Triangle Antal Es and Thiel 2.4's

The smarter buy is always the one that satisfies you more. That's money well spent.
The one that satisfies you more will be the one you can drive well and position well in yr room.
In yr stated choice the marketing budget is a secondary consideration.

Triangle is the one with the huge marketing budget, right?

I haven't heard the Triangles, but I recently bought the 2.4s which I use in a HT setup driven by Audio Refinement Pre2 DSP and Multi-5 amp. I was able to arrange a home audition before I bought them.

Break-in took about 50 hours and I think these speakers sound fantastic. They've been reviewed in a few places; I'm not gonna repeat a review here, but I certainly agree with the published reviews and impressions. If you send 'em a good quality signal, they'll really sing for you.

Gregm is right; "smarter" is what satisfies you. But I wouldn't be concerned about marketing budgets, especially with a company like Thiel. Jim Thiel has had an excellent reputation in the industry for many years.

Good luck with your decision.

Triangles are not for everyone. They are too accurate for some and too forward for others. I personally like their sound a lot and am considering getting one of their big models from the Stratos line. I have a pair of Comete ES now and they have phenomenal detail, resolution and clarity - better than my 4.2x more expensive JM Labs. However the JM Labs are better at overall refinement and soundstage size but that may be largely due to their much larger cabinet sizes.

I am quite familiar with a number of Thiels (friends owned them) and in a way, they have a similar sonic signature as the Triangles - probably the closest I can think of actually. Personally, I would go with the Triangles but it will depend on the rest of your gear, your room and your tastes. Good luck! Arthur