Thiel Owners

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I owned a Nova 300 for a while and thought it was a decent and affordable unit.  That was before I owned any Thiels, so I can't comment on how it paired with them, but depending on who you listen to, it might not be a great match sonically.  In regards to Art's comments above, Peachtree responded that the Nova 300 was probably not a great match with Art's high sensitivity speakers.  

It's been a while since I owned mine, but my memory is more of it being a little rolled off on the top, so it might actually be a good match with the Thiels."

Thanks for sharing from actual and that's the best we can do in a forum like this.  I've owned Thiel 2.3s, 7.2s and 3.7s.  I've had Proceed HPA, Bryston ST, Bryston SST, Modwright, a couple of Icepower AS (1200) amps, one in stereo and one modded dual mono and now a modded LSA Voyager GaN 350.  In addition, my friend worked at a high end shop and many moons ago (15-20 years or so), I did virtually all his installs/set-ups with him over a 6 year period.  Delivered and set up, 1.6s, 6s, 2.4s, 1.7s in addition to what I've owned.  The store carried Levinson, Proceed, Bryston, VTL. Ayre, Linn and probably a couple of others for electronics.

I can also agree that the IcePower modules I've heard are a little more laid back at the top end than the modded Voyager I know own (and it too has more detail and body).  The 3.7s are not as picky in my experience as some as the older Thiels with sounding bright with certain things.  I once delivered a system with 2.3s and I wanted to shoot them.  The guy had two high walls of glass (probably 12 feet high), a (5 ft.) coffee table at an angle between the walls to house the equipment and a glass and stone fireplace opposite the speakers.

When someone poses a question, I try to put myself in their shoes within their budgets and what they want to accomplish.  I often help people who are not audiophiles.  I wouldn't want to impart any of my disease (😀) to them.  We all have different tastes and goals and there's nothing wrong with that.

I do not recall (from a review) which IcePower module the Peachtree uses.  They do have spec sheets.  I am not sure they will have the detail you are seeking.  They are at the IcePower site:

https://icepoweraudio.com/products/amplifier-power-modules/as-series/#

@cascadesphil 

When someone poses a question, I try to put myself in their shoes within their budgets and what they want to accomplish.  I often help people who are not audiophiles.  I wouldn't want to impart any of my disease (😀) to them.  We all have different tastes and goals and there's nothing wrong with that.

That's pretty much my approach also.  I try to keep my comments limited to what I have experience with, avoid speculation on things I don't have experience with, and acknowledge that there's more than one way to achieve your system goals. 

I might nudge someone towards waiting and saving up a little if their budget doesn't seem realistic compared to their stated goals, but I don't recommend that people spend more than they can afford.

I have a pair of 2.3s and 3.6s.  I find them both to be a little strident.  They do so many things right that I want to love them, but I haven't had much luck taming them with my gear and my room.  I plan to try the 2.3s in my bedroom system with a 460 watt Wyred 4 Sound class D amp and see how that works.  I never play at high volumes there, so it might be a good match.

@sdl4 - circling back to your inquiry about driving 2.2s with a single stereo AHB-2. I answered yes you could. But that answer is close to dangerous advice. Granting that it all depends on room size and loudness levels, one amp could easily run out of steam. The 2.2 has a very flat impedance curve that only drops below 4 ohms from 100-200Hz. Its sensitivity is stated as 86dB/2.83volts. Thiel recommended 50-250 watts into 8 ohms capable of doubling to 4). I have often driven them with one AHB-2 without issue. But my room (which I have described) is quite difficult to assess due to its unconventional construction. I also rarely listen above 85dB (VU peaks).

What gives me pause is the assumptions of a normal room and levels. This week I am running trials on CS3.5 equalizer upgrades. My amps are the PSA Stellar 300 @ 150/channel and the Benchmark AHB-2 at 100, which has been discussed here.

The 3.5 with EQ goes flat to 20Hz; its sensitivity is 88dB with a flat impedance curve that drops to 5ohms between 100 and 1K. It should be an easier load than the 2.2. In a room I will describe below, I can run out of amp about 100dB (VU) peaks.

This room is an uninsulated (leaky) camp with openings that somewhat consolidate the place into one acoustic space measuring 19’x 30’x about 9’ average ceiling under a shallow gable roof - let’s call it 5000 cubic feet. To fill this space at satisfying levels without worrying about stressing drivers via distortion, I would want a pair of bridged AHB2s.

Underpowering is what kills drivers. I appreciate unsound’s push-back against my marginal recommendation that one would be ’just fine’ for you. Perhaps you can find an AHB-2 to borrow for trials. Let us know what you get.

@big_greg

Do you have the original tweeters in the 2.3s, or the later revisions (vented).  When my friend worked at the store we updated a few pairs (and those were where someone had blown a tweeter). On my first visit to the store, when I moved to the area, they had a pair of 3.6s on the floor but I never heard them as by the time I got back to the store ithe 3.6s were gone and I was just looking for a CD player as I was renting a temporary townhouse with most things in boxes waiting for a new house to be built.

The later tweeters might help a hair with harshness at higher volumes.  I had moved on to the 7.2s by the time the updated tweeters for the 2.3s came out.  While I use my audio rooms for audio, I do treatments to tame the bad areas (without making it look like a studio).  GIK Acoustics (and others) have art panels.  They have lots of pictures to put on them or you can put your own (I actually have a couple of wildlife shots in my office - more the pictures vs. treatment)