KEF LS50 vs Dynaudio Contour 1.3 MkII vs Thiel 1.6

yyzsantabarbara  - I had my 1.6 Theils in a near field set up before changing my room and they really worked well. However, it's my home office and listening room and they don't exactly fit on my desk. With my latest rearrangement the space works better but I can't quite do a near field in it.  On the amp side, the B-60 ought to be pumping 120W into the Thiels (4 ohms) but apparently that's not enough.  So my plan, again, is to up the amp power and then go from there.

Funny, when I start getting "the itch" to change things, listening rather than reading reviews has served me best.  When I was much younger, I can remember running thru a bunch of mid-fi speakers based on looking in magazines. Then one day I wandered into a store in Eugene Or and listened to a weird looking set of speakers that sounded amazing.  Turns out they were Maggies and my journey into better sound began.  So it's all ears going forward.

IME, amp choice is as important for the KEF LS50s as it is for most speakers.  I'm using a 175 watt into 8Ω Ayre VX-5 Twenty.  I use two Velodyne HGS-10s low-passed at 100 Hz by a Beveridge RM-3.  The sound with a good SACD played on my Ayre C-5xeMP is superb with great sound staging that can be deep and detailed if it's on the disc.  I admit the Ayre stuff is pricy even used.  I'm using a K-5xeMP preamp, but looking for a used KX-5 Twenty.

db

Well - and this is nod to soix - I just happened to find an amp that's more powerful than my B60 nearby (OK...two hours near) and it's now installed. Bryston 4B SST.   So I've gone from 60w/channel to 300w/channel into 8 ohms.  My Thiels are 4 ohms so they're seeing more I presume. 

I've generally categorized my attempts at upgrades as "nope-maybe-yep". The 4B is a definitely a yep, maybe a YEP-YEP.

Thanks soix, the Thiels are now really paying attention to what's going on.  What's surprising to me is that the soundstage is more distinct...don't understand how that works but not going to argue about it...it works.

Dekay:

They are the Airpulse Model 1 and I'll be taking delivery of mine at the end of the month and post a review shortly thereafter.  They have been described as having a full range electrostatic quality going down to 30hz.  I s/w Phil Jones and he seemed confident stating these will blow away anything in their price range at just under a grand. I guess I'll find out in a couple of weeks.  If I'm not mistaken I will be the first customer aside from Bob James stateside to receive a pair

dan, I don't know why this thread wasn't being updated when I signed in.

Heck, I was up near Portsmouth yesterday.  My daughter is doing summer school at UNH, where she captain's the National Champion woman's cheer team, lol.  You are invited when you come down.  Would love to meet you.  Even in NYC at Audio Connection as I get down there a bit and it's only 30 minutes from the City.  email me at ctsooner@alumni.ou.edu   Johnny even carries your Briston and can use them on any of the speakers you listen to there from Proac to Vandy's to Maggies. Lot's of choices and we'd have a blast.