Piego P-10 or big Thiels?



Considering upgrade from Thiel 2 2 to bigger Thiels (6 or 7.2) or perhaps a different route to the Piego P-10.

Any advice on speaker selection?

I like the Thiel sound a lot, but find this system to be a bit bright on sibilants like Holly Cole Trio "I Can See Clearly Now...", and less detailed than other kilobuck speakers. Sometimes - esp. on upper piano - brightness approaches a glare. Wife and I are not satisfied with B&W sound or MLogan/Maggie space requirements.

Gear is:
AudioAlchemy DDS-Pro
Wireworld Gold Eclipse balanced
AA DTI-Pro
silver I2S
AA DDEv3
PAD Colossus I/C

BAT VK-3i,
ProSilway II balanced I/C

BAT VK-500,
PAD Colossus speaker wire

Thiel 2 2

and preamp to Velodyne F-1500R

I'll eventually upgrade digital gear to Wadia 861 and run it straight into the amp.

Room is medium size with vaulted high ceiling and open to other rooms.

Music preference is no country, limited opera. All CD.
akaddict
I can't give you a direct comparison - in fact, I've never heard the Piegas. I will tell you, however, that I have noticed the same thing with that particular Holly Cole track. Let me explain:

I used to have a pair of Hales Concept 2s which, like the Thiels, have a sloped and contoured baffle and require that you sit a bit further away in order for the drivers to integrate.

Recently, I listened to the Thiel 7.2s and included "I Can See Clearly Now" in my listening. Gone was the sibilance. In fact, there was NONE of the harshness that people commonly associate with Thiels. There was, however, tons of detail, a HUGE soundstage that was as airy as I've ever heard. Of course, the electronics were quite superior ($70K worth of Krell Reference) and all Nordost Valhalla cabling was used. In addition, the room was pretty large (20X25?) and the listening distance was probably 12-14'.

I don't know if you've heard the big Thiels, but I'm surprised that they don't get more attention. Perhaps its' due to the company's undeserved reputation for making "bright" speakers. Those days are long gone. I know this is probably considered sacrilige, but I preferred the 7.2s to the Sonus Faber Amati Homage that I listened to on the same visit and in the same room. And, in case you get the wrong idea, I'm not a detail freak. I'm more of a euphonic, tube kind of guy.

Finally, speaking of tubes. I don't know what you think about your BAT gear, but I also heard (at a different store) a pair of the CS6s driven by BAT VK60 monoblocks. The bottom end was not very authoritative, but the midrange up was just heavenly. Perhaps in your medium-sized listening room, the BATs would provide adequate power. Plus, with the used prices, they're an absolute STEAL!

Good luck. Let us know what you end up doing. Hopefully some others will be able to provide insight regarding the Piegas vs Thiel.
Hi
I am not familiar with the Thiel's, but at the prices I have seen lately for the P-10's I would have to say they are the best bargain in all of audio.
Regards
Carl
AKaddict,

I love my Thiel 7.2's and the more i listen to other speakers the more I come to realize just how good they are! They are not without fault, however. They require lots of power to really open up. I have never heard the Piega's but if they are anything near what everyone says they are a bargain!!

Hope this helps

Johnny
I would vote for the Thiel 7.2s also, and they would be a very good match for your VK500, which is an excellent amp. The other comment: it might be worth upgrading the front end sooner rather than later, even if only to a Wadia 830 as a temporary fix until you can afford the 861. Otherwise your system will be rather lopsided, as in, the source isn't nearly up to the capability of the rest of it, so you won't be able to hear how good it really is.
I have the 7.2s, and am very pleased with them. I have not heard the Piego's. The Thiel speakers are an exceptional value for their price point, right down the line. They demand excellent electronics. I do not think it would be unreasonable to spend an equal amount on the amplifier as on the speakers themselves. I had a Pass Labs x350, and the speakers just didn't bloom until I upgraded to the x600 monoblocks. Also, room size is important. I have a 17 x 13 ft room which is too small for these. However, I bought them because I will be moving within the year to a larger place. I am not familiar with the BAT equipment, so I couldn't say how they would sound. If they are 250 amps per channel, then that might be cutting things a little thin.

One of the great things about the Thiel's, as you know, is that their entire line is designed and built similarly. The 6s are a great value right now (I think I saw a pair under $3500). There are rumors of a 3.7 on the way, which might fill in a very key segment of their line.

For the Wadia, you might want to check with Steve Huntley about pricing on a modified 861se. I am awaiting a modified Wadia from him, and I suspect that the modification will be important if one would like to bypass the preamp and have concerns about brightness or glare. His modifications are a bit pricey, but not when one considers the price of a excellent preamp. We shall see...

Rob