Thiel Owners

Even so, it's 32 watts for 102 db.  I appreciate the benefits of extra power but the Krell FPB300 puts 600w/ch into 4 ohms.  

64/105, 128/108, 256/111, 512/114.  I'm skeptical, do you buy Thiels because you like it loud?  They're magnificent with unamplified music at reasonable volumes.  I tend to doubt you can have the best of everything in one package.  Wouldn't drivers that can play crazy loud need to be built differently than ones that are optimized for detail?  

The luxman is fully restored and completely rebuilt with a new transformer boards and etc. it is basically new. I have confidence that “failure prone parts” and “potential noise introductions” are well resolved and don’t even exist.

Let me add that theses impedance loads are typically best served by ss amps. Unlike tube amps, ss amps don’t clip gracefully. When ss amps clip, it’s sudden and ugly. With ss amps t’s best to keep far distance from the clipping point. Fortunately ss Watts are typically much less expensive than tube Watts. Making it much more affordable to avoid it altogether and have the safety of that extra power margin.

The simple reason I like the Benchmark gear is because with this gear  I experience the illusion that I am in the studio or audience during the performance. I think it is their SNR that makes this magic happen for me. 

That is also the reason I like the KEF Blades so much. Those speakers bring the performance into my room better than anything I have ever heard. The Thiel CS3.7 are also pretty good in that regard too.

@yyzsantabarbara, I’m a firm believer in working backwards: budget, room, speakers, amplification, etc.. But I offer this with sincerity: perhaps your affection (which might be well deserved) for the Benchmark might lead you to more compatible speakers?