system.

:B Amazing that worked.

[Russ L]

:B Amazing that worked.

Yes. But the midrange was lacking as usual in B&Ws. :W Not a flat enough response. :lol:

[ray5]

Auditioned the 703's and 804S with 705's as rears and ASW 700 as sub. Blown away by both. I am certainly not an audiophile so spare me for saying this, I felt the 703's were more open and 804S more tight particularly the bass. Both sets were powered by the new Rotel Pre/pro and amp(15 series). The cabinetry was exquisite, there definitely the 804's won. HAve decided to go with separates with the new 1570 with perhaps the 1075 as amp. Really want the 804S but 703 sounded great too! Also with HT the dealer said the 4S would be inadequate and should go for the 3S! That's another 1300$ over the 4S!!! Decisions decisions........

[Ken49r]

RMB-1075 with 803's? You will need a bigger amp, so add that into the extra $1300.00 the dealer is trying to get from you.
I don't see the center channel used in your list.

[ray5]

RMB-1075 with 803's? You will need a bigger amp, so add that into the extra $1300.00 the dealer is trying to get from you.
I don't see the center channel used in your list.

The fronts were 804S not 803S. Also when I said 3S and 4S I meant HTM, the CTr's. HTM 3S is 1300$ more than HTM 4S. The other option would be the 1570 and Emotiva XPA 5 or XPA 3 as the amp.

[Ken49r]

The fronts were 804S not 803S. Also when I said 3S and 4S I meant HTM, the CTr's. HTM 3S is 1300$ more than HTM 4S. The other option would be the 1570 and Emotiva XPA 5 or XPA 3 as the amp.

Ah, I didn't catch that earlier ray. I did after reading your original post including the HTM4 in the setup. My appologies to your dealer as well. ops:

[ray5]

Ah, I didn't catch that earlier ray. I did after reading your original post including the HTM4 in the setup. My appologies to your dealer as well. ops:

No problem, sorry for the confusion. Thanks.

[Ken49r]

The HTM3s is the matching center to the 804's as the HTM4s is to the 805s.
Definitely the right choice if you can afford it. If money is tight I would consider downgrading the surrounds to 600 series in order to have a seamless sound up front.
I used the DS3 dipole speaker when I had the 700 series and now I use the DS7 with my 805's. When you decide to upgrade the surrounds in the future you wont take much of a loss selling them or if your dealer offers the 1 yr trade up you will get 100% value towards the purchase.
Just an idea worth considering.

[htsteve]

The HTM3s is the matching center to the 804's as the HTM4s is to the 805s.
Definitely the right choice if you can afford it. If money is tight I would consider downgrading the surrounds to 600 series in order to have a seamless sound up front.
I used the DS3 dipole speaker when I had the 700 series and now I use the DS7 with my 805's. When you decide to upgrade the surrounds in the future you wont take much of a loss selling them or if your dealer offers the 1 yr trade up you will get 100% value towards the purchase.
Just an idea worth considering.

Ray5,

I agree with this thinking. The HTM3 is basically an 804 on it's side. It's a very good center channel. I had N804's plus an HTM1 (the HTM3's predecessor) A 1075 amp should drive it well. I agree that if the budget becomes tight, 600 series for the rears in order to get a better front and good electronics is a very good choice. As was noted, you can always upgrade the rears later, or go 7.1 and keep the 600 series.


Hope this helps.

[ray5]

Thanks a ton guys. This really helps. Two other questions
To go with the 1570 would Emotiva XPA 5 be better due to higher power or should I stick to the 1075? Presuming I go with the 804S and HTM 3S in the front.
If I take the 1570, if and when I want to go 7.1 all I'll need is additional amp to drive the other channels and the processor can remain the same, right?

[htsteve]

Thanks a ton guys. This really helps. Two other questions
To go with the 1570 would Emotiva XPA 5 be better due to higher power or should I stick to the 1075? Presuming I go with the 804S and HTM 3S in the front.
If I take the 1570, if and when I want to go 7.1 all I'll need is additional amp to drive the other channels and the processor can remain the same, right?

ray5,

Your ears are the best guide. You've already heard the Rotel amps (and liked them). If you can demo the Emotiva, that's ideal. Or perhaps someone with direct comparison experience can speak up. However, as a general rule, I definitely recommend keeping the pre-amp and amp the same brand. The synergies tend to be excellent. It's a roll of the dice when mixing and matching these two components. Also, Rotel's power ratings are conservative (I had one Rotel amp that bench tested almost 20% more than the ratings).

