Kef vs Thiel

I've always like both, but ultimately chose Thiel. The better Kefs share some qualities with Thiel, but IMHO the Kef's are usually warmer, less articulate and dynamic than the Thiels. With that in mind I suggest you consider Vandersteen as well.

Apples vs Oranges. I think the solution is to own both and change back and forth. They offer such differing sonic signatures, both pleasurable...

I've made this kind of decision with regard to amps, owning one tube integrated and one solid state integrated.

And now I own Silverline Sonatina Mk II and Thiel 1.6's, and I'm thinking, hmmmm, instead of choosing just one, given how different they sound and both great, why not keep both.

Great gear tends to hold it's value so the actual cost of ownership over several years might not be so great.

I know at least one other audiophile who adopts this same attitude.

Of course if you carry it to extremes then your home ends up looking like a dealership....

Art

ps: Your first move though is to get a REL sub!

Depends on type of music you play your room and system. I am sure they can both please when everything else upstream is right.

kef. i have a pair of kef reference 2 in my rec room and i preferred these to the thiels that i auditioned. kef's are a warmer speaker whereas the thiel were more on the cool side, less midrange and bottom end. if you are looking for speakers, i would expand your search and listen to Totem. i currently use the mani 2's in my listening room and (IMO) these speakers sound more musical than any kef's or thiels i have listened to. (i have auditioned the kef reference 4 along with the smaller and all the way up to the larger thiel's). good luck

Apples and Oranges.
"More musical."
"Warmer."

Skater you say you have a system that "can handle Thiels" but what do you mean by that? What source(s) and amp are you using?

KEF and Thiel are very far apart in design goals and sonic characteristics; that's why this thread, in its current form, will get you alphabet soup for responses.

Do you want accuracy or euphony?