Tube Amplifier for Thiel

I want to limit my spending on this between $2k to $2.5k.

Maybe look for some older Classe amps like CA-300/-400?

I had driven mine with a Levinson #333 for a long time, until I blew the caps for the second time. I traded the amp in for a Pass X350.5, and the sound was amazingly good. I was about to change speakers at the time, but it got me to reconsider hard. I eventually sold the speakers because I wanted try something different.

FrankC

+2 on CJ 2500. This is a good match for your Thiel 3.6. I used to own this combo. Love them.

Unjc, how big is your room? Is it lively or more dead? That will say a lot about what you can get away with.

I had Thiel 3.6 speakers for a number of years and used them mostly with a Classe CA-300. I found the combination generally unsatisfying and kept wanting to try tubes with the Thiels. I managed to audition some custom PP 300B monoblocks that sounded really good. In retrospect, I should have bought them when I had the chance but at the time I focused on how they didn't have quite enough power or bass control. A few years later I bought an old Dyna ST70 on a lark and, lo and behold, I preferred its sound on the Thiels to the Classe. The Dyna was again limited in maximum loudness and bass control, but the sound in all other respects was much more "real." That experience convinced me that tubes were the way to go. I ended up selling the Thiels and getting more tube-friendly speakers. However, for a happy owner of Thiels, I would say this---try a push-pull EL34 amp like a ST70 and see what you think. It will hardly cost you anything and you may just find that it really delivers what you're looking for.