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Thiel 3.5 upgrade to 3.6 or 2.4 worthwhile?

Hi Everybody,
With some wonderful help from forum members, I have my recently aquired Thiel 3.5s sounding really good. I'm using an Oppo 83SE player with a Threshold FET9 preamp and a Hafler 9500 amp with Kimber PBJ interconects and Symphony cables. I am loving the sound with no disatisfaction, but am already looking for a step up in the sense of being closer to a live performance.
So, what I'm wondering is would a move to either the 3.6s or 2.4s be a substantial improvement or an incremental one? The 3.5s are old, but in great shape and the equalizer is working well, so I am not too concerned about reliability. The issue for me is the sound. I know Thiel speakers have improved since the 3.5s, but since the company's design goals have remained constant I'm just not sure the change in performance would be that great.
I would really appreciate hearing from Thiel afficiandos who have heard all three models about their impressinons of the differences in realisim of the sound of these models.
Thanks in Advance,
Jay
drjay
velocityofhue
186 posts
 
I'm with the try out a new amplifier camp, Perhaps a different speaker cable first as that may suffice until you can save if need be? Just from my experience i can tell you the AMP makes a huge difference in what your listening experience will be. I run the 2.4's with a BAT VK-600 and they sing beautifully together and provide more than enough bass in a 13x11x11 room but its so much more refined a presentation that the massive power supply can give. I'd look into dual mono design or monoblock amps with at least 300w per channel. In fact with a fuller and richer sounding speaker cable its almost too bass heavy. I've read those Kimber's sound good with the Thiel though.

Happy hunting
drjay OP
27 posts
 
Thanks for the input so far,
As an update, I have replaced the Hafler with a B&K Ref 2220 amp I recently got from a fellow Agoner and feel it is a noticable improvement in that the sound is a little sweeter and the bass noticably more robust, but still well defined. The change wasn't major but it was affordable and worthwhile.
I'm wondering now if upgrading the interconnects and speaker cables have the potential to give me as much improvement as the amp upgrade since the ones I have in the system now are considered to be very good for the money. I have seen in the past that interconnects and speaker cables can make a noticable difference but suspect that I will be getting into an area of substantially diminishing returns if I go this route. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Jay
jafant's avatar
jafant
19,902 posts
 
I would step up to the CS 2.4 loudspeakers.
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