tubes with thiel, meadowlark or revel

Elevick is right about the Thiels. I have owned 3.6's for several years. They are notoriously difficult to drive. IMHO, they need a big, bad beast of a SS amp to really make them sing. 200 wpc or better.

Despite VTL doesn't have 2Ohm taps it can drive difficult 2-ohms loads. It has a transformer that is stable to 2Ohms.
Power is certainly not enough but models such as MB180 or MB225 can handle these speakers as any SS amp.

Coinsident speakers IMO can sound too bright with VTL since it realy tends to drive low-impedance speakers due to the nature of an output transformer used in VTLs.

A PERFECT match will be mentioned Medowlark speakers!

The Meadowlark Kestrel 2's should sound great with this system. They are smooth and image like crazy! Believe it or not the bass output is very good too. They don't go terribly deep but the low end sounds so real. I would opt for the hotrodded version, it's worth the extra $$. It gives you better internal components and the option of bi-wiring or amping. The Kestrels are very easy to set up and seem to disappear once you get them placed in the right position.

If you are considering the Kestrel 2s, you should also look into a pair of Shearwater Hotrods (I doubt that you'll find Ospreys within your budget). While I haven't heard the Kestrel 2s, I lived with a pair of Shearwaters for over a year and I was duly impressed.

Good luck!

From the speakers on your list I would choose the Kestrel 2's.

I have been a big fan of the Meadowlarks owning Kestrel HR's , Shearwater HR's and Kestrel 2's. I also enjoyed a pair of Audio Physic Virgo II's and didn't enjoy a pair of Virgo III's.

I sold the Kestrel 2's after hearing the JTM's from www.carolinaaudio.com ($1500) they are just simply the best I have heard at home. The transmission line is so much more accurate sounding then the Meadowlarks going deeper and with much better definition without any thickness or congestion in the midbass.

I really can't say enough about them. They are a single driver speaker but offer more extension at the extremes than the 2-way Kestrel 2's. They offer an amazing amount of detail in the most effortless way.

They're definately worth a listen and there is an in home trial which I took advantage of.