Amp recommendation to drive Thiel 3.6 speakers

Look for something that can deliver 400 to 2000 Watts into 2 Ohms.

pyma6

Great speaker if driven well. Could do with the tweeters old ferro fluid replacement by now, then the highs will sing again, look for posts I did on how to do this yourself. Here’s one.
https://forum.audiogon.com/posts/1843203?highlight=ferro%2Bfluid

At 86db you need at least >150w-8ohm that can "almost" double that wattage to 4ohm and again 2ohms.
And with this kind of load 3ohm, dipping to 2.3ohms you need an amp that won’t care seeing a continuous 2.5ohm load.

Stereophile’s test results:
"The loudspeaker is under 3 ohms through most of the range, dropping to a minimum of 2.3 ohms at 3.6kHz (the cursor position). The low impedance value explains the CS3.6’s need for the iron-fisted Mark Levinson No.23.5 to provide control in the bass"
https://www.stereophile.com/images/archivesart/Cs36fig1.jpg

Cheers George

The biggest Bryston monoblocks you can afford.

I have been considering a used pair of PS Audio BHK Signature 300 Monos, claiming ratings of 8Ω/300W, 4Ω/600W, 2Ω/1000W. Another consideration is a pass Labs X350.8. Not sure if I should stay with tubes or go with SS in power amps.  Some of the original amps that the speakers was tested early on (like the CJ MF2500) are now vintage and I would rather stay away from something that old. I have read reviews of the Brystons saying that they work but they may be better choices to bring out the full detail and low end of the speakers. Some reviews warn about a harsh tweeter with certain power amps. Not sure.
Comments?

Cheers
Achilles

Krell, Levinson, Bryston, Rowland, Boulder, Ayre.  Preferably from the same era. 

Budget?

A used Gryphon Antileon Signature would be great.

$10K max.

I have a pair of CS3.6's in my bedroom system. I use a recapped Yamaha M80. They are happy with each other. Sounds good.

Parasound.  They run warm sounding, but have good current capabilities at a reasonable price.

I looked at a Gryphon Antileon Signature. I wish! Unless the photos have me wrong, what an ugly monster, the wife will run me out.
Going back to the PS Audio BHK Signature 300 Monos, anyone has any experience with them?

Aragon Palladium if you can find a pair? Same era? I saw a number of different dealers in Florida New York and Texas that had those deals in my recollection is that they were typically hooked up either to Levinsons or Krells.

How about Classe?

Sanders Magtech Monoblocks should do the job easy. I auditioned vs T+A and couldn’t tell the difference. These amps are unstoppable, have a free trial (shipping included) and a LIFETIME warranty. 

https://www.stereophile.com/content/ps-audio-bhk-signature-300-monoblock-power-amplifier-measurements

Pym OP
I looked at a Gryphon Antileon Signature. I wish! Unless the photos have me wrong, what an ugly monster, the wife will run me out.

Most women I know like that 1910-1935 "Art Deco" look, especially the fashion of that time.

https://ibb.co/CQ84bxf

https://img.theculturetrip.com/768x432/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/usk-06620r1-e1479902480125.jpg

Cheers George

Like you, I have owned a pair of Thiel 3.6 since 1995. I traded a pair of Thiel 2 2 to get 3.6s from Soundings, Denver, Colorado . I have used several amps to drive these including PS Audio 200CX, Audio Research 100.2, and Krell KST 100.

Only after I got Mark Levinson 23.5,  Thiels came to life. Other amps were not bad, but 23.5 takes this to whole another level. So my recommendation is to track down a ML 23.5. Since you are used to tube sound, ML 23.5 will give a very similar presentation, but plenty of wham when needed. 

Rest of your system is top notched and should give you many hours of fun. I understand ML 23.5 is "old" technology and difficult to service if needed. But they mate very well with Theils unlike many other amps. If you have money, then you may as well track down a pair of ML mono blocks and that would be even better. 

pyma6 OP
Some reviews warn about a harsh tweeter

 Look what I posted about that above your post
And they all need doing now because of the age they are, instead of being viscose it turns to tar and causes linear distortion and heat, and if left too long, say good by to the tweeter one day.
Cheers George

If it doesnt have to be monos and tubes then get the SS CODA No. 8, Version 2.

250/500/1000 watts into 8/4/2 ohms, the 1st 12 watts pure Class A.

I have Version 1 with a tube pre driving B&W 804 D3s @ 87 db sensitivity LOUD without breaking a sweat. These speakers also dip to 2.8 ohms at a few points, which I can actually track watching the power meters flicker up at precisely those points.

big hegel or van alstine or odyssey for value but performance with zero apologies

no affiliation

I had 3.6’s (also from Soundings in Denver, coincidentally) paired with a Krell KSA 200 rated at 200/400/800 watts at 8/4/2 ohms.  The Thiels sounded awesome with that pairing.  They sounded good with a KSA 100, but great with the 200.

