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400-450Wpc Integrated to drive Thiel 2.3/2.4?

I fear my Musical Fidelity A308 at 300Wpc into 4 ohms isn't powerful enough to drive the Thiel 2.3 or 2.4's effortlessly and with enough authority as I'd like, so I'm throwing a net out there to see what other integrateds might work well.

I went from separates to this integrated, but if i'm buying the speakers and a new amp/preamp I can't afford it all right now.

Looks like the Bryston 4B's are well regarded as matching to these speakers, but at around $3K, then I'll need upgraded interconnects and a decent pre - I'm looking at a $5-6K outlay for it all, instead of (hopefully) just the speakers and a good integrated. I guess I'm looking at an integrated in the $2-3K range. Or should I save for a bit longer and go the separates route?
fargel
11 responses Add your response
fargel OP
7 posts
 
Unsound, are you saying it's a difficult room because of the difficulty of removing standing waves, etc. given placement limitations, or because the speakers can't sit far enough into the room or away from the listening position to really sound coherent? It's probably a combination of both but I wanted your opinion.

I'll try them with my current amp and if it isn't enough juice I guess I'll look for separates.
unsound
7,329 posts
 
BTW, extra power is always good, but in such a small room it might be less critical.
unsound
7,329 posts
 
I'm guessing you have an 8' ceiling too? That's a mighty difficult room. Might be too small, especially with those dimensions, for Thiel's 2 series. I'd suggest some speakers with less bass output, perhaps one of Theil's 1 series, which would probably decrease the cost of amplification as well. I've heard the otherwise good sounding Thiel 1.6's with some high watt MF mono amps at a show, and wasn't too impressed. The Thiel rep admitted there were other better sounding amps for them.
fargel OP
7 posts
 
I do not own the speakers yet but am hoping to have them in a few weeks. I guess I will wait to hear them with my current integrated provided you guys don't think either of them will blow it up, given it is only rated to 4ohms.

I wouldn't mind looking at a beefier MF integrated - I've really enjoyed this current amps sound. I was thinking a beefy amp (pass? krell? MF?) with a CJ pre (PV14L?) might be a decent match also.

I'm in a pretty small room - 12' x 13'. Do any of you have experience with the Thiel 2.x's in a room that small - and do you think they'll integrate well?

Thanks!
unsound
7,329 posts
 
BTW, I believe the sensitivity of the Thiel CS 2.4's is 88 dB 2.83V/M, not 98 dB, and that's at a rated 4 Ohm nominal 3 Ohm minimum rating.

http://www.stereophile.com/content/thiel-cs24-loudspeaker-measurements

The Thiel CS 2.3's are slightly more sensitive, but also have a slightly lower minimum impedance.

http://www.stereophile.com/content/thiel-cs23-loudspeaker-measurements

IMHO, both require similar amplification. Of course room and individual volume levels required will need to be considered.
yyz
98 posts
 
Thiel has a Facebook page to ask them questions. Very responsive.
unsound
7,329 posts
 
Fargel, With all due respect to all of the above and you as well, for my tastes none of the amps mentioned would be on my short list. With the Thiel 2.4's less than 3 Ohms minimum impedance and somewhat demanding phase angle, more than just Watts are needed, these speakers need real current grunt, and complementary sonics. I'd suggest going with separates. I'd suggest something like a Pass 250 or Krell KSA 250. This might make finding a pre within your budget a little challenging, but it can be done very close to your limit. I wouldn't worry too much about the 1 extra pair of interconnects now, there are plenty of inexpensive bargains to be found.
stevecham
3,340 posts
 
I power my 2.4s with a 45 wpc CJ CAV50 and I love the sound. I can get it plenty loud when I need to. These are moderately sensitive with a measured 98 dB figure so don't worry too much about power. It's the quality of the power that really matters with the Thiels.
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drubin
3,274 posts
 
Have you heard the A308 with the Thiels? If not, I'd certainly give that go before deciding you need more power. Especially with the 2.4's, I think it might be more than adequate.
toddnkaya
493 posts
 
Do you own the speakers yet?
stanwal's avatar
stanwal
3,147 posts
 
What about the bigger Musical Fidelity integrateds? They have much more power than the 308s. My NuVista M3 did so much better on my friends Wilson Sasha [ a very difficult load] than his Mac 401 that he sold it. Any of them should have no problem with the Thiel.
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