Upgrade for Thiel 1.6 - Or a waste of $$

Okay, just for fun I set the Pre/Pro to Stereo (from bypass) and told it the main speakers were small/60 and then small/80.

The effect was less than wonderful. The Thiels lost detail and the soundstage crumbled. I did pick up a hefty amount of bloated bass from my REL subs. Didn't hear enough to get me on my hands and knees to dial them in. I'm sure the pre/pro didn't help either.

I'll keep an eye out for a tube pre with HT bypass....it seems like a logical next step.

I hear the logic behind the low freq shuffle, but can't let go of the simple fact that a speaker is engineered to achieve a certain level/type of sound across a known range of freq.

If we change that range - wouldn't we ideally want to change the speaker design to take advantage? When the low freq are no longer present, how can a vent or port function as it was meant to?

It's probably painfully obvious that I'm a writer by trade -- and not an engineer.

Oh, and I can afford the Thiel Bypass Box -- but the Subs are another story.

I've only heard the monster one at the local dealer and that was with 7.2s -- so I don't know what I was actually hearing.

A Soprano! Of course!

Great point - almost makes me miss grad school.

The best you can do is use your thiels with the subs for stereo (what is home theater anyway?)
Yes you need to drop the lowest freq. from your amps and speakers, the mids and highs will be unbelievable.
You dont have to change the design of the speakers; Imagine you have a sports car going uphill, without the lower frequencies your sports car will go only downhill, much faster and easier and you dont have to change the engine of the car!!!
Connect the Benchmark directly to a "y" connector, from there one RCA cable to the subwoofers and the other to a passive line level Cross over (or any line level XO) into the amps. Going down to 50 hz instead of 20hz will be a huge benefit for the amps, and the speakers will be happy also. I wouldnt try to go all the way up to 80 hz, it is more difficult to match the subwoofers the higher you go.
Remember the quality of the line level cross over is "very" important for a good sound!!!
Do this and you will laugh when you hear other much more expensive systems!!!! yours will be excellent!

http://www.t-linespeakers.org/tech/filters/passiveHLxo.html
This is what I am talking about...dirt cheap also!!

One of the most amazing (smallish) systems I ever heard was Thiel 1.5s with a single Vandersteen sub.

I had 3.5s at the time (I just repurchased a used set for my basement) and I liked the balance his set-up a lot.

A sub set up with the Vandy or something like it with the 1.6 should kick butt.

TD