Affordable Power for Thiel CS 2.0s

I've had CS 2's for years. IMHO warm solid state is the way to go. While the 2's might just be the most tube friendly of all Thiels, the ported bass can be a little soft. I've had wonderfull results with conrad-johnson solid state. You might find used c-j ss in your budget right here on Audiogon. If your want to add tubes upstream the input impdeance of these amps are very accomodating of tubes.

I agree with Unsound CJ ss is a very good match for Thiels. I have Thiel 3.6's and have used an MF2500A in the past I now use a premier 350. I also might suggest Mccormick.

Chuck

I agree with the suggestion about considering McCormack. I used a DNA 0.5 Deluxe with Thiel 2.2's and, while the Thiels were still a little bright for my taste, the sound was considerably warmer than with the Parasound amp I'd had before. There are exceptional buys on McCormack amps if you're patient and they provide an almost limitless upgrade path if you like them.

With all due respect to the previous posters, I'm not so high on McCormack with the CS 2's. The McCormack amps have some wonderfull qualities, dynamic, deep, tight, smooth and liquid. On the other hand IMHO they can be a bit forward and even shouty. A GREAT match with Vandersteens and perhaps newer Thiels. The CS 2's were more of the old school Thiels. The newer ones seem to be a little more refined. This is not meant to disparage either the McCormack amps or the Thiel CS 2's. Both of which are IMHO amongst the very best bargains on the used market.

I would also echo the use of the CJ solid state (Motif and MF series), as the others have, I should have mentioned them earlier. And if you can get one of CJ's earlier Premiere tubed amps, you might not care about some slightly weaker bass!

Unsound is right, the Thiels following the CS2 and 3.5, while certainly not sounding shelved down in the highs, are not as forward-sounding and as tilted to the highs as the earlier models. Matching them with a forward-sounding amp might be a little too hard on the ears, at least at higher volumes.