I think I've made up my mind

Wow,you got to audition all that different equipment together.You are indeed lucky.Jim brings up some very good points in his post.

BTW... were these amp + speaker combos you mention connected up for demo purposes when you auditioned pieces?

or were all listed items ala carte... here and there pieces that you heard separately?

.... just wondering.

If so, then what cables were in play when you chose the combo you seek out now... 3.7 + JC 1's?

that might be your answer too.

I liked the MIT Magnum ICs, myself. Though only for spot duty... on the source. I found more than one link of MIT M's was too too much and the sound lost it's moisture and began heading towards less vibrantly colored and more towards a pastel of the original timber & tome. you may feel otherwise however.

Again, recalling those wires that were in place when you heard those speakers might aid you a lot here.

From what a friend of mine says about the 3.7's... the previous post is onto something here pointing out the possible addition of a tube preamp for those Halo's & Thiels. With as much control as the mono blocks ought to provide them, perhaps trying Nirvana SX or HT Magic IIs ICs should be a very good thought IMHO.

Good luck.

As I said before, the Thiel's are great speakers. If you value soundstage, timbral accuracy, overall clarity, and value, then this is definitely a top choice.

If you have the opportunity to listen to the Avalon Indra before your purchase, that would be one last speaker to consider. The driver integration is more cohesive and refined on the Avalon. I went from Thiel to Avalon, and it is a very logical progression.

Also, don't rule-out a tubed preamp to go with your amp.

Finally, I would recommend you get some inexpensive cables to start. When the speakers are broken-in, demo several cables to fine-tune the sound. Cables are not a band-aid; they are the icing. Cables are very system and user dependent. You've learned that reviews are a guide and not the answer, so don't get caught-up in marketing concepts. Always use your ears when investing significant money.

That was a pretty strong group of contenders. Why the 3.7s?

Thanks!

PS - I'm considering the 3.7s, Sophia 2s and the Studio2s.