what do i power my thiel 3.6 with

yes I agree for sure. all I have done my last 2-12 hour days at work is read up on these speakers and what other people have to run them. it sounds like a very expensive project if I want to get full potential, but it also seems possible to get started at a reasonable price, and slowly upgrade over time. I think my plan would be to run the thiels as a 2.0 stereo, and then have another set of fronts to have as a ht set up. would I be on the right track in thinking that I could run a 7.1 pre amp/processer with xlr outputs as my main HTR, and then run xlr from the pre amp to a power amp to run my thiels?

"all I have done my last 2-12 hour days at work is read up on these speakers and what other people have to run them. "

You really can't trust info like that. If you don't listen to the speakers yourself, as well as the different gear you may want to try with them, you'll pay for it in the form of costly mistakes.

This type of thing happens all the time. Sometimes people get good deals on a component, or a family member gives them a gift, or whatever, and it ends up being far more trouble than its worth. They keep spending money in an effort to get their good deal up and running. You're already starting to do the same thing.

"I think my plan would be to run the thiels as a 2.0 stereo, and then have another set of fronts to have as a ht set up."

Just based on the fact that you haven't even listened to any equipment yet, you're already planning for your 2nd set of speakers to hopefully fill the gap that your first set of speakers leaves open, says you shouldn't be buying anything at this point. It doesn't sound like you are a hard core audiophile. I don't see any reason why you can't just use 1 pair of speakers for music and movies. If you find that you develop a taste for more high end gear, there's better ways of going about it.

the reason for having two different sets was based on some information I was given by an advisor from a thiel dealer...

-"There are a couple of issues you are going to encounter when it comes to the Thiel CS 3.6 speakers. The first is that they are truly designed for a pure stereo application and don’t really lend themselves well to a home theater setup. They are really meant for the audiophile stereo enthusiast and, because of the way they are built, it makes them a challenge to use for surround sound."

-"The price you were offered on the speakers does seem like a great deal. But given the true purpose the CS 3.6 speakers were designed for, as well as their impedance and power demands, I honestly wouldn’t recommend them for a home theater setup"

maybe this isn't accurate, and I could run the thiels in my HT setup, I really don't know. that is why I came here in hopes to get some advice. you are right, I am not what I some would consider a "hard core audiophile", but it is a passion of mine, and I will be chipping away at building a dedicated ht room with good equipment. my original plan was to just get a strong 7.1 htr and run paradigm studio or signature series, but thought I would inquire about the thiels since the opportunity presented itself...

I was just going to say the same thing. Thiels are so good, their use in a surround sound mix is wasteful.

I don't think you took my post the right way. Up to this point, all of your information has been coming from outside sources. At the very least, until you are able to listen to the 3.6's, you have absolutely no idea if you are going to love them or hate them. Its nothing more than a coin toss at this point, because you really don't know if you'll like them or not. To be clear, though, my comments are in the context of you getting the pair of 3.6's. They are a very polarizing speaker. More so than with most other speakers.

"I really don't know. that is why I came here in hopes to get some advice. you are right, I am not what I some would consider a "hard core audiophile", but it is a passion of mine, and I will be chipping away at building a dedicated ht room with good equipment."

I'm not trying to make you feel bad here. I'm just trying to give you my honest advice. When you talk about chipping away and upgrading your system, as you go, I understand exactly what you are saying. There's nothing wrong with doing it that way, in fact, that's how most of us do it. I'm just saying that the Thiel 3.6 is not the speaker to do that with for a couple of reasons. First, its not a forgiving speaker. It will expose the flaws in every piece of equipment you have, including your room and recordings. That's what I mean when I say its not the speaker you buy and then chip away at the rest of your system. Most likely, you'll get discouraged and quit building a system around them, long before you finish it.

Someone that is going to build a system around a pair of 3.6's and have success is going to approach things a little different. Its usually not someone's first high end speaker (for the reasons I list above). Its going to be someone who has a fair amount of experience with audio, and has spent enough time, not only with Thiel, but many other competing brands of speakers, as well. Their likes and dislikes are usually well established. They know what the Thiel sound is, and they are going to have a pretty good idea as to what type of components they will need to match the speakers. And that's just my honest opinion. From the looks of your post it just seems like you're not ready to deal with all the baggage that goes along with getting a pair of 3.6's to sound right. (Assuming you don't hate them.). You'll find no shortage of people who are more than willing to pat you on the back and encourage you. I won't do that to you. The mistakes are far too costly with a situation like this.