I am happy driving my 3.6's with a pair of Pass X600s.  Gutsy enough and finesse too.  Used will be within your $10k budget.

As happy owner of a pair of Thiel 3.6, and two beefy amps, McCormack DNA2 and Threshold S500II, I would say that both represent a very good match with this hard to drive loudspeakers, with a slight preference to DNA2 when I go for low volume level listening in night time, impressive dynamics and details retrieval. Anyway both very recommended, even for their reliability that matters a lot due to the age these amps can be found on second hand market, never a problem or sound quality worsening.

@pyma6 the look of the Antileon is another story, it is problably not very WAF friendly but in terms of sound it is phenomenal paired with big hungry Thiel speakers.It might also be difficult to find one used as most Gryphon owners keep their amps for ages.If i didn't sell my CS 3.7s i would have bought an Antileon Evo for sure.Good luck in your search.

In my opinion, you are better off biamping these speakers. As these speakers are not coming with double binding posts, you would have to add these. Drive the mids and tweeter with one channel, and the woofer with the other channel. Any pair of decent amps will be able to give good results and likely much cheaper then the alternatives.

Even if bi-amped both amps would need to do most of their work below 4 Ohms. And with their 1st order crossovers larger than usual overlap (compared to other crossover slopes), would suggest using identical amps would be more appropriate as well. 

My 3.6s really sing with a Rowland Model 5

^A worthy consideration.

Not sure I’d spend upwards of $10k to power 3.6es (and I do think they’re great speakers), but what do I know?  The Clayton Audio M200s will drive the hell out of ’em but not sure how they’d fare on the WAF scale.  The S100 might be a little more palatable.  Thiel used to show with McCormack a lot back in the day, and there’s a DNA-500 listed on US Audio Mart for $3300.  Or, somebody just listed a pair of DNA-1 monoblocks up on eBay you could buy and have Steve do full upgrades and still be closer to $5k all in.  Personally I’d do the latter.  FWIW, and best of luck. 

Update:
First off, thanks for all the suggestions, thoughts, discussion. It was helpful.
I ended up buying a used pair (recent build, 2 years ago) of Parasound Halo  JC1's, which are on the way. I hope I made the right decision. According to specs, they have enough power to drive anything down to 2 Ohms, but keeping fingers crossed that they will sound good.
In addition I upgraded my pre to an ARC Ref 5SE. So hoping that the Thiels will finally sing.

Now, I have for sale the Manley 250 monoblocks (I checked tube bias yesterday and they are all on), the ARC Ref 2MkII pre, the ARC PH3 Phono, and a Transparent Ultra RCA 1m interconnect cable.

pyma6 OP
I ended up buying a used pair (recent build, 2 years ago) of Parasound Halo JC1’s

Good choice for these speakers, have the JC1’s in high Class-A bias mode at your initiation listen.

And your PH3 has 71db!! of gain, so you could combined with the JC1’s very high gain and 100kohm input impedance, use a just a simple Passive Pre amp, as you have all the gain you’ll need even from the PH3 let alone even more from digital sources.

Cheers George

I also think you made some good choices, especially the excellent preamp!  Enjoy!!!

The JC1's are in transit, and it remains to be seen if sonically, they fit well into my system. An Audiogon guy who had pre-owned JC1's and was now selling a Luxman M-900U commented that the JC1's and "cold and clinical".

On a related issue, I have owned the CS3.6's for so long that I lost touch with other speaker developments.
What are some of the best speakers that can be had today (used) for under 10K?

Thiel CS 3.7s a steel.

Driven by Gryphon Antileon Evo and you're in heaven.

Yea I too own a pair  T 3.6 7 i love them a lot   Why  Because of my KRELL  KSA 250

geleary123

Feel free to join Us over on the Thiel Owners thread.
You will find several Panel members who enjoy the CS 3.6 and 3.7 loudspeakers.

Happy Listening!

Jim Thiel used Bryston amps when designing his speakers.

Jim Thiel mostly used Threshold S500, then Krell FPB600 when designing his speakers.

Well if he liked Threshold you guys should consider the amp I just bought, the CODA #8 for my CS3.7's. It has 600 to 1200 watts continuously at 2 Ohm considering the version purchased (V1, V2, or V3). The CODA guys came from Threshold.

I put my KRELL K-300i integrated on the CS3.7's and they also were great. Tons of bass and a huge sound.

I’ll bet The Crown Drive Corps would do the job.  440 @ 8 ohm

770  @4 ohm, 1200 @ 2 ohm.  Without  breaking a sweat.