I am a bargain hunter and Thiel CS 1.5 owner (13 years)while cabinet scuffs are commonplace, the extensive damage to the speakers would lead me to question how well they were taken care of overall and what other problems may be lurking beneath the surface. As a musician, I treat my Thiels with as much care as my musical instrument. If you have to have them right now, get out the credit card and pay triple the price for a nice pair. I did just this in college and after 13 years, it's finally time to upgrade to a set of CS 3.6's. Point being, $800 - $1000 over many years is money well spent.
With regards to the amplifier, for us real-world folks with kids, dogs and dozens of other distractions, it really boils down to how loud you like your music. My rule of thumb is if you are often hitting the 2:00 position on the dial, it's time for more power. Then again, you can always purchase the speakers and upgrade electronics as you go. Happy shopping!
With regards to the amplifier, for us real-world folks with kids, dogs and dozens of other distractions, it really boils down to how loud you like your music. My rule of thumb is if you are often hitting the 2:00 position on the dial, it's time for more power. Then again, you can always purchase the speakers and upgrade electronics as you go. Happy shopping!