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Affordable electronics to suit Thiel 3.5 speakers

Hi All,
About a week ago I came across a really good buy on a pair of Thiel 3.5 speakers. I got them home put them in my existing system and noticed that while the bass was much improved and they showed significantly more detail then my Vandersteen 2CE's, they seemed to quite forward and bright.

I love detail and bass in my music (which is primarily orchestral and folk) and that aspect of the Thiels really appeals to me. Unfortunately, when I listen to them for any length of time they begin to seem almost harsh. Reading in the forum, I see numerous comments that Thiels simply will not sound good until they have excellent upstream electronics. My current upstream electronics, which sounded very good with the Vandersteens, are an Oppo 83SE player , Sony TAE 80 ES preamp and Acurus A150 amp. Interconnects are Kimber PBJ and DH Labs with Audioquest Cobalt speaker cables.

What I'm hoping is that some of you who are familiar with the Thiels can help me identify what steps I should take next. I'm a bit concerned that I just am not going to be able to make the Thiels work. My listening room is only 15 x 14 and because it has a very heavy one piece home-built sofa which is L-shaped, a fireplace, and because it connects two other rooms, the only location that I can put the speakers is 18 inches from the right wall, 36 inches from the left wall and 18 inches from the wall behind them. My listening position is 9 feet from the speakers. Because there is not much I can do with respect to speaker placement, if I am going to be able to make them work it will need to be through finding electronics that keep the detail and get rid of the harshness.

Because I am on a tight budget, expensive amplifiers are not an option. I do have coming to me from an Audiogon member a Threshold FET 9 preamp which I bought before I got the Thiels. I suspect this will help some, but the consensus seems to be that if I do not have a least 200W per channel, the Thiels just won't sound good. I have had good luck with Hafler amplifiers and wonder if perhaps replacing the Acurus with an old H500 would help significantly. In one post regarding Thiel 3.6 speakers, a member mentioned that a B&K EX 442 Sonata might be a good choice but I have no experience at all with this amplifier.

So, would those of you who have expertise regarding the speakers and what electronics might result in a substantial improvement in the problem areas please share your thoughts with me?

Thanks in advance,
Jay
drjay
drjay OP
27 posts
 
HI Everybody,
As a quick update on the Thiel 3.5s, I got a B&K 2220 amp from a fellow Agoner and am using it with the Threshold FET9 pre that was on its way to me in an earlier post. The combination is working really well and I'm now about 95% of the way to a system I hope I can avoid tinkering with too much, but just listen to. The problem is, of course that last 5%.
A local dealer has some Thiel 2.4s available at a good price and I have another post running here now looking for feedback as to whether the 2.4s or 3.6s would be a significant step up. I really do love the transparency and detail and everything sounds really, really nice except for massed violins which are a bit harsh,but perhaps that is simply due to the CDs themselves, since HDCDs are much better sounding.
Anyway, thanks to everyone again and please do share any ideas you have about that last little bit I'm wondering about.
Jay
sturgus
68 posts
 
In your room I think you could get away with a good tube amp. Something around 60 watts or higher. Maybe look for a used Rouge amp or a used CJ. I have heard the 3.5's and the 3.6 driven with Audio Research mono 150's and they sounded wonderful. If you could stretch your budget a little these would work quite well.
http://app.audiogon.com/listings/453324
You may also want to try and borrow a few tube preamps to see how that works.
Sturgus
teacup
3 posts
 

This is an older post, perhaps you all can help update it for me.  Likewise, I have a pair of 3.5's which straddle my TV.  When I built my house in '93, my built-in entertainment center was created specifically to fit the 3.5's which I had since collage.  All was good.   Time has past and the wife would like to use a remote for the whole system.  Without thinking, I bought a Yamaha RX-367 and it sort of delivered.  There was always some clicking when the unit powered up and when the amp changed inputs but when one of the channels started to fade in and out, I pulled it.  So I have pretty unused speakers at the moment.  Since I am a smoke 'em if you got 'em kind of guy, I have a decision to make.

I am going the CES this weekend, so I'll have time to ask around and check things out.

I read this post and appreciated the comments.

Admittedly, my CS3.5's will be used as a glorified 2-channel sound bar, which admittedly, we have been enjoying.

If I were to get a new amp for this purpose, what are your recommends.

If you are thinking I am really nuts for holding on to these speakers (I know I am nuts), then I'd be happy to hear your recommendations.  I figure I'd need to get some stands for new speakers since I have to use the same space.

jafant's avatar
jafant
19,602 posts
 
teacup-

join us over on the THIEL OWNERS thread. There is a plethora of helpful info and tips by us experts.  Look  under the Speaker section.

Welcome! Happy Listening.
unsound
7,329 posts
 
teacup, I find your placement of these fine speakers into an entertainment center an anathema. Sort of, like, putting a bowling trophy in front of a Van Gogh.
For your purposes find an amp capable of at least 100 Watts into 4 Ohms. You might find some with an input for home theater trigger. 
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