Amplifiers for B&W 803D/802D

My personal opinion is that isn't enough juice to really do the job on the 803D. I reccomend at-least 250 watts per channel but you're close and some amps seem to be stronger than advertised. I'm not familiar with accuphase. If I only had 180 watts per channel, I would go with the 803S. They would sing very nice at that power. Just my opinion. I was going to get the 803S because I was only going to have 150 watts mono per channel but then I upgraded to 300 watt mono's and upgraded to 802D. It may work but I know someone who drives the 803D with classe 200 watts per channel and he's in a small room but the speaker just wants more. My opinion is don't under power b&w, they won't sound right.

beerdraft

I have 802D for a few years and I tried to match it with (tubed) Audio Matiere, Classe, Plinius SA-102 and last year with Spectron Musician III SE. The last one is the best in all respect - very transparent sound, huge soundstage, very natural timbre, deep and powerful bass. On the top, it does not create heat like my "little oven" Plinius nor did it consume much electricity.

I think one can drive 802D even with medium power tube amp and enjoy the sound, so good speakers are but to utilize their full potential I feel that only superb and very powerful but musically involving amplifier shoulds be used.

Beerdraft - thanks for your answer, but how big is your room? My room has only 20m2.

Unfortunately I like more 803D than 803S , the sound is warmer,the treble is sweet and the bass is deeper.

I have heard B&W 803D with Classe preamplifier CP500 and power amplifier CA2200 (2 x 200W @ 8ohms)and it sounds ok for me. (the room ~25m2).

Anyway I will do a test if it works together or not.

That room is much smaller than mine. I'm 19 feet by 33 feet. In that size room you may be fine with a good 200 watts per channel. B&W reccomends 250 watts or atleast thats what they told me as a minimum for the 803d but I'm sure they won't try to talk you out of buying. When I was going to get the mcintosh mc275's in mono parralel, they told me I'd be better with the 803S and that they reccomend 250 per on the D's. That is where I'm coming from on this. They will be great either way with the 200 I geuss but would be better with a little more, but then again what wouldn't be. With the room size should be fine though.
good luck
beerdraft

I wonder where the anti B&W brigade is? :) B&W sound seems to polarize people - you either think it's pretty ho-hum or you like it. When I heard the 802D's driven by Classe amplification - I could not pick a fault with the sound. But then again I could not pick anything I liked either. Since I have to "love" my equipment before I spend thousands of $ on it, I passed on this one.