Amp for B&W 802 SIII

Try bi-amping.I have a Conrad Johnson MV-75a on top and the Sonographe SA-120 on the bottom.Using a Conrad Johnson PV-6 as the preamp.Great sound and the best of both worlds,tubes and solid state.listening to some of my favorite Cd's and LPs again gives me chills.Love those B&W 820s and I have the series III.Traded a pair of Martin Logans to get these speakers and when folks put them up for sale they go fast.Good Luck

i have 801s3 with 332 levinson its very cohearant top to bottom and smooth, very good sound.have heard krell is not a good match with b&w800series3 speakers. very good sound i have heard is 23.5 levinson with 801 s3. i have also had a dealer tell me he did sell a CJmv50 for highs and 331 levinson for bass never heard it though????. mY FIRST CHOICE IS THE 23.5 GOOD LUCK

My system is very similar: , ARC LS-16 preamp, Meridian 508.24 cd with B&W Matrix 802 serIII speakers driven by an ARC VT100 mkII. I also tried Pass Aleph 2's (125W class A ss monoblocks) in this system. The ARC amp had better bass and more midrange "presence". The Pass amps had more undistorted clarity, but they sacrificed some detail, some sonic impact.

I have the 801s3's and use a Levinson 332 amp. B&W's typically need amp's that provide high current to really come alive. If you are considering SS think Levinson, Pass and Krell. I can't help you on the tube side, but there are plenty of audiogon members that can.