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Help choosing an amp for Thiel 2.7s

I just upgraded from Thiel 2.2s to Thiel 2.7s and my source is both vinyl (VPI Scout) and digital (PeachTree Idac) through a Classe Model 6 Preamp and B&K EX 442 AMP – both recently recapped. I am looking to replace either the amp or both amp and pre-amp. My first trial was with a pair of Bel Canto REF500M. In many ways they sound amazing – tighter bass, more extended highs, much blacker background. My only hang-up is that they seem to lack some of the body (midrange presence) of the B&K. As an example when playing Stevie Ray Vaughn my daughter asked why the guitar had moved so far to the background. Is there any way to have my cake and eat it too – or are these necessary trade-offs at my budget -- $5000 for the amp?

Any advice would be very appreciated
kadlec
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 

The 2.7's have a nasty (2.4ohm at 160Hz)load, this together with whatever negative phase angle, could go even lower.
This is probably why the Bel Canto's Class D's lost out in the lower mids, as below 4ohms Class D's usually cannot double.

If you want the very best out of them I would look at solid state amps that can come close to doubling wattage for each halving of impedance, which means they can deliver good current.
IE:
8ohms 100watts
4ohms 200watts
2ohms 400watts
These would be solid state amps with BJT ( bi-polar not Mosfet) output stages, with nice hefty power supplies, in other words big heavy BJT amps.

Cheers George
czbbcl's avatar
czbbcl
1,752 posts
 
I would suggest a used PASS x250.5 at your budget.

Chuck
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,788 posts
 
If you aren't dead set against tubes, a tube power amp can mate well with Thiels. Midrange presence with a slightly forward sound is fairly common in tube amps. The trick will be finding one that doesn't mind the load impedance of the Thiels---tubes prefer higher impedances.
aisip
84 posts
 
If you get the chance, audition any amp from Symphonic-Line. Combines the best attributes of tubes and SS. The finesse and liquidity of tubes plus the slam and power of SS. I once had a RG1 MK2 paired with Thiel l1.5s. Never heard the Thiels sounded better. Good luck on your search.
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,788 posts
 
I just checked my Music Reference RM-200 amp, and it has 8ohm, 4ohm, 2ohm, and 1ohm taps! It's a very stable circuit, and a good sounding amp. And the only tube amp I can think of that would work with the load of the Thiels. Give Roger a call and see what he thinks. He's an expert with difficult speakers, having designed the electronics for the Beveridge Electrostatics, and having a current direct-drive ESL/tube amp product.
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