Tube Amp recommendation for Thiel CS1.6 under $2k

jazzgy43

Feel free to join us over on Thiel Owners thread.  We have many fans and owners of model 3.5 on The Panel. CS5/5i as well.

Happy Listening!

jazzguy43: Corrected.

I have a Muzishare X7 driving VonSchweikert vr4jr 89db effiency rating. Drives the speakers just fine at my 75 db listening levels in a large room. Bought it on Amazon just for kicks...after hearing people say a tube amp of this caliber would not drive my speakers. A year later i am still enjoying it. Try it...liberal return policy...you may be surprised.

I don't have CS 1.6s, but I have been using Manley Stingray push pull amplifier for  over 20 years with 4  different pairs of Thiel speakers including CS 1.9 and CS 3.6 (which I guess are the closest to CS 2.6 with very nice results. In fact I tried other more powerful solid state amplifiers for either of these speakers and result was worse. In general, Thiel speakers sound nicely with tube amplifiers, with an open and real soundstage, quite clean. 

The CS1.6 is not difficult to drive. However, its small woofer cannot be reproduce low bass.

Twenty years ago I had been using an Audio Research SP-6C preamp with a D90 amp to drive the CS1.6 and a 15" subwoofer to enhance the low frequency response in a 15’x22’ room with very satisfying results.