Having worked briefly for Magnolia and having heard top Mac gear with 802D3s and KEF Blades pretty extensively, I have to say I largely agree with what I heard on the above video. For me, poorer recordings were well served by the “beautification” of the Mac electronics, but the flip side is that it also masked a lot of the detail that makes good recordings good — depends on your tastes/goals. I will say though that I don’t find the D3 versions (unlike some earlier versions) of the 8 series to be harsh either in the treble or the upper mids but rather just very transparent to what they’re being fed — and BTW I’m not a big B&W fan just to be clear.
Which goes back back to the reason I recommended the Vitus Class-A integrated above as it gives some of that tube warmth, fluidity, and “magic” of tubes with the power to properly drive the 803s but also doesn’t hide detail the 803s are capable of conveying on better recordings. I think a good hybrid integrated would also be an excellent idea given the OP’s stated preferences.
Lastly, as for subs, yes you can spend more than the SB2000 Pros, but those subs are still very, very good and if it’s me I’d put more $$$ toward a better integrated amp as I think there’s more overall sonic benefit to be had there than getting better subs. But that’s me, FWIW.
Which goes back back to the reason I recommended the Vitus Class-A integrated above as it gives some of that tube warmth, fluidity, and “magic” of tubes with the power to properly drive the 803s but also doesn’t hide detail the 803s are capable of conveying on better recordings. I think a good hybrid integrated would also be an excellent idea given the OP’s stated preferences.
Lastly, as for subs, yes you can spend more than the SB2000 Pros, but those subs are still very, very good and if it’s me I’d put more $$$ toward a better integrated amp as I think there’s more overall sonic benefit to be had there than getting better subs. But that’s me, FWIW.