need an A/V amp for my thiel CS 2


I have a pair of thiel CS 2 speakers. I have a blown mid and is getting fixed. Im looking for an AV amp that will allow me to watch (blow me)with my blue ray and listen to music at an audiophile quality. I mostly listen to cd. Im planning to get a Rega Apollo or a Rega DAC to be used with my blue Ray as the transporter. I know that the Thiel are power hungry speakers. My budget for the amp is $800 - 1,500. I know that is not much for audiophile standards, but is the best I can come up now, since I might have to buy cables ,etc. any suggestions? A dealer suggested the new Yamaha Avantage series....
128x128lobinero
I owned CS 2's for many years and tried quite a few different amps with them. The CS 2's with their 6 Ohms nominal/ 5 Ohm minimum impedance, are probably the easiest of all Thiel speakers to run with tubes, but with your budget and what I perceive from your thread to what your seeking, your probably better off with ss.
The top end needs to be monitored, any amp with a rising or hot top end should be avoided. At the opposite end, the ported bass, though fairly well extended can be a bit soft.
Within your budget:
My first pick, if you could find one at a price you'd feel comfortable with is Threshold S/500, preferably one that has recently had new caps and re bias done by somebody reputable like Jon Soderberg of Vintage Audio Repair.
My second choice would be a conrad-johnson MF 2500 preferably with the A upgrade.
These speakers need quality amplification. don't be afraid to spend money on the amps. It might be a bit nonconventional to spend so much on the amp to speaker ratio, but the combination will yield results that reveal the true value of the combination.
What Mds said: Do you need an AV receiver or just a power amp? How many channels? Even though 5-6 ohms is doable for most AV amps, if you are running a center and rears, Yamaha and some others need 6 ohm minimum for multiple channels.
I will be driving multi channels (center, front,and rear ). I also failed to mention that I own a Counterpoint SA12 (100w) and a SA 3 preamp. The Pre amp needs new tubes and the amp probably has a blown Trans. I would suggest it will take about $3k to get them fixed/upgraded. That would be nice but they are not A/v ready. Currently I'm using a 2004 Pioneer Elite AV mult channel 100 w amp., but the sound doesn't blow me away when I listen to cds. As you can see I have a dilemma. The Counterpoint are sweet to your ears but doesn't solve the AV part of the equation. However, if I expend in a nice AV amp with good sound quality, maybe I will reach mymusic Utopia. Any suggestions as to which amp can provide the best of both????