How to make sound less detailed with warmth?

I agree... dump the Theils.IMO they never sound good reguardless

Yeah, well my CS2 2's sound great, and not hard, sharp, fatiguing, or any of that. But then, I've heard they are an exception to the tendency among Thiels.

The dilemma with Thiels is that they easily become edgy and bright, yet need SS amps to drive them. One compromise I've heard of is to use a tubed preamp with an SS amp.

The other thing no one's talked about is that if you have a mid-fi CD player as your source and Thiels at the other end, such a system is going to set your teeth on edge.

I get a more pleasing digital sourced sound by using iTunes instead of a CD player, either from the computer or downloaded to my iPod Touch (encoded in ALC).

It's not detail that's irritating per se, it's how the detail is presented. I've found that a higher resolution system can actually sound *warmer* because you get more of the low level dynamics, instrument resonance, and room ambience that all warm up the overall sound and presentation. But if there's a harsh edge or midrange glare--something that mid-priced Redbook CD players and Thiels all too frequently share--that system will be a relief to turn off.

The most obvious solution is to listen to some different speakers. You can drag it out but the speakers are the key to the sound you are looking for.