Thiel 1.6 vs Proac 1.5

well the MCormak can be a little on the lean and agressive side(no offense) so you want to get a speaker that is very smooth in tonal quality. Proacs is the way to go by far. good luck

"Maximum information?" Theil.
Maximum fatigue? Theil, in my humble opinion.

"Minimum Fatigue"? Proac.
Maximum satisfaction? Proac.

I had an opportunity to listen to the new 1.6s driven by a McIntosh MC2102 amp the other day. The sound was anything but fatiguing. My initial thoughts were that the new 1.6 is a departure from the stereotype Thiel sound. More open and musical midrange, less emphasis on detail, and a sweeter, less sharp treble. I'm sure the Mac contributed to this impression, however I thought the MC2102 was actually to relaxed, and a bit opaque sounding with the new 1.6.

Tom, I'd suggest that what you are hearing is that the 2102 (or other tube amp) is a much better match for the Thiels because its particular colorations tend to cancel the speakers' own colorations. Neither one of them are perfectly neutral, but when paired they can sound better than either alone. The opposite will occur with the McCormack/Thiel combo, where the colorations will be additive and thus much more noticeable.

Break-in! Which-ever you get, please make sure you break the speakers in very thoroughly. My unbroken in Thiel 2.3's had no bass for a few hours, then one-note bass for a dozen or more hours, then finally, remarkable bass. Same for lean-ness in the midrange, except that this took well over 100 hours to disapate.. Similar experience with my Proac 2.5's. Unfortunately, given how new the Thiel 1.6 is, any in-store demo will likely be with unbroken in models. Sigh.