Dsper - hopefully you have checked out the Thiel users group thread, lots of good discussion on amp pairing, lots of good discussion on how to get the most out of the CS5s, more focus on what listeners are hearing rather than technical debates. Personally I always enjoy comments linking specific listening experiences with hypotheses on the connection to equipment design, rather than starting with design and the associated engineering factors to reach a hypothetical listening experience. Also fyi Jim Thiel, as he is working on crossover updates fo some Thiel models, uses the Benchmark AHB2 as a modern reference (along with other older amps) as he fine tunes his mods. Not trying to put words in his mouth, but Ibelieve in this case reference meaning a neutral clean sounding amp with enough power to drive some challenging loads, but also at a reasonable price, in other words one many many users could consider as an excellent starting point for some Thiels, honestly not sure about the CS5, if i remember correctly those are some beastly beasts.
Btw, despite wading through a fair amount of bs, I did learn a bunch about amps on this thread, so thanks.
Btw, despite wading through a fair amount of bs, I did learn a bunch about amps on this thread, so thanks.