Upgrade Thiel CS3.6 or McIntosh AMP

I used 3.6s for about six years and agree with you that they have a lot of potential and will be hard to beat with something new in the 3-4K price range.  I used mine with a Classe DR-10 initially but it seemed to run out of power on peaks, so I replaced it with a Classe CA-300 which was a very good match.  There is an advantage to 300 watts vs 100.  However, my final days with the Thiel were spent with a modified Dyna ST-70 tube amp and I actually preferred its sound quality to the Classe.  The Dyna was clearly limited in power but at reasonable volume levels it was actually more dynamic than the Classe amps.  So don't rule out tubes.

By all accounts (including my own experience) the DR-10 was the goat of the Dave Reich-designed Classe amps and the later CA series did not have the magic of the Reich designs (Reich left Classe after the DR series), thus my recommendation of specific Classe models.

salectric, I notice from your System page that you primarily listen to acoustic jazz (very nice system BTW) and can see that a lower-power tube amp with that jenre could sound very good with the 3.6. If the OP has a more diverse musical palette (macro dynamics/high listening level), the tube amps will leave him wanting.   Tubes elsewhere in the system do  benefit the sound with Thiels IME.

Best,
Dave

  

dnanstad-

feel free to join us over on the Thiel Owners thread.
Another +vote for adding a tubed pre-amp to a solid state power amp.

Happy Listening!