Mcintosh Amps w/ B&W 801'S

Well for a serious prospective 20k buyer I don't know if that is the best business practice especially buying at retail prices. The only way to know for sure is to listen with your own ears. You need work something out with these order takers and make them earn their money or look elsewhere and let them know. If they don't care, well there isn't much you can do about that type of attitude.

Obviously you have a lot of money on your hands, so I would skip the Macs all together. I've heard the 801 matched with krells 600c and it sounded wonderful. It was in a large 20x35 room and the room still seemed too small. These speakers were also meant to be played loud and do not sound that great played soft. Either way, I have never heard of a hi-end dealer that didn't allow in home demo's. I would not buy from them, because obviously they are trying to trap you. Also, most dealers will give you at least 15-20% off when you spend this kind of money. Dealers I deal with will give you 15% right off the bat on $1000 gear. There is approximately 30-45% margin on this stuff so you should be able to save yourself a few thousand bucks.

I have the 801 Matrix III's powered with Levinson amp/pre and they sound great. I have listened to the N801 with Levinson at the dealer, again great sound, but can't afford the upgrade to the Nautilus right now. I can't help with the sound of the Mac/N801 combo because I've never listened to Mac gear. I do second, third, fourth (or whatever we are up to) the dealer comment. If you are considering spending this kind of loot and he won't let you borrow the amps for a few days find another dealer. There is probably a reasin he claims to be the No. 1 Mac dealer. Once youbuy you are held hostage. Keep the Mac or buy somthing from the guy. Find another dealer....fast.

I listened to a pair of 801s through a Mac amp and pream ( i forget which amp bu t if memory serves me.. whcih if often dont..the amp had 4 6550s per side) and a meridian cd player. I found the sound to be pretty sterile and lifeless. Warmth was not an descriptive term that remotely came to mind. The fault may lie with the dealer who's help is generally clueless. All cabling was monster (it's the best man!...their words not mine) and the set up for that system looked far from optimum. However, I also listened to a pair of 803 through a CJ rig at the same shop and that sounded pretty good. I'd definitely want to try them at home for a while before i parted with that much cash.

McIntosh amps and B&W 801's will each shine in their own well matched systems, but my experiences with the two is that the Mac's do not have enough of a damping factor to mate well with B&W's, which can make the combination a bit laid back for some and not as controlled or dynamic in the bottom octaves as other combinations. Your mileage may vary, as we all hear differently into the music. If you listen to the combination and don't have a problem with this parameter, then I am sure the smooth highs and large soundstage will keep you up for many a long nights listening sesions. Have fun