B&W and Amp matching

[mleber]

Hello all.

I am glad to have found this forum since I have been auditioning B&W's in anticipation of an upcoming move out of my apartment and into a home with a basement waiting to be turned into a dedicated HT/AV room.

I have reached a verdict as to the speakers that I will be using and they are as follows:
Fronts: N803 (just have to go with the Cherry color)
Rears: N805
Center: HTM1

I plan on using this set up for SACD/DVD-A/CD use about 50% of the time and HT the other 50%.

I have listened to many AMP/Pre pro setups and am having some trouble with decision making. The B&K Ref 50/200.7 (I will upgrade to 7 channels eventually) seems to be the frontrunner, but Rotel just keeps pulling in close. Considering the even distribution of HT and Audio use, clarity is key all around. I plan on using my DV-47A at first, but then upgrading the CD player to a dedicated one for all formats (Classe or Linn probably).

Any help would be great and certainly other suggestions are more than welcome. I have lots of time to research since we won't start the build for at least two months.

Thanks.




As the Greek philosopher Basha once said, a flute with no holes is not a flute, and a donut with no hole is a danish.

[Mark_C.]

I would recommend looking at Classe CAV-180. It's five channels, but it will certainly get you going in the right direction. I use a Classe CAP-101 integrated from my 804s (100 watts per channel) and the speakers sound fantastic. Classe power just seems best. I would also recommend Rotel, since I have a Rotel RMB-1075 powering Naut. 805s and HTM2 for the HT. Another great combination.

[John Styrnol]

I'm using the Rotel RB-1080 for my CDM 9NTs, sounds pretty nice.




John

My Home Theater
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[sikoniko]

If you have a dealer that is close that you can demo a classe, then try it out. I do not, so I did not want to spend the money on something I had not heard. They are very expensive.

I have heard the rotel 1075 with 804's and it sounded good. I opted for a cinenova grande which is a 300w x 5 amp and I very happy.

[DrBoom]

Strange that you like both Classé and Rotel, which I find complete oposites of each other.
Classé is very neutral, airy, transparent and with a very tight and controlled bass.
I find Rotel to be very warm, lacking a bit detail in mid and high, and also lacking control in the lower regions.
I love the sound of the CAP151 on 804's, but I currently own an RMB1075 powering my 804's which I'm not that happy with.
Seems too muddy and warm, so I'm going to try mating my RSP1098 with a Parasound 2205 to see what that gives.

[Mark_C.]

Strange that you like both Classé and Rotel, which I find complete oposites of each other.

Are you referring to my suggestions?
I find Classe perfect for music, very smooth with my 804s. I don't think I'll ever use anything else but Classe for music. I think the Rotel 1075 matches well with my 805s and 601S2s rears. I set all my HT speakers to small with a 80Hz crossover to my Velodyne sub. The 1075 has more than enough control and beef to make movie soundtracks sparkle. It's not a bad combination with concert DVDs either.

[pf]

Rotel
McIntosh
Classe
Krell

Non of the above for me though.

PF

[Scarp]

Some of my personal experiences:

Rotel on 802's? Don't ... the RB1090 is a good amp and certainly great for 803's or lower, however for 802's you definitly need something better with more punch and power, especially in the lower bass regions.

Classe is owned by B&W since last year and certainly makes great products, but you really need to listen and see if its your sound. I didn't like it much. Also a warm sound I think.

Krell are great amps and can sound great on 802's, although I didn't hear the combination. On 804's they bring something extra to the laid back B&W's.

Parasound is a good match for B&W 802's Especially the more powerfull Parasound amps like the JC1 mono's or the older HCA3500 bring so much to this speaker. Again also a personal taste for the sound of the combination, but its forward and powerfull in the deep regions.

Chord Electronics are a good match for nearly everything. However very expensive