Thiel Owners

Hi All,  Tom very interesting project sound like your making serious headway.  I need some input, All my speakers are now at the house and getting ready to purchase Electronics, Tom I found some amps that double into 4 ohms. I have a deposit down on a Lyngdorf MP-50 for all Thiel HT/2ch and want to see what you all thought of the PS Audio Steller 700 to run cs 2.7 mains, MCS1 center cs 1.7 rears and 4 power point 1.2's for atmos? Do you think there smaller s300 is good enough for power points? or just go all the same?  OR im way off and there no good?  also running two SS2 subs in that room.  2nd situation is the room I have 3.7's in I am considering Lyngdorfs TDAI 3400  Will the 400 wpc in 4 ohm be enough? Rep is telling me because it so clean it will be, also running two SS2 there so that might lower some of there hunger?  Want to pull trigger today,  What do you all think?   The bass integration, Room Perfect and sound of preamp sold me,,,, just want to know what the group thought of amps?   Thank you Dn           

Dn, sounds like a wonderful setup. I don't know those amps, but can offer some general thoughts. This group might offer opinions of the Lyngdorf. Read between the lines, it might be class D and/or digital amplification, which you would have to sonically evaluate yourself: Get return privileges. It doubles from 200wpc@8 to 400wpc@4. FIND OUT how it behaves into 2 ohms. If at least 600wpc into 2 ohms, it will not distort under a Thiel load.

The Stellar M700 reads well too. Same suggestion regarding 2 ohm performance of at least triple the 8 ohm performance is required.

Regarding the PowerPoints: your dealer might help you through the power requirement equation. Your room and listening levels matter a lot. However, don't underestimate the PP and MCS. I am using PPs for my near-field and mastering monitors, and they are my first XO upgrade project. They and the MCS are in the same hi-end league as the floorstanders. If in doubt, and if you can, lavish amplification on them.

This is a long-shot including some hearsay. Jim began working with a very talented circuit designer at Vifa/Denmark in the mid 80s on what became the SmartSub amps. I have heard that he is or has worked with Lyngdorf. If true, that's a very good indication of excellence. They look excellent anyhow! Sorry that I've never heard them.

I love PS audio, but have not heard those amps either.

I notice that you use the plural for the SS2s. Congratulations. I know from experience that there is enough location information  in their signal to warrant careful positioning. Try putting them near the primary speakers and pay attention to arrival times. Avoid putting them out of sight or in a corner as is often done. Even though bass waves are long and therefore near omnidirectional, their leading edge transient component is intact and important. Everything matters.

Keep us posted.

all i can say is that my 2.7's, and now 3.7's,  are very happy with the PS Audio BHK stereo amp.  wish i could get the mono blocks but not in the budget.

Excellent idea, 5 favorite albums  - ronkenthere are mine;Jamie Cullum - Twentysomething (2004)The Beatles - Sgt Pepper (1967)
The Moody Blues - Days Of Future Passed (1967)
The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds (1966)
Miles Davis - Kind of Blue (1959)

this will get the discs spinning anyway.Happy Listening!

To add to the topic idea proposed by ronkent, in no particular order:

-  "Brothers In Arms" Dire Straits (Mobile Fidelity, 180g, 45 rpm)
-  "The Trinity Session" Cowboy Junkies (Analogue Productions, 200g, 33 rpm)
-  "The Joshua Tree" U2 (Quality Record Pressings,180g, 33 rpm)
-  "Time Out" Dave Brubeck Quartet (Analogue Productions, 200g, 45 rpm)
-  "Blade Runner Soundtrack" Vangelis (Audio Fidelity, 180g, red vinyl)

These albums are what I use most when critical listening is needed, but I can get away by using two more than anything else.  First, I use "Brothers In Arms" as my rock reference:  "Money for Nothing" is an especially great track because of that explosive drum opening & Knopfler's searing guitar solo. The whole album is simply tremendous sounding, both musically & in an engineering sense.

"The Trinity Session" by the Cowboy Junkies is the second one. The entire album was recorded at Toronto's Church of the Holy Trinity using a single microphone, so the feeling you get is very intimate & raw...you can hear every little breath, fingering on fret boards, foot taps, etc.  The recording is so revealing.  But, most of all, it's Margo Timmins' haunting vocals that make this a reference album.  If the female voice is the most difficult instrument to record & reproduce well, this album will show you what your system's capable of. I love this record...

Looking forward to what others have to share!

Arvin