Thiel CS3.6

I have owned a pair of 3.6 since I bought them new in 1995.

IMO, they need a beefy SS amp to get them going. When I originally drove them with a Hafler 550 (255wpc) amp, I could not make them sing. Don't get me wrong, the sound was nice, but if you want them to sound their best, a powerful amp is a must.

Newbee, you should have heard those Thiels with a bigger Threshold! What tube pre did you use with the Threshold/Thiels?

Unsound, I used (and still do) an ARC SP10II. It was revelatory in its hey day. I wasn't so wild about the matching D115II though. Phono stage is still pretty good. And if I ever find some mint SA 1's I'll buy them just for the nostalgia effect if nothing else. :-)

BTW, I'm assuming you are familiar with Thresholds 'optical bias' which was introduced after the initial production of the SA series. Did you find it added to the sound, quality wise? I never heard it but the feedback I got was that it sort of brighten them up a bit.

I hope the OP won't mind this?
Newbee, I haven't compared non-optical bias with an optical bias units. I've been told by someone I trust in these matters that the optical-bias helped a great deal with maintaining the bias and even more with overall reliability.