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Home Theater Receiver recommendations for B&W 803S?

Hi!  I'm on the hunt for a new receiver, since I recently upgraded my main speakers, and I'd like to have one that also passes 4K signal.  

My current setup:

Denon AVR-4308CI
Left & Right: B&W 803S
Center: B&W HTM2
Surrounds B&W 301
Sub: Energy 8"

I recently upgraded to the 803S's on the left/right; replacing my original Nautilus 805's.  Now I need to upgrade the rest of the system!

I think the first step is the receiver, especially since I'd like to be able to pass 4K to my projector.   Then will likely upgrade the sub (Am considering the Monoprice Monolith, 10" or 12"...). And I'm also on the hunt for a HTM3S, to better match the 803S's. 

I'd love to know what Receiver recommendations folks have that will pair nicely with these speakers.  Ideally under ~$2K  - and I really don't care much about other bells & whistles (multi zone, bluetooth, wifi, whatever). I'd rather the money go into the best possible D/A, amplifiers, etc... and leave other tech gadgetry to other boxes.

Appreciate any/all input! Thanks!  :)






Ag insider logo xs@2xawilder
caphill
496 posts
 
Hahaha....yup...the Rotel does not get roasting hot even when driven hard. It barely gets warm to the touch. That's all.
But you still need some room ventilation around the amp. I wouldn't put it in a confined closed cabinet or rack if I were you. Ideally, it will be best placing it on an amplifier stand on the floor partly due to its weight and mass and size. 


maritime51's avatar
maritime51
1,288 posts
 
Or, check out ac infinity fans. 
Ag insider logo xs@2x
awilder OP
40 posts
 
Thanks for the heads-up on the heat.  The Salamander racks have perforated doors in front, and vents in the back panel... so I was thinking of putting it on the bottom of one of the cabinets, probably by itself. (I could also leave the back panel off if need be...)

In other news: The seller of the Rotel has a B&W Nautilus HTM1 center speaker he's offered me.  I'm looking to upgrade my Nautilus HTM2... but was planning on seeking out the HTM3S instead (since it's supposed to be the match for the 803S).

So my next question is - what's the difference between the HTM1 and HTM3S? Is it significant?

auxinput
1,538 posts
 
The HTM1 is the older version.  The HTM3S "S" series are the latest version aluminum dome tweeter before B&W went to a diamond tweeter.  With the "S" series, they were able to increase the resonance/breakup frequency of the aluminum dome tweeter to something like 28khz (if I remember right).  This reduces the amount of breakup/distortion and brightness/harshness of the tweeter. 

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There are a few HTM3S speakers on ebay ranging from $1800 to $2500.  The $2500 has the nicer wood finish and also a stand.  There's one HTM1 for $1150, so it is going to be cheaper.  It all depends on what you want to spend, but I would hold out for an HTM3S for the tweeter that is less harsh.
auxinput
1,538 posts
 
Oh, and on the Salamander, I would leave off the back panel on the amp section, since the amp is so big that it would block your view of anything behind it anyways! lol
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