Thank you both for your responses. It's a little daunting looking into all this for a novice but it's quickly becoming a favorite hobby of mine as you say. The 805s arrive on Monday. Been saving up for them for 2 years now. Can't wait to set them up.
How to power the BW 805 D3 speakers
I just bought a pair of Bowers and Wilkins 805 D3 speakers and needed some advice on amplification (I'm pretty new at all this). I use a Marantz SR6009 receiver. It's power ratings are: "The SR6009 features a sophisticated power amplifier section with all 7 high current amp channels configured identically. Each channel is rated at 110 watts (8 ohms, 20 Hz~20 kHz, .08%THD), and all channels are rated to drive lower impedance 4 ohm speakers. The advanced Eco amplifier mode adjusts power consumption according to signal level, and there's an on-screen Eco Mode display that lets you see the power consumption reduction in real time." Bowers says the "recommended amplifier power is 50W-120W 8 Ohms on unclipped programme." I guess my question is will my Marantz work well for these?