As to your 7.1 question you are correct. All you need is another amp, a pair of speakers, a bit of wiring and your all set. The processor stays the same. That's the beauty of separates.


Hope this helps.

[ray5]

ray5,

Your ears are the best guide. You've already heard the Rotel amps (and liked them). If you can demo the Emotiva, that's ideal. Or perhaps someone with direct comparison experience can speak up. However, as a general rule, I definitely recommend keeping the pre-amp and amp the same brand. The synergies tend to be excellent. It's a roll of the dice when mixing and matching these two components. Also, Rotel's power ratings are conservative (I had one Rotel amp that was almost 20% more than the ratings).

As to your 7.1 question you are correct. All you need is another amp, a pair of speakers, a bit of wiring and your all set. The processor stays the same. That's the beauty of separates.


Hope this helps.

Yes, it does. Thanks. The decision now will be to spend the extra 3 grand or not. And I feel that it's better invested now than later when I know I'll end up spending more in the long run.
The DS7's, lots of folks on this forum did not like it from an audiophile point of view, though my dealer seems to like them better than the 705's. From a price point no significant difference though.

[ray5]

One other question:
A receiver used as a pre/pro versus a dedicated pre/pro. What's the difference?

[htsteve]

ray5,

First, the receiver vs. prepro question. Receivers essentially have three parts to them: Tuner, amps and processing. They are designed to be all in one solutions. As such, there is only so much physical space and engineering that goes into a receiver at any given price point. Using a receiver as a pre-pro is fine, but you are mainly using one part of it at that point. A $2000 pre-amp should sound better than a $2000 reciever. All of the engineering and parts are towards the processing in the pre-amp.

A pre-pro almost always just has the processing. The advantage of a pre-pro is that better parts can be used, better circuits can be designed and separate analog and digital processing sections can be developed. This leads to better performance and a quieter background.

One major advantage of a pre-amp is that when new audio or video processing formats come out, you only need to replace the pre-amp if you want the new processing. In a receiver, you need to replace the whole thing, so you are 'rebuying' your amps and tuner when it may not be needed.


Rear speakers: 705's or DS7's. I've had rear speakers all over the place. On tables on either side, on side walls, on rear walls, 705's on stands and currently, N804's. I much prefer that the rear speakers be physically behind me. When I went to the 705's (BTW, matched with N804's and HTM1, very nice), I put them on stands and slightly behind me. They were about ear height. It worked out great. The clarity of the tweeter and midrange was much improved over the SCM8's I was using. I realize that space and WAF can limit where speakers are placed. But if you can do physically rear speakers, I would lobby in favor of the 705's.

BTW, if you get the 705's, you can use the 600 series stands with them. These are much more affordable than the 700 series stands (although the 700 series stands do look very cool, IMO).

One potential advantage of the DS7's is that if you have a really large space to fill, these might owrk better as rears.

Regarding your decision to spend more now. I know it's harder in the short run, but many of us, myself included, wished we could go back and get the 'better' stuff if the opportunity presented itself. We ended up there anyways and it cost more money. If you can do the package now that I think you have put together, it will be an awesome system.


Hope this helps.

[Ken49r]

ray5,

You stated 75-25 HT/Music as your preferences. The DS7 would work very well if you chose to stick with the 700 series as rears. The ultimate would be 2 more HTM3 as rears if you really want to match the front end.

I have had both 705's and now use the DS7's on the side walls with the tweeter positioned a few inches above my ears (my couch is up against the back wall). This works well with HT and Multichannel music in my setup. I like having the floor space that a pair of 705's would occupy for added furniture.

A nice advantage to the DS7 is its option of monoplole/dipole function but mostly I prefer monopole best since my listening room is quite small.

I don't think you will be missing much in SQ on Multichannel using the DS7 over the 705 IMO. HT is equal between the two.

