Autoformer vs Speaker impedance Curve

Thanks for the suggestions George. I  probably shouldn’t have take this thread off topic by asking for suggestions. My bad. There are plenty of threads on that topic.  But...

I’m currently running a CA-2300 with my 802D3s (both bought used) and am very  satisfied with the combination. I will say, on very quiet passages, I can hear the air movement from the fan. This has pushed me away from the CA-M600 that was suggested.  But, the upgrade bug has hit.

With the MC611 out, there are lot of used MC601s on the market.

I’ve run the 802D3s with a very nice tube amp, 75 wpc Kt88. Sounds good, but a little loose and bloated in the bass with a very very slight glare in the upper mids. Mathematically, and to my ear, tubes and 802D3 are not the best match.  (Still on the hunt for speakers for my tube rig)

My my concern is  that  Autoformers may have a touch of that (obviously nowhere near as much as tubes...especially with 600 SS wpc!) without the magic of tubes.   

Just to get a feel for the Mac “sound” I listened to a MC452 with 802D3s in a poorly set up big box store. (The 601s we’re hooked up to Maggie’s, and they didn’t seem inclined to move them...they knew I was “window shopping) Seemed warmer, yet slightly less detailed than my 2300. Overall, I preferred my CA-2300, way better staging and presence, but that is likely more to do with the room.  

Way off topic and rambling. Probably just keep the CA-2300. 

I can hear the air movement from the fan. This has pushed me away from the CA-M600 that was suggested. But, the upgrade bug has hit.

Seeing you have a thing for Classe, this is what i’d like to see on them, it will control them with an iron fist, and if you need colourations try different preamps, they all sound different.

Find a used Classé Omega power amplifier, no fans, this below from the test bench is what "current (wattage doubling)" is all about and wattage. Not that you need that much wattage, a 100 at 8ohms would do.
.
" The Classé Omega proved a powerhouse on these tests (fig.8), generating
506W into 8 ohms
985.4W into 4 ohms
1886W into 2 ohms
and an astonishing 3425W into 1 ohm!!!!!"

It’s RCA input at 129kohm is fine for all preamps .
But it’s XLR input is only 8.4kohm so the preamp need to be very low output impedance (solid state) if the xlr is used.


https://www.stereophile.com/solidpoweramps/97/index.html

Cheers George

Find a used Classé Omega power amplifier

Nice!  Don’t see any on the market and they are 20 years old.  Recap time. I’m terrible with a soldering iron, and sourcing all the caps…

This would be nice, if you could up the ante a bit more.
https://www.stereophile.com/content/mark-levinson-no534-power-amplifier

If??? if you look at Class-D, something I'm not warmed to yet. I did hear one that made me take notice once, and that was the Belcanto M600 monoblocks, these "could" do the 802 D3's justice.

Cheers George    

With your B&W 802 D3, you will be better off keeping your Classe CA-2300 or upgrade to Classe CAM-300 monoblock amps or the CAM-600 monoblock amps rather than getting the Mac MC601. 

Try and have a listen to the Classe CAM-600 monoblock amps on your B&W 802 D3. The Classe CAM-600 is a step up from and is in different league than your Classe CA-2300 or the CAM-300. Not only the CAM 600 have twice as much power than the CA-2300 or the CAM-300 but the CAM-600 sounded and perform better, quieter, more musical and better separation and better image focus much more dynamics better slams larger wider deeper soubdstsge better image depths and better overall more refined sounding than the CA-2300. The CAM 600 can also do subtlety better than the CA-2300. The music has more presence with the CAM 600. The CA-2300 is great but the CAM 600 does everything more and better. 
They will sound really good on your B&W 802 D3. 

I'm myself using the Classe CAM-600 monoblock amps driving the B&W 800 D3 in my dedicated home theater room with the Classe SSP 800 as my AV preamp surround processor. I use this setup strictly for home theater (bluray & 4k UHD disc playbacks from my Oppo 205). 
I didn't find the fan annoying at all. It was hardly audible even when it's on when no music or sound is playing. Depending on how far back your listening position is from the amp(s). You might want to check and see if the fan filter needs to get cleaned. 

As you might already know that all Classe Delta series gears, which include the CA-2300, CAM-300, CAM-600, CA-5300, CP 800, SSP 800, CA-D200, have been discontinued last year and nowaday can be had at discounts. The CAM-600 originally retail for $14k/pair and you can find a used one for probably less than $10k/pair. 

Or alternatively, the Classe Omega monoblock amps are even better sounding amps than the CAM 600 and all other Delta series amps but the Omega series gears are older than the CAM 600. I think the Omega monobloclosed amps were discontinued like 10 yrs ago. They were first introduced around 2001/2002 I think. If you can find a used Omega monoblock amps in mint excellent condition and make sure all the caps are still good or have been replaced with Classe original ones I think you should not be hesitant to grab them. They are excellent amps. 

In regards to class D amps, as suggested earlier by Georgehifi, Bel Canto, Theta, NAD Master Series, Classe Sigma series amps all make excellent sounding class D amps. They aren't my favorite amps. I'm more of class A or AB or valves kind of guy. Actually I had listened to the Classe Sigma Mono Amps monoblock amps (class D design) paired with the B&W 802 D3 before at a local dealer here and I thought they sounded great together but I prefer the analog class A/AB amps from Classe such as the CAM 600, CAM 300, CA-2300 or the Classe Omega series amps. But the Classe Sigma series amps are very good considering they are class D designs. 
Classe uses its own proprietary design in designing its class D amps with the Sigma series amps.