Ideas on amp for Thiel

I used a VAC 100 watt per channel tube amp for many years with my CS2.4 which was wonderful.  I have changed to the Ayre VX-5 twenty solid state and the speakers sound even better.  I love both presentations, but there is defenitly more energy in the room with the Ayre.  

Rick

Any of Steve McCormack's DNA series amplifiers, especially a Signature version of his DNA 125 or 225/250 series. 

I was hoping to get the CS 3.7 for a long time but I never had the room. However, during that time I contacted Gary Dayton at Thiel and also James Tanner at Bryston about powering the CS 3.7. My favorite review on the CS 3.7 was done by Bryston VP James Tanner. He was using either the 28B-SST2 or 7B-SST2. Anyways, I asked him about the 7B-SST2 with the CS 3.7 and he said it was a great match. I also emailed Gary Dayton of Thiel and asked him the same question and his response was that they like to show the CS 3.7 with the 7B-SST2's. Gary now works at Bryston but I contacted him when he was at Thiel.

I had the 4B-SST on the Thiel SCS4's and it was a pretty decent sound. Not something I had too much fault with for the price I paid. It was a little harsh at first but I added a BAT SS VK-42SE pre-amp and the sound was pretty smooth afterwards.

Today, if I were to get a CS 3.7 I would use either the Bryston 7B-SST3 which is supposed to be much smoother on the top end than the SST or SST2. The other amp I would consider would be 2 Benchmark AHB2 amps in monoblock mode. I recently got this amp and I love it. I would use the Benchmark DAC/pre direct to the amps. The Benchmark is NOT class D.

Having a pair of 3.6's for over twenty years... if you find a Mark Levinson 23.5, go for it.

Look for something with at least 400 Watts into 2 Ohms. Personally I would start with double that, and even more could be quite beneficial.