Jolida integrated amp for Thiel 2.3's?


The Thiel 2.3's that have been in my primary system are going into a backup system in the bedroom at my girlfriend's house, about 13 feet wide by 11 feet deep. The speakers will have to go agains the front wall, 6 inches out, right against a dresser on each side, with a low bed directly in front of them no options there. Given the acoustic limitations w/ this placement, plus my emphasis on spending for my primary system, I want reasonably cheap amplification w/ tubes in it. I'm wondering if the Jolida 1501A integrated, which has a tube preamp section, will perform reasonably well w/ my Thiels (they've previously been hooked up to Ayre separates). Otherwise, I'm considering something like the VTL 2.5 preamp w/ an Ayre V-3 amp, or possibly something like a Rogue Tempest II integrated. Cd player would be in the 1K range.

Any feedback on this would be appreciated.
aubullience
I have a similar situation. I wanted music in the bedroom, but had furniture and decorating restrictions. I replaced my Dynaudio 70s with VR-4JRs in my main system, and put the Dynaudio 70s in the bedroom. I bought a Jolida 1501RC from Underwood Wally and it works perfectly there. The volume is low, so the bass boost of having the speakers so close to the wall isn't a problem, I have a remote so i don't have to get out of bed (!), and it has a smooth and detailed quality that I like. Wally also suggested Audio Analogue because they have an equally great sound and are unobtrusive. I bought a Jolida 100A from him, so I stuck with the Jolida and am very satisfied. Wally is a great guy to work with. You can call and talk to him personally for suggestions without any pressure to buy. Good luck!
Yes, the 2.3s are more efficient than most of the other Thiel speakers and are pretty easy to drive; the Jolida 1501RC should do a good job.
I know that you did not ask this, but have you considered selling the Thiels?

I am reminded of a speaker shopping expedition from a few years back that a good buddy and I went on. He couldn't pass up a liquidation sale that J&R Music was having on some TDL floorstanders. The bedroom, a typical small bedroom that one would find in a 2 family house in Queens, became the new home of these floorstanders. Speaker placement was like you would imagine, against the wall, on the opposite sides of a dresser and he would listen while he was in bed. Crazy set-up that never quite sounded right.

I have weighed in on a number of threads here about bedroom systems and just how much should be reasonably spent, especially when it is a small room. You could spend a small fortune on this one and still not be statisfied with the sound or be forever tweaking it.

I would say, sell the Thiels. The Jolida integrated is fine for a tube hybrid integrated. Pair the Jolida with some monitors, like the NHT Classic 3 ($600 at J&R Music) or the Rega R1 ($550), speakers made for near wall placement, and the Music Hall MMF CD25.2 CD player ($500 or so). If we are talking a triple dresser, the whole system could sit on the triple dresser.

It will be a system that looks good, performs well, is easy to operate, and wouldn't be unnecessarily hampered by room conditions.

Good luck, Rich
Rar1 nailed it! Floor standing Thiel's need room to breathe. While they haven't been released yet, I suspect you'll be better off trading down to the new Thiel SCS4's.
Thanks, everyone, for the feedback. The Thiels will need a temporary (year or two) place to go, so they may end up in the bedroom system in any case. On the other hand, I will check out monitors, including the SCS4's. I have some used Avalon Monitors sitting around, but they just haven't done it for me, especially in re. to lack of low enough bass response- though I do need to hook them up to adequate power to find out what they're capable of.