A friend of mine had his B&W 801s paired with Cary SLM-100 monoblocks (w/ Audible Illusions modulus 3 preamp) for many years. Not sure which series but this was at least 10 years ago, I thought they sounded great until he switched them with a pair of Parasound JC1 monos and we both agreed the difference was transformational. I don't want to say night and day but pretty darn close, especially for large orchestral music. Even listening to jazz trios late at night (after kids and wife are at bed!) at low volume had a bit more heft and sounded fuller.
Just one more data point, FWIW.
Just one more data point, FWIW.