[ray5]

ray5,

You stated 75-25 HT/Music as your preferences. The DS7 would work very well if you chose to stick with the 700 series as rears. The ultimate would be 2 more HTM3 as rears if you really want to match the front end.

I have had both 705's and now use the DS7's on the side walls with the tweeter positioned a few inches above my ears (my couch is up against the back wall). This works well with HT and Multichannel music in my setup. I like having the floor space that a pair of 705's would occupy for added furniture.

A nice advantage to the DS7 is its option of monoplole/dipole function but mostly I prefer monopole best since my listening room is quite small.

I don't think you will be missing much in SQ on Multichannel using the DS7 over the 705 IMO. HT is equal between the two.

I like the 705's because of there aesthetics and the DS7's for being off the floor like you do. But I cannot place them exactly opposite to each other. Also can you use one as a dipole and the other as a monopole? That's due to my room having an incomplete rear wall. That's the reason I came away from the dipoles to the floor standers though I like the idea of more space freed up when using the wall mounts.

[ray5]

I guess I am convinced now in beefing up my front ends. Next to the discussion between Calss D versus Class A/B amps. RMB 1565 or RMB 1075. The WPC is about 20watts more in the 1075 though I don't know if that makes a remarkable difference. The 1565 is sexier and smaller and will go very well with the 1570. Though most people swear by class A/B amps in comparing them to Class D ones

[vernonl]

Same boat

hi everyone.

I'm glad I found this thread as I'm more or less looking at the same sort of setup.

Right now I'm trying to decide if the 804S's will be worth the increase from either the 703's or the CM9's. I realise there's a big difference between the 804S and the CM9's so I'm also curious if anyone thinks, for music, if the jump up is worth it.

I don't claim to be very refined with my music as it's mostly Rock and Celtic music that I seem to listen to.

I was looking at the 703s with a Rotel 1560 or 804S with the 1560 but the guy at the store says the 1560 won't do the 804S justice at all. Is that really true considering the 804S claim to be able to take 50W to 250W in their specs?

He's recommending I go with the Amp and Surround processor separately which also ups the price a fair bit.

My other conundrum is that I just got the DS7s and an ASW-750 second hand for really cheap and they're still in excellent condition. I want to make sure my 3 fronts pair up nicely with these as they've pretty much dictated what else I should be buying.

Thanks all for the input!

[htsteve]

vernonl,

I tend to agree with the dealer regarding running 804's with a receiver, even one as nice as the 1560. The 804's really need a dedicated amp, and then you are into separates. The 800 series speakers really love power.

Regardless of music type, either the 703 or 804 will bring out the best in it. I am partial to the 804 since I have some. They are really very good.

Your DS7's and ASW-750 will work with either a 703 or 804 bases system. That would be a smokin' system in either case. But I like the 804 based system if you can do it.


Hope this helps.

[ray5]

I'd like to your opinion about the Class D v/s A/B

[vernonl]

vernonl,

I tend to agree with the dealer regarding running 804's with a receiver, even one as nice as the 1560. The 804's really need a dedicated amp, and then you are into separates. The 800 series speakers really love power.

Regardless of music type, either the 703 or 804 will bring out the best in it. I am partial to the 804 since I have some. They are really very good.

Your DS7's and ASW-750 will work with either a 703 or 804 bases system. That would be a smokin' system in either case. But I like the 804 based system if you can do it.


Hope this helps.

That helpls a lot, thanks!

So if I'm going separate amp and receive, should I now be look at other brands too?

I guess I can give you an idea of what I like and see what all the veterans here have to say...

What I DON'T want, above all else, is for this system to be overly tiring when listening to rock music. I've always liked the Rotel sound, but I've also heard the MacIntoshes (sp?) are much easier to listen to.

What I do like is tight sound with very good separation but I also like the sound stage to be open rather than sounding too much like it's directional.

Maybe I'm asking for too much, but considering I'm looking at separates now, I'm open to something in a similar price range. It goes without saying that I'll listen to all your suggestions before buying to see which sounds best to me.

