Can a Rotel RA-1520 power B&W's 804s'

The new 805D's are stunning. The 1520 can drive them ok but it is not the optimum by a long shot.
I really liked the 804S's but to my ears the new 805's are in another league.

The proper partner for the RA-1520 would be the CM8's I think. If you were not going to be upgrading the amp then this is where I would look most closely. Nice speakers and an easy load. Another one to look at is the CM5 with good stands. Those are a nice match for that amp and they have a terrific balance that fits in a lot of homes. What you want is balance. If you are looking at either the CM9's or the 804's then quite honestly I wouldn't think that the 60 watt 1520 is really enough. The 805D's deserve a lot better in my opinion also.

Be careful not to get too much speaker for your amp.

I was interested in the B/W CM9 and took a RA-1520 with me to audition.
After aprox. 10 minutes of listening to Robert Plant´s Raising Sand the amplifier shut down ´cause it protected itself. BTW while it lasted it was fantastic, love those speakers.
From what i have heard CM7 are ideal.

Good Luck

The CM8's are the ones you want. They are the latest in that line and sound fantastic. Much better than the 7's and only $200 more in cost. The Rotel RA1520 amp should drive those with no trouble at all.

I have a pair of B & W CDM7SE's partnered with the 1520. If this isn't enough amp for you, I feel sorry for your ears and what's left of your hearing. I've owned some of the best stuff out there, and the Classe Cap 151 I have now to compare it to can't beat it. The Classe costs 2.5 times as much as this Rotel, and the Rotel is the one that makes my foot tap. It literally blows the house down on everything I feed it, and it NEVER shuts down or cries for mercy.

Seriously, I can afford any amp I want, and I'm keeping the Rotel. It sounds as good as any amp I've ever owned.

Aragon 4004, B&K ST 140, Adcom 555, Classe Cap's 80 and 151. Anyone that doesn't at least TRY this Rotel first is cheating himself. Is this raving enough?

Experiment,

You need to be aware you might be entering a continous upgrade path. Beware!

My story: my first system was B&W CM4 (previous line) with Rotel CD player, Rotel RC1070 pre and Rotel amp. I auditioned at home the 60W amp...RB1050 maybe? Not enough juice. So I got the RB1080...200W per channel. Nice combo!
Then I wanted to upgrade speakers and got 804S. Was happy...BUT...I came to realize the pre/amp weren't up to the task. Enough power, yes, but not enough quality. I auditioned Classe, McIntosh, and others, and ended with McIntosh MC275 (tubes). Great combination!!
Theeeen...I got the itch with the preamp. Out the Rotel, in a Lamm LL2...you get the picture. BTW, tubes and 804S work VERY nicely together, in my opinion. My 804S never sounded better, but we are talking serious money compared with my original system.

So, if you aren't in for an upgrade spiral, please try to audition the combination you suggest before buying those [great] speakers.

Now, if you need someone to entice you to go for the 804S, count me in ;-)

I hope this helps.