Thiel 3.6, what will drive them best?


I'm looking for an amp that will drive the Thiel 3.6's to their ultimate potential. Unfortunately price matters, in that I derive pleasure thinking of myself as the ultimate connoiseur of the most for the least...

In other words I'm cheap! (nudge, nudge, wink, wink, and say thanks),

Ron
starsandseas
I was curious about the B&K M200, so I did a quick Google search. This is for information only from a Soundstage review of Thiel CS2.3:
When the CS2.3s were first installed, I drove them with some aging B&K M200 mono amplifiers, rated at 200 watts each but certainly not current powerhouses. The performance was certainly presentable, but a relative softness in the bass and a sense of "topping out" in the dynamics left a nagging feeling. Inserting the Bryston 4B-ST amplifier (review in the works) dramatically changed the presentation. Dynamics, coherency and imaging all improved under its control.

This quote is from a Stereophile interview:
Two amplifiers that I recently wrote about, the B&K M-200 vs the Adcom GFA-565 monoblocks—both of which I liked—were a very good example of this frustration. The B&Ks had a sweet sound and perhaps did a better job at presenting musical timbres. The Adcoms, however, were much more open and more transparent; they let in more detail; and they allowed the differences in recordings to show through.

So, certainly the B&K M200 might be worth a try, especially considering they are available used for under $500.

Maybe buy them and order a pair of the EVS100M to have both in-house at the same time.
A pair of Bryston 7B-STs will drive them nicely and can be gotten for relatively little money. Some think that that earlier model actually sounds better than the current one.
Look for a used Classe DR-9 I can't think of a better amp built and sound wise and right in your budget. I would also think that a used pair of B&KM200 mono amps can be had for around 500.00 or less and are wonderful.