Go back to a tube amp but with more power. VAC, VTL, Cary, and Quicksilver amps are available with 100+ watts used in your price range. Solid state will always be thin and dry sounding with N804.
What amp for B&W 804?
I presently have Mcintosh MC7270 with a Prima Luna Prologue 3 pre amp. I traded my prima luna amp for the Mac thinking I was taking a step up. Not so. My present system sounds strident and thin in the mid range. It doesn't have the rich sonics that i expected. I have been told by an audiophile (I'm a amateur) that the Mac is not the amp for the B&W's. My question: What amp does fit the B&W's? Say in a price range of $3 to $4 thousand. I am not anxious to spend money, but I sorely want a stereo system that is a plessute to listen to. The Prima was good but not great. Jnorth