Driving Thiels

The best my Thiel CS3.5s sounded is when a ran a pair of Sony TA-n80's mono at 560 watts a side(8 ohms) - this really opened them up, reduced the brightness and provided many enjoyable listening sessions.

Thanks, all. This is really helpful. Whatever I decide to do, I'm definitely going to hear my amp and preamp on the speakers (especially the CS 3x) at length. Probably, then, I'd be looking at a CS 2x (though the CS 3.5 can be had for so little relative to other Thiels--it's tempting!).

Thanks again,

Matt

Matt, IMO the 3.5 does not compare sonically with the later-generation 2's or the 3.6. The 3.6 and 2.2 are of the same generation, begin here with Thiels if you ask me. You can use a good 100w amp if you're not attempting to bang your head in a large room, and that could actually work quite well for moderate levels in a medium-size room, but still, expect certain improvements if you ever give them more quality power. To answer your question, the 2.2 is easier to drive than the 3.6 or the 2.3, while the older 3.5 is probably easiest of the bunch if you don't use the bass equalizer. However, I'd choose between the 3.6 and 2.2/3 based more on room size, knowing that a 100w amp won't control the bass with a larger woofer and cabinet quite as well, and the combo could overwhelm a smaller room. In fact, if your room is mid-sized or under I wouldn't overlook spending the same money on a used pair of current-generation 1.6's instead, which can sound even better in some ways than the older, bigger models (more coherent and listenable, the tradeoff being extension top and bottom, and some detail), and would probably match wonderfully with your amp.

With all due and sincere respect to Zaikesman, I disagree. The newer generation Thiels are more refined in the upper frequencies, but, the 3.5's have superior bass, are easier to drive and maintain their phase coherence better from top to bottom. While the 3.5's equalizer can be improved upon, I find using it better than not and the eq does offer some room considerations the newwer models don't. Oh yeah, and they're a raging steal on the used market.

I have had a pair of CS3.6's for 5 years now. I started with a Forte amp but the bass didn't seem right. Within about 6 months I ended up auditioning and buying a Pass Labs X350. With this amp the sound and soundstage are spectacular.

But just a few months ago, I had a problem with the right speaker dropping out. I traced it back to a cold solder joint on one of the speaker binding posts. That led me to buy a set of higher quality binding posts. (The factory posts are surprisingly cheap- i.e. lacking). Wow, what a difference, especially in the highs, the improved binding posts made. It's like a new pair of speakers for just a few dollars. It's hard to shut the system down now and walk away. I highly recommend this upgrade.

The Thiels are fast and totally disappear with the right electronics. I used planars for 14 years prior and it was a buddy of mine who had the 2 2's that finally prompted me to switch over to cones. The Thiels have the advantage of more punch than planars but with an equivalent soundstage. I guess the only drawback to the Thiels that I find is the few amplifiers (and some cost serious $$$) out there that can drive them proper.