Great advice thus far. I'd stay away from the Bryston amps UNLESS you also go to MIT cabling. I had several Bryston/Thiel combos and enjoyed them, but the MIT was a mandatory element but greatly added to the cost of the system. Friends have also recommended that I stay away from the Krells in combo with Thiels (could be the KAV issue -- I can't recall). Of the options you have listed, the Musical Fidelity or CJ would be good choices. Yes, Thiels are power hungry so, whatever your choice, high current capability (i.e., linear, double wattage into 4 ohm loads -- such as 400w into 8 ohms, 800 watts into 4 ohms -- is a big plus and more is better). Try before you buy (or buy used at a good price and be ready to quickly resell at a small to no loss). Good luck.
Good Amp/Preamp for "bright " Thiel 3.6 speakers ?
I have a pair of Thiel 3.6 speakers that I am quiet fond of. I bought them a few years ago after listening to them on some very expensive equipment at a stereo store. They have been great at home with clean tight bass and exceptional detail. I am finally ready to get a decent amp and preamp to compliment these speakers and I am looking for a recommendation.
The two things that I have learned about these speakers is that they are considered to be Bright and power hungrey. The minumum power required to drive these monsters is 250 watts. I personally would say that they are extremely revealing of any flaws in a system and not "bright". And when paired with the right equipment they are beautiful, clear, and present a remarkable soundstage which is what I love.
So what I am looking for is an Amp / Preamp combo that provides beautiful detail and imaging but no Brightness or Harshness. I need a combo that with amaze me with detail and presentation but will also let me listen for hours without exhausting my ears. The ultimate complement to these speakers.
I have browsed around this site for a few days and have stumbled across the following mainstream equipment but have not been able to make a decision about a single item let alone a pairing.
Bryston amp 4b-st 250w $1,100.00
Rotel amp rb-1090 380w $1,200.00
Krell amp kav-250a 250w $1,350.00
CJ amp mf-250 250w $1,750.00
Bryston amp 4b-sst 300w $1,800.00
Musical Fidelity amp a-308cr 250w $1,900.00
Krell amp kav-2250 250w $2,000.00
Musical Fidelity int nu-vista 300 300w $3,000.00
Musical Fidelity int tri-vista 300 350w $4,200.00
Krell int kav500i $1,700.00
Krell pre kav-280p $1,800.00
Krell pre kav-250p $800.00
I know there are other great pieces out there and I haven't really gotten a feel for the available preamps yet but the conrad johnson preamps have caught my eyes a few times.
I am hoping to spend less that $4000 total and would be happy if I could keep it under $3000.
I haven't decided on a cd player but may end up with a high quality DAC later. For now I just want to get the amp and preamp and then start auditioning cd players.
Thanks for any help you can give me.
The two things that I have learned about these speakers is that they are considered to be Bright and power hungrey. The minumum power required to drive these monsters is 250 watts. I personally would say that they are extremely revealing of any flaws in a system and not "bright". And when paired with the right equipment they are beautiful, clear, and present a remarkable soundstage which is what I love.
So what I am looking for is an Amp / Preamp combo that provides beautiful detail and imaging but no Brightness or Harshness. I need a combo that with amaze me with detail and presentation but will also let me listen for hours without exhausting my ears. The ultimate complement to these speakers.
I have browsed around this site for a few days and have stumbled across the following mainstream equipment but have not been able to make a decision about a single item let alone a pairing.
Bryston amp 4b-st 250w $1,100.00
Rotel amp rb-1090 380w $1,200.00
Krell amp kav-250a 250w $1,350.00
CJ amp mf-250 250w $1,750.00
Bryston amp 4b-sst 300w $1,800.00
Musical Fidelity amp a-308cr 250w $1,900.00
Krell amp kav-2250 250w $2,000.00
Musical Fidelity int nu-vista 300 300w $3,000.00
Musical Fidelity int tri-vista 300 350w $4,200.00
Krell int kav500i $1,700.00
Krell pre kav-280p $1,800.00
Krell pre kav-250p $800.00
I know there are other great pieces out there and I haven't really gotten a feel for the available preamps yet but the conrad johnson preamps have caught my eyes a few times.
I am hoping to spend less that $4000 total and would be happy if I could keep it under $3000.
I haven't decided on a cd player but may end up with a high quality DAC later. For now I just want to get the amp and preamp and then start auditioning cd players.
Thanks for any help you can give me.