Tubes with Thiel CS-3.6's? has anyone had success?


I did a preliminary search of threads but did not find much of anything with regards to this specific question.

I have the CS-3.6's and love them very much. My listening habits have changed lately and want to try a tubed integrated for a while before jumping into the big $ tube amps. My room is 16x23x8 and is fairly well treated. I don't listen to high volumes anymore so huge power is not needed like it was with my Krell MDA-500 mono's. Seriously, the volumes are kept very low now and really want to try out some tube power for the glory of harmonics and richness.

I have been looking at the following integrated tube amps all in the 50 watt range:

Jolida SB-302b
Manley Stingray
C-J CAV-50
Rogue Tempest

Any experience with this type of combo is appreciated, and other choices for integrated amp is welcome.
128x128bryhifi

Showing 2 responses by tmoran

I recently got a VAC PA100/100 tube amp and was hoping to be able to run Thiel 3.6's with it. But hearing everybody here recommend high current SS, I was nervous this combo wouldn't work well. So I talked to VAC's resident expert Kevin Hayes. Here's what he said.

"The CS3.6 is the speaker on which every VAC amp is auditioned before it is approved for shipment. In addition, it's the speaker that I'm using at home with my VAC Avatar Super. (I just bought another pair from Thiel
in January.)

Even the Renaissance 30/30 and the little Auricle can drive it; it's one of my benchmark requirements! The 3.6 is a fabulous match with our electronics, and I recommend it very highly. I prefer it slightly over their larger CS6, although that it also a good match with VAC.

I don't think I can say it any more strongly!"
In checking with Shari about impedance curves on the 2.3, 2.4 and 3.6, I found out some good data that I thought I'd post. It covers where in the freq. spectrum each model dips down and how far it goes....

"The CS2.4 speakers are the easiest to drive, with the CS2.3s being next, and the CS3.6 speakers being the most difficult load.

The CS3.6's impedance is at 4 ohms at 25Hz and then again at 55Hz. From there it drops to 3 ohms at 70Hz and on down to 2.5 ohms at 100Hz. It remains at 2.5 ohms until around 10KHz where it gradually rises to 4 ohms at around 36KHz.

The CS2.3's impedance is about 16 ohms at around 14Hz. It gradually drops to 4 ohms at around 100Hz. It continues dropping to slightly below 3 ohms at 500Hz, and the begins to rise back up to 4 ohms at 1000Hz and gradually increases to 8 ohms at 45KHz.

The CS2.4's impedance is at 14ohms at 20Hz. It drops to 5 ohms at 35Hz and rises back up to 12ohms at 50Hz. From there it gradually drops to 4 ohms at 100Hz and gradually drops down to a little above 3ohms at 700Hz. It gradually rises to 4 ohms at around 20KHz."