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Integrated amp for B&W 805S under $1200?

Hello everyone,

I got a great deal on a B&W 805S earlier this year. Unfortunately, I haven't found the "right" amplifier for it yet, given my budget and musical tastes. So please help a new audiophile!

I mostly listen to classical music, and also some opera and jazz. So I want an amplifier that does justice to the grand symphony sound (think Mahler's Fifth or Tchaiokovsky's Sixth). Sounding musical is very important also: in particular, in violin and piano.

I had a Rotel 1062 from my older B&W CM1. I felt that it struggled with the B&W 805s and the sound was harsh. I next tried the Musical Fidelity A3.5. It sounded much better and I was pretty satisfied. But I noticed I was getting listener fatigue after listening to a moderately loud volume after an hour or so. I next tried a YBA YA201. Wow, musical! Strings and vocals sounded incredibly silky smooth on it. It brought to life my favorite violin and cello concertos (Mendelssohn, Elgar) and Ella Fitzgerald just sounded wonderful. Unfortunately, it was weak on pianos (sounded a bit muffled) and lacked a wide soundstage.

So here I am, trying to find another integrated amplifier. I'm a grad student so $1200 is a somewhat hard limit. Any suggestions? I was considering a Naim Nait 5, a Classe CAP151, or a Plinius 8200.

My CD player is a Rega Apollo.

Thanks in advance,
Mike
mabdelmalek

Showing 1 response by nrenter

nrenter's avatar
nrenter
768 posts
 
I hate it when people say "if you could find just a few more dollars..." but, if you could find a few more dollars, try to find a used Ayre AX-7e. I believe the B&W 805s has a first-order crossover, but cannot say if they are time and phase aligned. The Ayre would be a good match.

The room really dictates the need for a sub with the 805s'. I also disagree with the need to high-pass your amps for solid subwoofer integration. I had a REL Strata III when I owned B&W N805 speakers, and had it rolled off somewhere in the 30's. Integration was smooth and seamless. Again, the room has a lot to do with this.
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