Driving Thiels

For the fun of it I recently tried driving my CS6s with my Rogue Cronus integrated (55WPC) when audiophile friends were in town and we experimented with different combinations of electronics and speakers. Compared to the Krell KCT/400cx combination that is used in this system, a good part of the dynamic punch was missing, but at reasonable listening levels (80 dB on my rat shack meter) the music was quite enjoyable and extended. Led Zeppelin-II on vinyl (Classic records reissue) had good punch and depth. Bonham's drums lacked that last bit of oomph but the rest of the guitar, bass and cymbals work was nicely presented. Massed strings sounded natural and sweet. Only when the dynamics really needed it did the sound suffer, and only when the amp was pushed beyond the 80 dB level from about 11 feet away. Oh yeah, I was running the amp with the 8 Ohm taps too, so go figure, the Thiels are quite "difficult" to drive but even a modest amp like the Cronus could deliver satisfying music provided one's expectations into the headbanging zone weren't unrealistic. For that, a solid state amp that doesn't flinch into 2 Ohm loads is what's needed.

The best my Thiel CS3.5s sounded is when a ran a pair of Sony TA-n80's mono at 560 watts a side(8 ohms) - this really opened them up, reduced the brightness and provided many enjoyable listening sessions.

Thanks, all. This is really helpful. Whatever I decide to do, I'm definitely going to hear my amp and preamp on the speakers (especially the CS 3x) at length. Probably, then, I'd be looking at a CS 2x (though the CS 3.5 can be had for so little relative to other Thiels--it's tempting!).

Thanks again,

Matt

Matt, IMO the 3.5 does not compare sonically with the later-generation 2's or the 3.6. The 3.6 and 2.2 are of the same generation, begin here with Thiels if you ask me. You can use a good 100w amp if you're not attempting to bang your head in a large room, and that could actually work quite well for moderate levels in a medium-size room, but still, expect certain improvements if you ever give them more quality power. To answer your question, the 2.2 is easier to drive than the 3.6 or the 2.3, while the older 3.5 is probably easiest of the bunch if you don't use the bass equalizer. However, I'd choose between the 3.6 and 2.2/3 based more on room size, knowing that a 100w amp won't control the bass with a larger woofer and cabinet quite as well, and the combo could overwhelm a smaller room. In fact, if your room is mid-sized or under I wouldn't overlook spending the same money on a used pair of current-generation 1.6's instead, which can sound even better in some ways than the older, bigger models (more coherent and listenable, the tradeoff being extension top and bottom, and some detail), and would probably match wonderfully with your amp.

With all due and sincere respect to Zaikesman, I disagree. The newer generation Thiels are more refined in the upper frequencies, but, the 3.5's have superior bass, are easier to drive and maintain their phase coherence better from top to bottom. While the 3.5's equalizer can be improved upon, I find using it better than not and the eq does offer some room considerations the newwer models don't. Oh yeah, and they're a raging steal on the used market.