View Full Version : Amp suggestions to go with B&W 800 Nautilus Series Speakers?
A recent accident involving shorting the terminals on one of my LK140 power amps :( has me thinking about replacement or upgrade choices to drive my B&W 804 Nautilus speakers which were being driven by a Linn Kairn and 2 LK140s bi-amped. In doing a bit of research I have read the the 804s are "current hungry" and need an amp that will deliver double the power into 4 Ohms vs 8 Ohms (whether this is true I don't know).
I seem have several choices:
- Buy another LK140 on e-bay, but I always felt this combination lacked bass (and perhaps power at 85W into 8Ohms?), and spend the rest on improving the Touch/Bushmaster II front-end
- Replace the LK140s completely with one (or two power amps). I have read good reports on the Croft Series 7 elsewhere on AOS and are not too much more than I could sell the LK140 on ebay but would it be able to drive the 804s? Other choices could be SH Linn amps such as the 2250 or Majik 2100.
- Replace the Kairn and LK140 with another pre-power combo but I would need a remote and the ability to play AV through the 804s (this eliminates the Croft Pre-Amp)
- Go down an integrated amp route with something like a SH/new Primare I32 or Musical Fideliity M6i
I would welcome any advice you might have especially on amps to drive B&W 800 series. Maximum budget for whichever option would be £1500.
Just a suggestion but you should at least consider out an XTZ power amp available new at less than half your budget. Does not struggle with a difficult load, stays clean even at high SPL.
Thanks for the suggestion. I have not heard of them before. They are supposed to run hot in Class AB as well as Class A mode. Is that what you have found?
In class A - yes. In AB - no. The case gets a only a little warm even after hours of use at pretty high SPL. I couldn't tell the difference in terms of sound quality between the two. And I am quite fussy in that regard. So you shouldn't worry in that respect.
the the 804s are "current hungry" and need an amp that will deliver double the power into 4 Ohms vs 8 Ohms (whether this is true I don't know).
I recall reading on the magnepan website that a good indicator of an amps quality is to be able to double the power when going into 4 Ω.
It depends - very few valve amps can do this but it is a good rule of thumb for transistor amps. Some amps with very stiff power supplies, like Krells can double again in to 2 ohm and again at 1 ohm - this is rare though. My amps are 75wpc in to 8 ohms and 135 in to 4 ohms.
Easy: save lots of cash over new Naim stuff and buy a Parasound Halo A21. More than enough drive for your 804's with plenty in reserve
Easy: save lots of cash over new Naim stuff and buy a Parasound Halo A21. More than enough drive for your 804's with plenty in reserve
Agreed. It will blow Alastair's budget, though (about £2.8k from memory).
Agreed. It will blow Alastair's budget, though (about £2.8k from memory).
Used, they're more like £1000 Martin and come up frequently enough. A good,safe used buy at that.
Thanks for the suggestion. £2350 or so new is outside my budget but SH they could be very interesting. They certainly seem to be impressive bits of kit (also run hot) but will certainly include them on the short-list to consider, especially if I can find a local dealer and hear one first.
A good friend of mine drives his 804's with Densen electronics and with great results.
The B200-B300 is a really good and gutsy combo and should be available at fair prices in the used market.
I would be tempted to buy the big Krell that Midland Audio Exchange are selling.
Do you mean the FPB700CX, Mark? That's up for £4799, which is a great price but over budget for Alastair.
A good friend of mine drives his 804's with Densen electronics and with great results.
The B200-B300 is a really good and gutsy combo and should be available at fair prices in the used market.
These look like nice kit, although the only review I could find suggested the treble was too bright. Does that match what you have heard in your friend's system. So far I have not seen any coming up on e-bay - I guess they are not too common.
Do you mean the FPB700CX, Mark? That's up for £4799, which is a great price but over budget for Alastair.
WAY over. Its a real monster. I am not sure it would fit in my listening room, let alone go on the stand with the rest of the kit!
The best combination in my ears with newer Nautiulus series has been german ASR integrateds. However the entry level option for those is already pretty expensive and I have no idea of the 2nd hand prices for them. If there's choice to increase budget perhaps then worth a look..
The best combination in my ears with newer Nautiulus series has been german ASR integrateds. However the entry level option for those is already pretty expensive and I have no idea of the 2nd hand prices for them. If there's choice to increase budget perhaps then worth a look..
I am sure they are fantastic. There's an ASR Emitter Exclusive on e-bay going SH for £3800, so I think I'll pass on that.
The amps currently on my more-or-less affordable and not too large, not too rare and don't get hot short list are (in roughly descending price order):
Primare A34.2
Parasound A21
Linn Klout (pairs well with the Kairn and I have read good reports about it driving N804s)
Rotel RB1582
Linn Majik 2100 or 4100 (for biamping) - with Dynamik PSU
Linn LK140 (just replace the damaged one)
Central Audio have some amps that may suit
These look like nice kit, although the only review I could find suggested the treble was too bright. Does that match what you have heard in your friend's system. So far I have not seen any coming up on e-bay - I guess they are not too common.
Depends on their partnering equipment - I used them with Triangle speakers and the treble was indeed a bit on the bright side; however, synergy wise, they seem to mate very well with the B&W which I find to be more neutral than the Triangles. They do pop up every now and then on the market but are indeed far from common.
Of the amp options you suggest, I've heard the Primare (with an older matching Pre-30 preamp) and was frankly quite impressed. Very clean and dynamic sounding.
Central Audio have some amps that may suit
Yes, they have many of them listed on ebay.
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