Thiel Owners

@ solobone22

which specific piano recordings? I want to listen to what you are referencing.

Sure -- just off the top, Scarlatti 30 Sonatas, John Browning piano, Nimbus, 16/44;  Brahms 7 Fantasies,etc, Emanuel Ax piano, Sony,16/44 , also Mari Asakawa's excellent new recording of Elliott Carter pieces, Centaur, 24/96.
That's a good beginning cross section of venues, recording technique, piano touch and tonal balance. The Scarlatti doesn't have those lowest notes but is good for mid and upper mid.

All,

New to the board. Great informative reading. I learn a lot about matching and challenges one doesn’t always think of when getting new equipment.
I am currently running Magnipan 3.7 and Thiel CS2 (depending on my mood, love them both) from ole school Classe DR-15 amp/DR4 pre. Very very happy overall with the  sound on both but considering what going to a Pass Labs 250.8 might bring. Or maybe an upgrade to preamp?
(Also have Rega P8/Alpheta3/Rega Aria mk3/California Audio Labs CD).
 I know the Classe stuff is dinosaur so maybe not much experience here with that but it has served me remarkably well.
any thoughts would be appreciated.....Thanks.

@jmbumgarner01, FWIW, I clearly prefer the Pass Labs 250.8 to the Classe’ DR-15, but at what cost? I suspect the extra costs might be more rewarding if spent elsewhere. Perhaps, on newer digital sources, or upgraded Thiel’s?

Yeah those 250.8 are not cheap even used. I have been trying to score the 3.6 or maybe 3.7 so definitely aligned with you on that. 
Funny but just started researching DAC’s this morning and also streaming maybe Roon or Innuous. I have a fairly substantial collection of CD’s and vinyl but Tidal is pretty sweet, currently streaming from an Astell and Kern AK120 II portable.
For the price of the 250.8 could likely almost do all....appreciated.

also on the piano part of this thread
Rachmaninov Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
Vladimir Ashkenazy London Decca

JM - I'll chip in with a personal anecdote. When the Classe DR6 /DR9 setup was new, Thiel used it in demos with a pair of bridged DR9s. I still have and use those amps. The Classe replaced Threshold 800s. Thiel outgrew the Classe sonically and went to Mark Levinson and then Krell, with Bryston in the mix for our lower cost products. Although we didn't use Pass officially, Jim and Nelson held mutual respect and Nelson used some Thiels as development test loads. I have not heard the 250.8, but would expect it to considerably outclass the Classe.
All that said, I am still amazed by how much more improvement can be attained by solving room issues. In fact, many or most of my niggles with amps, cables and recordings have evaporated after running down and fixing room issues with FuzzMeasure and trial and error.