Can anyone tell me what amplifiers go well with the B&W 703's/705's?

Question

Prefer replies from those who have actually experimented hands-on with using various amplifiers and the 703's/705's

Answer 1

Aragon and Adcom.

Answer 2

Hi.I have used many amplifiers over the years,but i have not heard B&Ws,although i have Rogers speakers which are also British made.I can give you a few tips though to help you find a suitable amplifier for the B&Ws.What ever amplifier you get no matter how powerful and expensive will only do its job if it receives an undamaged or unaltered signal from the Source component.You will often hear how one amplifier is a good match for one speaker and a poor match for another.So what makes one speaker an easy load and another speaker hard to drive ?There are a number of reasons but the two most important are IMPEDANCE and SENSITIVITY. Impedance is resistance that varies with frequency.The fact that the speakers' impedance varies with the frequency it is reproducing, is one reason why the amplifier has such a tough job.Your B&Ws have a nominal rating of 8 ohms. The term nominal,means average because it is quite likely that impedance variations will occur throughout the speaker's frequency range.A variation as wide as 3 to 40 ohms is possible.The amplifier must be able to deal with these impedance variations ,producing the amount of power necessary to drive the speaker at any frequency.If the amplifier is not capable of dealing with the impedance swings,audible distortion will occur.

Ideally an amplifier should be a constant voltage source.That is ,for a given input signal,the amplifier should produce a constant voltage across the speaker terminals whatever the load.Each time the load resistance is halved,the amplifier should double its output.To make this happen,the amplifier's power supply must also double its current delivery to the output transistors.The continued doubling must stop at some point and ,if carried too far,could end in disaster.Either the power supply will run out of current and fail to maitain the amplifiers output wattage, or worse , go beyond the capability of the output devices,creating excessive heat and eventually destruction of the transistors. The best amplifiers are unconditionally stable with any load and any signal.
So to summmarize ,the amplifier needed to match your B&W speakers should :

(1) Have enough clean (continuous,rms) watts to drive the speakers without distortion.
(2)Be able to deal with impedance variations supplying the necessary current to the speakers without audible distortion
(3)And to be unconditionally stable with any load and any signal.
.It is not important what brand you choose as long as the amplifier meets these requirements.

Answer 3

Adcom Carver or McIntosh

Answer 4

You can't go wrong with Krell. But if that's out of your league, try B&K. Next would be Marantz. And if that't too much, Niles makes some very clean and simple amps.