802 diamonds 911mk3

[krustycat]

i experimented a lot with my b&w 802d's and mc-601's and ended with two separate cables for each speaker connected to the 8 ohms taps

to my ears is what sounds the best

[DavidNJ]

I have my 802D`s connected to the 8 ohm taps of the Mcintosh 452 for the best sound, after trying the 4 ohm taps as a comparison.

[Indytown]

Originally Posted by krustycat

i experimented a lot with my b&w 802d's and mc-601's and ended with two separate cables for each speaker connected to the 8 ohms taps

to my ears is what sounds the best

Same here 8 ohm tap on the MAC 1.2kw with Acoustic Zen Double Barrel cables - 8 gauge to woofer and 10 gauge to top end.

[meltemi]

Originally Posted by drabbish

Meltemi,

Does the accuphase seem to give you enough control and headroom with your 800's?

No complaints whatsoever. For more information, please refer to the Accuphase (Reference System) thread.

BTW, I use full range biwiring (two separate AQ WEL Signature LS cables). IMHO bridging on the speakers cannot unleash the full sonic potential of the 800 Diamonds.

[hartmann-nbg]

Best you can do with the 800D's is biamping with two 601's and use the 8 Ohm plugs

[Rod#S]

My experience is different, I've used separate amps and cables to power both the LF and HF/MF drivers and heard no difference in performance and to me this makes sense because the speaker's crossovers are internal and can not be bypassed. Even if there was a slight argument to me made about separation of the LF and MF/HF the MF & LF remain tied. I've yet to see B&W confirm separation of signal when passively bi-amping/bi-wiring.

[TWiiii]

Owners of newer Mac amps with autoformers have much higher current ratings than the older 7000 and 2000 series, A MC501 can drive a 4 ohm load from the 8 ohm tap, put out a bunch more current and still meet specs. Where a 2600 or 2500 would be really handicapped. That doesn't make the older amps bad, it just means with todays speakers with very complex and unfriendly impedance curves need to be researched and not taken at face value when connecting to older SS or tube power amps. Its one reason I stick with Mcintosh SS amps without autoformers, another is my speakers prefer amps with a very low source impedance, higher damping factor.

[Javier M.]

I have conected my 800d2 on 4 Ohm taps. For me is the best option with 601

[koslekt1]

The 802's drop low due to the midrange and tweeter, not the bass, surprisingly. The 911mk3 will be able to handle it just fine. I suspect the midrange will really clear up and sound terrific.

(I've only heard the 956 mkII on 802s, but that sounded great. The 911 is another amp altogether!)