Best Integrated Amp? Help...

Actually, I think you're going to be happier with a lot more power, say 500 watts into 8 ohms.

Dave

You don't need the power for maximum volume but control of the woofers with the B&Ws. Potential volts is unimportant compared to actual power delivery into the load.

I didn't offer a specific integrated because I don't really know one in his price range with the power that I suggest. The Rowland Continuum 500 will do it, but that's 4-times his budget. Separates is probably the only way to get the needed power at that price point.

Dave

I'm thinking that separates only make sense if the OP has a pre or an integrated that can serve as the pre. Then a used stereo amp might be possible.

The fact that he says Rowland didn't work with these tells me he needs more power, plus knowing B&W to a degree. Of course Rowland would have never been in price point, unless it was pretty old.

Dave

I would think that the Rowland Concerto would have been fine with the 804 since it's got 250 watts, but maybe he had an older unit. There would be no lack of finesse in the Concerto, but if you got much lower power with those speakers I think that bass would be poorly controlled and the transparency in thickly scored pieces would be obscured.

As I moved up the power chain with my Vienna Acoustic Beethoven Baby Grands, each step was pretty dramatic. I started with a 50 wpc Bryston which was fine until pushed or with really deep bass content. Next I went to the Conrad Johnson CA200 for 175 wpc into 8 ohms, which really showed me what the bass good do and got much cleaner on complex passages, particularly at high volume. When I went to the Rowland Continuum 500 the bass control grew by an order of excellence and the transparency opened up further, dramatically. The pres all were incremental improvements in each case, but I think it was the amplifier section that really took over my speakers and made them way more dynamic and focused. The B&W has a similar need for power and control, IME.

Given the budget, 200 watts is the minimum that I'd go for, but hope for a way to get closer to 500 watts.

Dave

Agreed, watts aren't free, but they're clearly useful, particularly with dynamic speakers like the B&Ws. I think that more and more people are looking to China for their watts, because of the cost per watt is so steep for US-made amplifiers.

Dave