I currently use a Classe Delta 2200 and a Conrad-Johnson CT5 preamp. I'm considering a jump to a tube amp. 80-100 kohm input impedance would be nice and I'd prefer only input from those who've heard Thiels driven with tubes...Thiels are hungry for High quality power. I have a moderate sized room (21 wide by 15 long). Let me hear your advice.
Vhiner...I own the 2.4s and I drive them with an Audio Research Ref 110. They deliver 110 wpc but more important is the overengineered power supply. No problems driving the 2.4s in a 18' x 25' room. I have the Thiels connected to the Ref 110s through the 4ohm taps and that delivers better bottom end control than through the 8ohm taps. I used to drive the 2.4s with a Musical Fidelity A5 250wpc SS integrated amp and that combination was a bit too forward, bright and teetered on analytical sound for me. The ARC/Thiel combo delivers a highly resolved, transparent and 3D sound with a liquid and natural presentation.
The only caveat is that if you are going to be using tubes, make sure the power supply can deliver ample current and has enough energy storage for peak current demands.
That's very helpful! I have heard from others that Audio Research is a good way to go with Thiels. How long do the tubes last on the Ref 110's before they need to be replaced?
I drive CS 2.4s with a Conrad Johnson CAV50 in a 12ft x 15ft room with 10ft ceilings and this is plenty of power, plus the sound is superb. My understanding is that the 3.7 is one of the easier to drive models by Thiel. Any well designed 100 wpc tube amp should work well.
The 3.7's impedance drops to less than 3 Ohms. Thiel recommends 100-600 Watts. Jim Thiel once told me that his power recommendations were based on the 8 Ohm power rating of ss amps capable of doubling down. He also said that the small impedance range of his speakers worked well with tubes so long as they had enough power to compensate for their typical inability to double down, i.e., you might need double or more of 8 Ohm tube power depending on the chosen speakers compared to ss power. I would suggest that you would need about 300 Watts per channel of 8 Ohm tube power to compare with a typical high quality 100 Watt ss amp. In that I think the old adage of doubling the manufacturers minimum power recommendation has some merit, in my opinion 600 Watts per channel of tube amplification would be even better.
I tried a Ref 110 with my 3.7s. If you do, do not plan on playing anything more than a medium volume. I like orchestral music and even moderately loud sections drove the amp into audible clipping. FWIW, I ended up with 300 wpc monoblock amps (600 into 4 ohms) which sound great. I have struggled trying to make the 3.7s sound as good as I heard at my Thiel dealer but the super-powerful amps are the key in my mind, plus a preamp with superb low end definition.
What brand and model are your monoblocs? My Classe is 400 into 4ohms and works very well with the Thiels and my Connie. I'm quite happy but every time I hear tube amps in another person's system, I'm beguiled. I guess I'd like to introduce a little more tube magic into my system without losing the bottom end grip. I'll never forget going to a tube preamp for the first time. I'll never go back to a solid state pre. I agree that power is critical with the CS 3.7's....which is why tubes might be out of my monetary reach.
I may have a chance to audition some NAT Generator monoblocs but not for a while. They're push/pull 275 wpc into 4 ohms.
I recently purchased CS3.6 and play quite nicely with my ASL Hurricane monoblocks. They put out 200w/ch in pentode mode. I'm able to achieve pretty high volume levels with no clipping and my room is about 17' x 19'. Sound treatment and placement are key and I find the Thiels are very sensitive to toe in and side wall reflections. You might want to consider the ASLs which are pretty highly regarded and provide a very good # tube watts/buck. Good luck!
I have been using VAC PA90E1 amps with my Thiel CS1.5 speakers for about 4 years with no problems in triode (50 watts) or ultralinear mode (100 watts). Kevin Hayes @ Vac is very familiar with Thiel speakers and uses them in his own house. He can let you know which of his amps would work best with the CS3.7's. I would give him a call.
These Thiel’s need an amp with grunt to sound their best, lots of current, that really means Tubes or Mosfets are not ideal. Amps that can almost double their wattage from 8ohm to 4ohm to 2ohms, would do the right thing by them.
From the Stereophile test results.
" I actually found the minimum impedance to be 2.4 ohms at 125Hz. The difference between 2.8 and 2.4 ohms is academic, either mandating use of an amplifier that has no problem delivering high currents"
Tube amps are not best pairing. The 3.7 dip to 3 and 4 ohms, I've heard the 2.4 with Primaluna100 tubes and did not sound as good compare with a ML331. 3.7 is awesome speaker and would sound good with any amp, you just want to feed it the wattage it needs.
A few years ago I used a VAC 100 watt per channel stereo amp to drive Thiel CS2.4s This combination worked well in a small room, but in my larger room (16’ x 23’) the 2.4s performed better with my Ayre VX 5/20 amp. VAC Renaissance preamp was employed in both settings.
IMHO, either the PS Audio M1200s (see Michael Fremers review) or something like the LSA Voyager 350 GaN amp (modified by Tweak Audio) might just be the bees knees
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