Thiel 1.6 vs 2.3 vs 3.6

I love my 3.6's and highly recommend them. It is a shame, however; that you can't drive them with better electronics and realize their full potential.They are truly an amazing speaker given their cost

Chuck

Let your ears judge which is best. But I don't know about mating any of these with you amp. Be sure to audition them together. Even if it means taking your amp to the dealer.

I own Thiel 22's. My room is 15x17 and with 22's, I've had to position my speakers almost four feet into the room away from the front wall and almost three feet in from the side walls. With that in mind, I feel that the 3.6's would be a little on the large side for your room. If you are considering the 3.6's, I'm assuming your budget would allow you to add good musical sub to the 1.6's or upgrading to the 2.4's which is a huge improvement over the 2.3's.

Ray,

When I was speaker shopping in early 1995, I was considering the 2.2's and the 3.6's, which at that time sold for $2750 and $3950 respectively. My wife and I took some CDs to the Thiel dealer in Tustin, CA, the Digital Ear, and a very accommodating salesman gave us over two uninterrupted hours to listen to the 3.6's driven by Krell and Audio Research electronics in a listening room that was designed with Thiel's advice. The 3.6's were just awesome, and my wife encouraged me to spend the extra money and get them. Their greater volume and resulting fuller sound, deeper bass and spatial imaging are very helpful on the classical orchestral recordings that I listen to. I bought them and I haven't regretted it. My listening room is about the same size as yours, and every improvement I have made to my system since then has been instantly audible and sonically rewarding.

The 3.6's are wonderful speakers that you won't outgrow for a long time. You can find a used pair for less than $2K, which is an incredible bargain. As you've mentioned, they do need room to breathe. (See the description of my system elsewhere on AudiogoN.) They also sound their best when driven by quality electronics. I urge you to consider very seriously whether your room can accommodate them, and proceed accordingly. Good luck!

No offense but get rid of that preamp immediately!
I owned the 565 around 1990 and switching to a Classe 6 was like removing earmuffs!
Your amp is probably O.K. but pick up a used Audio Research SP-9 or LS-9.
Try it -You'll like it!