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SF Power 1s with Thiel CS 2.3s Enuf Pwr?

I love the sound of the Sonic Frontier's Power 1 Tube Amp. I am thinking about pairing them with a pair of Thiel CS 2.3 Loudspeakers. Thiel recommends at least 100 Watts per channel to drive the speakers. The Power 1 has only 55 Watts but it is a Tube Amp. Has anyone tried this combination? Will it drive the speakers or do I have to go to a Power2 Amp with 110 Watts? thanks for your help. jts
jseminetta
pops
2,275 posts
 
I can't really answer your question, I'm driving 3.6's with a Classe CA200 with no problem, they go plenty loud with great bass response. I would be leary of using a 55 watt tube amp unless you listen in smaller room and music that's not real dynamic. Hey, what cables are you guys using, I'm currently using a double run of Kimber 8TC/MIT ic's.
sedond
1,391 posts
 
i agree mostly w/mezmo - especially to ask thiel. but thiel's recommendation of a 100 wpc min amp doesn't necessarily mean one that puts out 200 watts into 4 ohms, as not all amps are class-a, that essentially double their power as the ohms halve. i tink thiel means that *at least* 100wpc into 4 ohms is the way to go. but, i do agree that a hi-current class-a amp would be all the better for the thiels than a class ab design

all that said, time for another shameless plug. :>) i *know* the electrocompaniet aw100 that i have adwertised here on audiogon, will do fine w/the thiels - i've had it & its smaller brother, the aw75, driving my thiel 3.5's, which are *really power-hungry, & they do fine. the aw100, class-a, 100wpc, 190 into 4 ohms, stable down to 0.5 ohms, >80amps current, can really handle the thiels, even in a large room.

regards, doug

mezmo
516 posts
 
Ok, I admit, but this one puzzles me. Back when I was wondering if anything was actually going to explode if I tried to make the Thiels go with a 60wpc receiver, I sent an e-mail to Thiel asking essentially the same question. Their reply was that, as long as the receiver was built to handle a 4 ohm load, it should be fine to use it temporarily as long as it was kept at relatively low volumes. If if it wasn't designed to handle to load, however, using it could be a genuinely poor idea. It was in this same e-mail that they (Shari, so she, actually) explained the business about their 100-300wpc guideline for the 2.3's being intended for an 8 ohm load, and that what they really intended to convey was that the speakers would thrive most on 200-600wpc from an amp driving a 4 ohm load (which the speakers are). (Puzzlement...then why not say that?!?). That said, she did admit that this was only a guideline and that the good folks of Thiel had had a lot of great results with tubed amps putting out significantly fewer wpc. She then explained that this was all very logical because of something to do with current that the double whammie of imperfect understanding and imperfect memory has completely done away with. Hence, this is the bit that has me confused, so if someone who understands this electricity thing could set me straight, it would be swell. (And yes, I looked for said e-mail. No luck.)
mezmo
516 posts
 
Pops, I'm using some Kimber Monocle XL's with the Homegrown Silver Solution IC's. I have to admit that I was a diehard nay-sayer when it came to expensive wires for the longest time. But when the Kimbers came up for a great price, I decided what the hey, why not give it a try. Oh my, did it ever make a difference. Must have been that my old speaker wires (Apature Signature Series 500--beats me, I got'em cheap) were woefully the weak link in the system, but the switch to the Kimber's was simply dramatic and the single best addition to the system to date. I may still experiment with more IC's, but when it comes to speaker cable, I'm done.
mezmo
516 posts
 
Geeze, I just can't shut up...one correction, though, I'm using the Homegrown Super Silver IC's, not the Silver Solution. May just have to try their new Silver Lace--word on the street is that they really are all that... Cheers
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