Define power hungry...B&W speakers

I know exactly what you are looking for when you're asking for amp specs that you can use to make a decision. It definitely makes sense, but it's not going to happen. I'll give you a couple of examples of why that is. One of the more popular specs when it comes to power amps is thd. The designer for brand A may say that for 100 watts into 8 ohms, 2% thd is acceptable amount of distortion. If you give the same exact amp to Company B to rate its power, they may say that 2% is too much distortion for a 100 watt amp into 8 ohms. Maybe they feel anything above 1% is not acceptable. So if that's the case, company B may rate the amp at 75 watts instead. Or they could go the other way and say 3% is OK and give the amp a higher power rating like 125 watts. That's what I'm talking about when I say there's no standard. It explains why you can go into Best Buy and get a 100 watt/channel for $200, and then find a high end company that's selling a 100 watt/channel amp for thousands of dollars.

Another example is what makes up a watt. Watts are volts x amps. 10 amps and 10 volts is 100 watts. 50 volts and 2 amps is 100 watts. 20 volts and 5 amps is 100 watts. You get the picture.

Of course, there's more examples than what I list here. So if you're now thinking, what are you going to do as far as picking an amp? You need a way to go beyond the limitations you now find yourself in with regards to specs. The way you do that is by listening to whatever amps you are considering. Audio a very hands on. You need to listen to as many different components as you can. As you gain experience over time, it gets easier.

Looking at your system, the B&W's are not big floor standing speakers, and your room is not that big either. You really won't have any trouble finding an amp that will work for you. I would be more concerned with sound quality than watts. Also, you mentioned above that B&W recommends a high current amp, and they don't do a good job of defining exactly what that is. Its expected that you'll be working with a dealer that can help you make a selection. Speaker companies usually recommend a high current/powerful amp because they want their speakers to sound good. If you go in under powered, sound quality will suffer. And if that happens, there's always the chance you'll blame the poor sound quality on the speakers, and not the amp.

Thanks ZD542. I appreciate you taking the time to explain, it does make sense. My hope was to have a firm base of specs as I will probably buy used from this site. Without the ability to demo the gear its hard to make the best decision. I do know in the end that this all comes down to my room, my gear, and my own ears.

Thank you!

Any other thoughts out there?

Here's one more example for you that may help in your selection. You picked your B&W's for a reason. On paper, your CDM 1NT's look like countless other small speakers. You can find another pair of speakers of a similar design and specs, and for much less than what you spent on them. The reason you went for the B&W's is because you like the way they sound. You took the necessary step, and crossed over from the objective to the subjective. If you didn't do that, you couldn't justify the purchase. It's the same thing with any other component. If you set some goals as to what you expect from a new amp or integrated amp as far as sound quality, it will be a great help. You can still make a mistake, but you lower the chances. Try not to worry too much about the specs. I think you easily have the ability to make a sensible choice as to how powerful an amp you need. If you're not sure, just post what ever amp you are considering, and someone here should be able to tell you if it will drive your speakers, or not.

One last thing. Don't get sucked into the cable trap. Cables do make a difference, but so many people put way too much money into cables when it could have been used to buy better components. Not only that, but if you get good components and match them well, cable choice is very easy.

I use the 700 series which replace the CDMA NT. Both use the Nautilus tweeter (NT). I also own 600 and 800 series and these are a sweet spot. Easy to drive like 600 series but much more refined.

You do not need a massive amp but a good 100 wpc integrated is ideal in my experience. My 50 wpc Linn and Rega integrated were fine but at low volume, I found my 100 wpc McIntosh or modern Yamaha integrateds were a lot better. A big NAD works well too. A nice tube amp will be a good choice too as long as it is not one of those really small one. A 75 wpc Cary or McIntosh is a good choice.

These are very high quality and revealing speaker so they will reward care in your set up. I use Transaprent audio cable as the little network boxes were very good at suppressing line noise which the NT are reproducing. I use some level of isolation on all components in the chain, even the amps. Again these speaker will allow you to hear the differences that small tweaks make. Enjoy.

I use the 700 series which replace the CDMA NT. Both use the Nautilus tweeter (NT). I also own 600 and 800 series and these are a sweet spot. Easy to drive like 600 series but much more refined.

You do not need a massive amp but a good 100 wpc integrated is ideal in my experience. My 50 wpc Linn and Rega integrated were fine but at low volume, I found my 100 wpc McIntosh or modern Yamaha integrateds were a lot better. A big NAD works well too. A nice tube amp will be a good choice too as long as it is not one of those really small one. A 75 wpc Cary or McIntosh is a good choice.

These are very high quality and revealing speaker so they will reward care in your set up. I use Transaprent audio cable as the little network boxes were very good at suppressing line noise which the NT are reproducing. I use some level of isolation on all components in the chain, even the amps. Again these speaker will allow you to hear the differences that small tweaks make. Enjoy.