classe ca-300 or bryston 4b sst for thiel 2.4

I love my SST stuff, but I agree with others here; try a different preamp. I would also recommend that you try some Analysis Plus interconnect and Oval 9 speaker cables. They are a fuller-sounding but very (subjectively) quiet cable combo with powerful bass and smooth highs.

Lets see, Classe cd players are a bit on the cool or edgy side...coupled with a preamp that is on the light side, and adding in the Thiels which are also known to be a bit "bright". Ouch. It does sound like negative synergy here. I don't know what Accustic Zen sounds like so....I would say that your amp is not your problem. Also, you might want to consider a tubed cd-player. In fact, they might be the first place to try.

Your room, with hardwood floors and no rugs, may be contributing to your brightness problem. The 2.4 has excellent bass but it is tight and not bloated or overly warm; you may feel it is too lean. If you have not aggressively broken in the speakers, you might want start there--play them loudly for a good 100 hours or more with a variety of dynamic music. It can improve the bass.

I own 2.4's by the way.

Stick with the CA-300 or try Kimber PK-10 PC with Bryston SST series.

peter jasz

I had 2.4's prior to my current speaker & could never get the sound where I wanted it. Just too harsh on less than perfect recordings. I tried cardas golden cross everywhere and broke them in completely, positioning, etc. & finally bit the bullet and unloaded. I really wanted to love that speaker & never could. hope you have better luck.