@audiotroy . I’ve owned Thiels in the past. I can tell you from firsthand experience that separates are the best way to proceed with Thiels. I’ve said this before; a tube preamp with a ss amp! Kathy Gornik of Thiel used to say that “she’s never heard a Thiel that didn’t sound better with a tube preamp in the system.” This coming from her was certainly not a knock on them so much as it was a tried and true listening experience/observation.
The old synergy used to be ARC pre and Classe amp. Krell, Levinson and Bryston were used by Jim Thiel as well as Conrad Johnson and BAT. It’s all about balance. A high current amp is needed with the right tube preamp. You don’t want a warmer amp with a warmer tube preamp and warm cables. The right cabling is important to tie it all together. A lot of these newer brands you’re peddling these days are not up to the task of driving Thiels properly. Using an integrated amp with cs3.7 is like putting a trolling motor on a Scarab or Fountain imo.
Also, nothing wrong with consulting with JohnnyR. He knows first order and time aligned speakers better than most, and that does include Thiel. OP doesn’t have to buy from Senor Rutan. I’d stay out of the Thiel arena and leave it to the past or current users here that indeed have the experience and thus better advice.
@thieliste ....if it were me I’d look for a very good used ss amp. 200 Watts per channel into 8 ohms....2x into 4 ohm with lots of current. Then buy the best tube preamp you can afford....new or used. Be attuned to the input impedance of the amp vs your preamp. Best....
The old synergy used to be ARC pre and Classe amp. Krell, Levinson and Bryston were used by Jim Thiel as well as Conrad Johnson and BAT. It’s all about balance. A high current amp is needed with the right tube preamp. You don’t want a warmer amp with a warmer tube preamp and warm cables. The right cabling is important to tie it all together. A lot of these newer brands you’re peddling these days are not up to the task of driving Thiels properly. Using an integrated amp with cs3.7 is like putting a trolling motor on a Scarab or Fountain imo.
Also, nothing wrong with consulting with JohnnyR. He knows first order and time aligned speakers better than most, and that does include Thiel. OP doesn’t have to buy from Senor Rutan. I’d stay out of the Thiel arena and leave it to the past or current users here that indeed have the experience and thus better advice.
@thieliste ....if it were me I’d look for a very good used ss amp. 200 Watts per channel into 8 ohms....2x into 4 ohm with lots of current. Then buy the best tube preamp you can afford....new or used. Be attuned to the input impedance of the amp vs your preamp. Best....