B&W Nautilus 800N . Best amp & preamp setup ?

I had 800N with my Lamm 1.2 ref amps and loved them. I used Jeff Rowland Synergi IIi as my preamp. I think all the amp manufacturers you list are obviusly very good. I think the Lamms excel in soundstage and have an unreal three dimension quality. Good luck.

hi
I have the 800D not the 800N but they should be similar. I tried Mcintosh 1201= muddy and lose bass. Then I went to ML 436 mono= dark and congested. So the Krell 450mx came in= These really worked well w/ the B&W but they were grainy. Now I have Accuphase M2000. By far these were the best match for me. They have tons of power and control and the mids and highs are tube like. Good luck with your choices.
Nick

My N800 are driven by Krell FPB 700Cx + KCT via CAST interface with excellent results. The N800s are great speakers as expected. I was surprised to hear good sound from a pair of vintage HK Citation IIs in mono (~130W/ch) but the bass couldn't keep up the demand. For a kick, I also hooked up an old Yamaha MX-1 200w/ch SS amp and was pleasantly surprised as well with tight bass and good mids/highs but coming short to the Krell in refined sound. But considering the cost difference, I could live with the MX-1 driving the N800s.

Ki

After auditioning a few amps and pre-amps, I ended up the McIntosh C46 pre-amp and the MC402 power amp for my system. After a year and a half I am still very pleased with my choice. Another important factor is the music source. When I used my old CD player, the sound left a lot to be desired --- muddy and lacking in punch. Then I got a Linn Unidisk 1.1 through an Audiogon seller ----- and magic! I can honestly say I find this setup a pure joy!

This will be a shocker for most of you. I am powering my Nautilus 800n with an Accuphase A20v. This is a pure class A 20w amp. My B&W dealer is incredulous, but this rig sounds fantastic. I have to agree that there is a bit to be desired with low end punch, but the mids and highs are remarkable. I am currently running with no preamp (yes its loud) and an Ayre disc player on the front end. I am not saying this is my final configuration, but I have enjoyed this for the past year. Go figure. . .

Interesting...20w/ch...

Did anyone try biamping the N800s with identical stereo power amps? I would imagine one has to disconnect the internal crossover and get an active crossover to do it right.

Ki

The best thing I can advice is look for a powerfull amp with a 'musical' sound. You need a lot of power or you will have a lack of bass. And I also can advice you an amp which had a warm 'musical' sound. Use powercables who are capable of delivering a lot of power and control like the Purist Audio can do. You also can use a SS poweramp with a tube pre-amp.

Hi
I have the Signature 800's runing 4 ML 436's sounds great but need to be biamped. I had mac mc2600's slow and boomy.

good luck