Powering B&W 804S, fine with what I have or more?

[Tweek]

Although I've not had a chance to audition all the speakers I have on my list, there is a good chance (based on past listening) that I will be going with the B&W 804S speakers as an upgrade to my system.

Currently I have a NAD C162 preamp coupled with a C272 amp that puts out 150x2, and a NAD C542 CDP.. Will I be fine with this power? I've read that even the 805S bookshelfs need upwards of 400w of power amp to make them really shine. I was thinking I could add another C272 amp, and run them bridged, for 400 x 2. Or should I just stick with what I have?

 

[Seth=L]

How large is the room? The difference between 400 watts and 150 watts is right around 5 dB. For most listening conditions you won't use much more than 5-10 watts rms. NAD amplifiers have ample headroom, and should work fine with the 804s.

 

[tbewick]

Although I've not had a chance to audition all the speakers I have on my list, there is a good chance (based on past listening) that I will be going with the B&W 804S speakers as an upgrade to my system.

Currently I have a NAD C162 preamp coupled with a C272 amp that puts out 150x2, and a NAD C542 CDP.. Will I be fine with this power? I've read that even the 805S bookshelfs need upwards of 400w of power amp to make them really shine. I was thinking I could add another C272 amp, and run them bridged, for 400 x 2. Or should I just stick with what I have?

Although Seth=L mentioned that average demands on the power amplifier are usually quite small, peak transients can sometimes demand considerably more power. Using a more powerful amplifier will reduce the likelihood of amplifier clipping, but will not necessarily result in an improvement in sound quality. The 804S speakers are, no doubt, very good speakers, so upgrading your amplifier seems a reasonable step.

 

[j_garcia]

They don't "need" 400W to shine...though I'm sure they would be more than happy with that kind of power. 150w should be plenty for them unless you are looking for extreme levels of output.

5dB is quite a bit of difference, but I don't think it will make a considerable difference unless you are currently pushing the system to the point where it is straining.

 

[annunaki]

While the NAD will work well for now. I would seriously consider an amplifier of around 400 watts rms or larger to allow for extended unclipped dynamic playback at moderate listening levels.

How far will you sit from the speakers? What is your average listening volume in db? What type of music do you primarily listen to? is it real dynamic in nature (i.e. high dynamic range) I should be able to roughly calculate how much power you will need for unclipped dynamic output levels. It is not an exact science but it puts you in the infield of the ball park.

 

[cug]

Although I've not had a chance to audition all the speakers I have on my list, there is a good chance (based on past listening) that I will be going with the B&W 804S speakers as an upgrade to my system.

Currently I have a NAD C162 preamp coupled with a C272 amp that puts out 150x2, and a NAD C542 CDP.. Will I be fine with this power? I've read that even the 805S bookshelfs need upwards of 400w of power amp to make them really shine. I was thinking I could add another C272 amp, and run them bridged, for 400 x 2. Or should I just stick with what I have?

I tested the 804S in August, trying to find out whether I can go with an Rotel 1062 integrated amplifier or I should get something with more power. So we were at the store and compared the integrated amp RA-1062 (2x60W into 8 Ohm) with the RB-1072 power amp with a pre-amp and an even larger combination from Classe.

In short: there was a difference. Yes. But it wasn't worth 1000 CAD, more like 100 CAD or so - it was nearly nothing, maybe it was nothing and we only though we heard it.

We went with the integrated amplifier that drove the 804S perfectly well and had 1000 Dollars more to spend on other stuff. The 804S will come in the next weeks, replacing some good old speakers I lived now 11 years with. Then I'm finally back at the B&W side, where I've been in the 80's with B&W Matrix 2.

 

[KingCur]

Having just bought the same set as you described (B&W 804S with NAD C162/C727 pre and power amp and the NAD CD player) I would be curious to hear if you meanwhile have good experience with this set, especially with respect to the power issues you raised.

Like cug I listened to various much more expensive amps (Primare, Arcam) and never came upon differences that would for me justify the extra investment in amplifiers, especially since I got the NAD amp set at a very sweet price of €1000 on special offer.

Of course I'd also be curious to know your general impressions of the set. I sort of instantly fell in love with these speakers.

Thanks for any response,

Cor Balfoort

 

[WmAx]

Having just bought the same set as you described (B&W 804S with NAD C162/C727 pre and power amp and the NAD CD player) I would be curious to hear if you meanwhile have good experience with this set, especially with respect to the power issues you raised.

Like cug I listened to various much more expensive amps (Primare, Arcam) and never came upon differences that would for me justify the extra investment in amplifiers, especially since I got the NAD amp set at a very sweet price of €1000 on special offer.

Of course I'd also be curious to know your general impressions of the set. I sort of instantly fell in love with these speakers.

Thanks for any response,

Cor Balfoort

Interestingly, an even better amp, for less cost, would be a professional audio amp such as the Yamaha P3500S, for example. More power, less cost and probably better construction/build quality to boot.

Unless you 'need' them for cosmetic reasons, I don't even recommend home 'hi-fi' amplifiers anymore. If your primary concern is actual function/performance, then you can't beat good pro audio amps.

-Chris

 

[jamie2112]

If people still want to waste money buying Classe and Krell amps for 20x the cost over a pro Yamaha or Behringer go right ahead it won't get you any better sound at all. But to each his own.....

 

[bandphan]

so what if i like to burn money