Which amp, preamp would match B&W 803S?

Any of the Rotel line work very and should be in you budget.

I wouldn't play some 6000USD speakers with 2000USD amplification...

I would suggest Primare PRE30 preamp & Parasound Halo A21 power - a bit pricier over 2000, but definitely proved excellent match with 803S.

I own this combination almost 3 years...

I owned a Rotel RB-1080 and another Rotel Rc-995 preamp which were mated to a pair of Matrix 803 Series 3 speakers. Listening to smooth jazz sounded good in the first few minutes but after that, I felt there was something amiss. At first I thought it were the speakers but just by luck, I changed the RB-1080 to a Parasound A23 (125wpc). Wow, it changed the sound of music (no pun intended) completely around. That's when I realized that the RB-1080 was the culprit.

I have learned then to stay away from Rotel products.

But thanks for your input. And yes I am still looking at the Parasound Halo amps, even though they are regarded as mid-fi by the audiophile community.

Check out the B&W forum (if you haven't already) http://www.htguide.com/forum/forumdisplay.php4?f=22

I own 804s with Rotel amplification and have come to the same conclusion you have. Many people like the B&W and McIntosh or Classe sound. They are pricier, though. My dealer said, and others have confirmed, the amp is more important than the preamp with B&W. I am budget constrained as well, so I'm planning to upgrade amp first. In my case a tube McIntosh. You should pay a listen...I was surprised!

My two cents.

Amp at that price that would be excellent (I ran it with my former N804) is a used Ayre V-3; a beefy SS power amp with more power than its rating. As to a hybrid preamp, someone else will hopefully weigh in.

Hello,
I own B&W802 and I can't recommend enough Spectron Musician III - see my post:

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?aamps&1180897750&read&keyw&zzspectron

All The Best

Rafael

I've been running 803S'sssss for many years and started out with the Big Rotel 1090 (380wpc & 80A peak) with same 1070 preamp.

MSRP on the 1090 was $1999 back in 02-03(?) and I don't think they produce it anymore so you'd have to watch the classifieds. If you do, proceed with caution if your running off a 20A service using a 12 gauge or fatter powercord...the toroidal transformer in that thing is the size of a small pumpkin and you're likely to smoke something
something in the amp like this guy I knew did.

Don't let the magick smoke out!

Marsh Amps where also favorably rated and if I recall had good synergy with the 803S(?)

IMO you can't put enough current flow to the 803. Everytime I upgrade amplification the speaker changes in accordance with degree of ampflication improvement.