Thiel Owners

Keep in mind @unsound listens very loudly, peaks at 105 dB. Most Thiels are certainly going to need a boatload of power 2-4 ohms to reach that level. If I had that listening preference, I would pick different speakers.

If you listen to Thiels at more typical levels, it opens up many options. IMO, test results of steady state signals are , at best, a guide. It’s fair, I think, to look at the measurements and conclude a 10 W SET is a poor match for the CS5. But there is a wide middle-ground where you might let your ear be your guide. Here are the measurements for my amp which @unsound has informed me is a poor match for the CS2.4 despite, apparently, never having listened to the combo:

https://www.hifinews.com/content/ayre-ax-5-twenty-integrated-amplifier-lab-report

  @casecadesphil,  As you may well know as a loudspeakers impedance drops so respectively does it's sensitivity. The 400 Watts into 2 Ohms previously suggested is similar to 100 Watts into 8 Ohms. 100 Watts is the minimum Thiel recommended for the CS 2.4's. But that's at an amps standard 8 Ohm rating with the assumption that the amp is of such quality that it can double down with impedance to compensate for the actual impedance load. Amps are typically rated from 8 Ohms/ 4 Ohms / 2 Ohms and in some cases 16 Ohms, so that's what we have to work with. So with that in mind the as used minimum recommendation would be 400 Watts into 2 Ohms. If an amp can't double down from the minimum 100 Watts into 8 Ohms recommendation then the speaker is losing potential useable power. Many amps can not keep up with the power to sensitivity ratio -3dB for each halving of impedance. In which case one would need to start with more power.  In the case of these Thiels at least the impedance is fairly consistent, so the loss of frequency linearity doesn't suffer that much.

Being "stable" into a given load only means that the amp won't go into oscillation when presented with such a load. It is not a measure or power delivery, distortion or the quality of sound when presented with such a load. 

@beetlemania , those are random peaks into a load that doesn't drop below 4 Ohms. My amp is capable of 500 Watts per channel continuous into 4 Ohms and double that for up to a couple of minutes. All within Thiel's recommendation.

The “dynamic power” tests are sine-waves (or square-waves), not random. These are much closer to, you know, actual music than steady state signals. I wish Stereophile had kept that in their bag.

>>>doesn't drop below 4 Ohm
Excuse me?

bobscliff

Welcome! Good to see you here today. Take the time to read through this thread and you will discover a plethora of Information. The CS 2.4 is a Honey of a loudspeaker. Nice inheritance gift!

My 1st 2.4 audition featured a Creek integrated amp (the older black/green scheme) NAD BEE cd player and Audioquest all around. This particular combo was very Musical. The Creek really held its own. I listened as loud as I wanted without degradation in presentation/sound.

Living in a small NYC apartment you will not require Rock concert decibel levels.

There has never been a better time to seek out an Integrated amp. Not only do I endorse one, I own one. And I was a separates die-hard for decades. The advancements and technology are incredible. More and more Audio manufacturers are producing these guys year after year.

Keep me posted on your buying decision. Have fun!

Happy Listening!