Tube poweramp for B&W Nautilus for under 2k?

If you are talking about the 805's or 804's you can get by with 75 watts. The others generally require substantially more power 200 watts or so before they begin to open up.

Put the Music Reference RM9 MK2(125 wpc) on your short list.It can be had for less than $2000.00 and will slap those B&Ws around like red headed step children.

Quad II pre power combo, can drive N803 very very well. Super deep bass.

I am really looking for people who have owned or been in contact with the Vac and B&W's. I appreciate the other responses but am looking a little more specific on this one
Tod

I owned the B&W 801 Nautilus speaker system and drove them with a krell 400cx amp (demo'd them with a VT-200 ARC amp as well; which I've also owned); they are clean, pure and controlled!! Now for the bad news....they do not come alive unless you crank them far beyond even live levels!! Dynamic contrasts suffer as well, along with presence!! Another annoying item is the transition region from mid-bass to lower mids...cello region is suppressed by a few db...very annoying and sucks the energy out of this crucial power region!! I asked B&W about the crossover error and they ignored me 3 times...no answer was ever given!! In case you might place the blame on my other components I assure you that my ARC REF2mkII, Levinson 37 Transport & 360s processor are up to the challenge. I used Transparent Ref cables and cords!! My Watt\Puppy 6's were fun and my Dunlavy SC-V's are amazing and much more full of life!!

The PA100 has plenty of power to drive the Nautilus speakers. I prefer it over any solid state amps I've tried or heard in other N802 systems. You didn't mention which series you are using so anything up to an N801 should be fine. Tube selection is important to achieve the sound you are looking for.

I am sorry I was not more clear. I have the Nautilus 804's. I know there is enough power but how about the rest of the dynamic range? Good tonal balance? What charachteristics do you notice in this piece? Thanks for the reply.

Tonal balance will change dramatically with tube choice. I purchased my PA100 used and it came with VAC chinese KT88's and RT driver tubes and the sound was basically big, fat, warm tubey bass, a nice mid, not much air on top, but for the music I listen to most often, 60's jazz it sounded very beguiling but at a disadvantage with rock and classical. I changed the KT88's to Svetlana's and that is the best compromise for me. Nos Sylvania 6189's will give a bit more extension at the extremes with a loss in the mid-upper bass but not in bass impact. This would probably be a better driver tube for rock and classical. With my setup as described, I find the sound to be warm, detailed without being in your face, bass that is full with enough impact to shake the house on something like "Enya- The Long Ships". The top end lets you hear all the cymbals and horns without making your ears bleed. I dislike the pinched over-controlled bass that solid state presents and the harsh harmonics of a piano, so for me I am happy with my VAC and Nautilus combo.

Thank you very much you really have been quite helpful. I listen to a lot of rock so I will look into the Svetlana's if the used amp I get does not have them already. I have the musical fidelity 3.2 right now and it is really good in many ways but I miss tubes. Who knows maybe I will keep both. But I wanted to try out a good tube amp and the CJ is just too expensive and I really do not have room for monos