[htsteve]

I'd like to your opinion about the Class D v/s A/B

ray5,

Class A/B vs. class D is in the ear of the beholder. I've had both types of amps from Rotel (1095/1080 'A/B' and '1077 D'). To me, on 700 series and 800 series speakers, they were quite comparable in my room. I felt like the 1077 sounded like the 1080 in many respects.

If possible, it's best to demo them side by side. Then you will know which is best for you.

One very nice aspect of the class D models are that they are small and run cool. It's amazing that something three inches high can drive a whole system. The class D's definitely make placement issues much easier.


Hope this helps.

[htsteve]

vernonl,

When considering speakers or amps/pre-amps, it's always best to listen to as many as you can. So yes, listen to other models.

What are you running today for speakers and electronics.

You've started looking at a very good brand in Rotel. they have excellent performance for the money. You also mentioned McIntosh. They are awesome (very smooth, does everything with excellence, no weak spots), but are much more expensive than Rotel. If your budget is in the Rotel range, you can audition equipment at that price point.

Your description of what you want in sound is a good one. One that many of us aspire to. I found that the Rotel's will give you that performance. Better equipment like the Mac's will do al those things, but even better and on more impressive equipment (like 802D's and up).


Hope this helps.

[vernonl]

Thanks again for the input.

I've waited for years and listened to a bunch of equipment I could never afford and now I'm lucky enough to be starting from scratch. As of now I have nothing in the way of equipment except for the pieces I told you I just bought second hand, hence why I'd like to get myself something really good off the bat, but also not cripple myself financially doing it. ops:

What brands do you recommend I look at that's in this price range that sound good with the B&Ws?

[ray5]

ray5,

Class A/B vs. class D is in the ear of the beholder. I've had both types of amps from Rotel (1095/1080 'A/B' and '1077 D'). To me, on 700 series and 800 series speakers, they were quite comparable in my room. I felt like the 1077 sounded like the 1080 in many respects.

If possible, it's best to demo them side by side. Then you will know which is best for you.

One very nice aspect of the class D models are that they are small and run cool. It's amazing that something three inches high can drive a whole system. The class D's definitely make placement issues much easier.


Hope this helps.

Thanks. To be honest I could not tell the difference when I auditioned both. I am set with the 1570 . The 1075 or 1565 as the amp is the maor question. Though the output on the 1075 is more I am not sure it will make that much difference. Of course aesthetically the 1565 is better and cooler and will go perfectly with the 1575. Also as per my dealer beyond 100WPC I won't notice a difference but from this forum many people have said that I need more to drive the 804S and HTM 3S.

[htsteve]

Thanks. To be honest I could not tell the difference when I auditioned both. I am set with the 1570 . The 1075 or 1565 as the amp is the maor question. Though the output on the 1075 is more I am not sure it will make that much difference. Of course aesthetically the 1565 is better and cooler and will go perfectly with the 1575. Also as per my dealer beyond 100WPC I won't notice a difference but from this forum many people have said that I need more to drive the 804S and HTM 3S.

ray5,

Since you really couldn't tell much difference sonically, then you move on to other features like appearance, how hot does it run, size. Based on these, I think you already know your answer: the 1565.

Now all you have to do is buy them.

As for power, the 1565 should sound very nice. I do agree that more power for the fronts, especially the 804S's, is a desired goal. The 800 series love power. That can be your next upgrade. :T

[vernonl]

Another thing to consider with the Class D's is that your power bill will generally be lower

[ray5]

ray5,

Since you really couldn't tell much difference sonically, then you move on to other features like appearance, how hot does it run, size. Based on these, I think you already know your answer: the 1565.

Now all you have to do is buy them.

As for power, the 1565 should sound very nice. I do agree that more power for the fronts, especially the 804S's, is a desired goal. The 800 series love power. That can be your next upgrade. :T

I think you're right. I thank all members of this forum, without your help I could not have navigated this maze. I will follow up with my final setup! Thanks. Good luck Vernonl.

[vernonl]

I think you're right. I thank all members of this forum, without your help I could not have navigated this maze. I will follow up with my final setup! Thanks. Good luck Vernonl.

I agree and thanks to ray5 for letting me piggyback this thread. I'm going this Saturday to listen to the equipment and can hopefully report back on something good! :T