arvincastro,
I own Thiel 2.0, 2.7 and the last flagship 3.7 speakers. I’ve also in the past had the big Thiel CS6 speakers.
For me the combination of Thiels and tube amplification is magic.
Previous to hearing Thiels on tubes I’d always heard them on solid state amps and while I loved aspects of the sound - the accuracy, aliveness, density of imaging, believable tone etc, I also found them a bit “tight” sounding, a bit reductive in shaving off a bit of the fullness in voices and instruments and I could also see why some found them fatiguing after a while.
That all changed for me when I heard Thiel CS 6 speakers with VAC tube amplification at a CES audio show. It was among the most beautiful sound I’d ever heard. (And I remember other people commenting, even non Thiel fans, that it was a stand out room at the show).
I couldn’t afford VAC amps but wondered if I’d get any similar synergy with the Conrad Johnson tube amp I owned. So I ended up with a pair of the CS 6 at my place. They did indeed have a similar tonal richness that I heard at CES, but my amp then was only 55w and not known for good bass control or playing tough loads.
I upgraded to a second hand pair of the Conrad Johnson Premier 12 tube monoblocks 140W/side and - bam! - just the ticket. The sound was now everything I’d hoped for: smooth, tonally rich yet accurate sounding, open and not rolled off sounding, and punchy and controlled throughout far whole frequency range.
I still have the CJ amps powering my various Thiels and it’s always a killer combo. I have a case of tinnitus and harsh or bright speakers do a number on my ears, but I can listen to my system for as many hours as I like. Bad recordings and all.
A reviewer pal of mine who’d complained of Thiels always being fatiguing for him finds my system to sound gorgeous, organic, realistic and anything but fatiguing.
So that’s one storey for you to ponder if you are contemplating tubes with Thiels.
I don’t think I’m getting the last word in what the Thiels can do in sheer dynamics perhaps, vs what a very powerful SS amp would give me. But I absolutely require a sense of dynamic life in a system and I have it with this combo.
(Back when I had the Thiel 6s I also owned a Bryson 4Bst amp, 250w and a powerhouse in terms of driving any speaker I threw at if. But I consistently preferred the CJ premier 12s on the Thiels).
All that audiophile stuff being said: please remember the role of room acoustics and speaker positioning given how profoundly it affects the sound. If you find the sound can become too harsh sometimes, even before contemplating adding acoustic treatment just playing with speaker angles and positions can work. For instance you should find that towing out the speakers more (facing more straight ahead inst ad of angled toward your listening position) will make the sound a bit less bright and more lush. Same with moving the speakers closer to you, which will take more of the room reflection/hash out of the sound for a smoother presentation.
I favour sitting closer to my Thiels, with the speakers facing more straight ahead, for these reasons.
I own Thiel 2.0, 2.7 and the last flagship 3.7 speakers. I’ve also in the past had the big Thiel CS6 speakers.
For me the combination of Thiels and tube amplification is magic.
Previous to hearing Thiels on tubes I’d always heard them on solid state amps and while I loved aspects of the sound - the accuracy, aliveness, density of imaging, believable tone etc, I also found them a bit “tight” sounding, a bit reductive in shaving off a bit of the fullness in voices and instruments and I could also see why some found them fatiguing after a while.
That all changed for me when I heard Thiel CS 6 speakers with VAC tube amplification at a CES audio show. It was among the most beautiful sound I’d ever heard. (And I remember other people commenting, even non Thiel fans, that it was a stand out room at the show).
I couldn’t afford VAC amps but wondered if I’d get any similar synergy with the Conrad Johnson tube amp I owned. So I ended up with a pair of the CS 6 at my place. They did indeed have a similar tonal richness that I heard at CES, but my amp then was only 55w and not known for good bass control or playing tough loads.
I upgraded to a second hand pair of the Conrad Johnson Premier 12 tube monoblocks 140W/side and - bam! - just the ticket. The sound was now everything I’d hoped for: smooth, tonally rich yet accurate sounding, open and not rolled off sounding, and punchy and controlled throughout far whole frequency range.
I still have the CJ amps powering my various Thiels and it’s always a killer combo. I have a case of tinnitus and harsh or bright speakers do a number on my ears, but I can listen to my system for as many hours as I like. Bad recordings and all.
A reviewer pal of mine who’d complained of Thiels always being fatiguing for him finds my system to sound gorgeous, organic, realistic and anything but fatiguing.
So that’s one storey for you to ponder if you are contemplating tubes with Thiels.
I don’t think I’m getting the last word in what the Thiels can do in sheer dynamics perhaps, vs what a very powerful SS amp would give me. But I absolutely require a sense of dynamic life in a system and I have it with this combo.
(Back when I had the Thiel 6s I also owned a Bryson 4Bst amp, 250w and a powerhouse in terms of driving any speaker I threw at if. But I consistently preferred the CJ premier 12s on the Thiels).
All that audiophile stuff being said: please remember the role of room acoustics and speaker positioning given how profoundly it affects the sound. If you find the sound can become too harsh sometimes, even before contemplating adding acoustic treatment just playing with speaker angles and positions can work. For instance you should find that towing out the speakers more (facing more straight ahead inst ad of angled toward your listening position) will make the sound a bit less bright and more lush. Same with moving the speakers closer to you, which will take more of the room reflection/hash out of the sound for a smoother presentation.
I favour sitting closer to my Thiels, with the speakers facing more straight ahead, for these reasons.