Amp upgrade for Thiel CS 3.7


Hi everyone,

At the moment i am using a Classé CAP-151 int amp to drive my Thiel CS 3.7
The amp is doing ok but a much bigger amp would obviously be more appropriate to drive my Thiels.
I've seen a very nice Krell FPB 700CX  for sale at a reasonable price.
Would that be a good investment or not ? would it be overkill ?
Let me know what you guys think.

Thieliste



128x128thieliste
Thanks guys for your input.
I also think the Krell 700 is overkill, very big and runs very hot!
I've red that many CS 3.7 owners found that the best amps for this particular speaker are the Conrad Johnson Premier 350SA or the McCormack DNA-500.
Both of these amps are difficult to find used...

michaeljbrown, how do you like your CS 6's ? i was thinking of purchasing a pair since prices are pretty low used.
Before that i need a bigger amp.

jafant, what thiel speakers do you have, i remember we spoke together on the forum last year i think.

Cheers Thieliste


One other thing, at the end of the month i will have the opportunity to listen to the new Mark Levinson line up : the n° 526 preamp, the n° 536 monoblocks and the n° 519 audio player.
I'll let you know what i think.
Krell has always made well respected products, yet...
Please do not be offended: I find the Krell to be somewhat lacking in imaging, AND, to me, sounds a bit grainy in the upper midrange. I would not choose it, but that's me. You do need a stable amp that keeps doubling, as pointed out by georgelofi.
The THIEL's are ruthless in revealing products upstream. I'd prefer a Classe Amp, or a used Gryphon, (though probably out of the question financially.)
Good Listening.
Larry

Ironically, Thielist, I have not yet heard my CS6's. They were damaged in shipment due to inept packing by Craters and Freighters of Cleveland,which I do not recommend. I have repaired the dent, sort of, but now await the arrival of the Krell 250 monos. I will let you know how these match up. However, my experience with Krell has been excellent; the fpb 300 dominated my thiel 2.4's--by that I mean the speakers opened up dramatically, without the analytic "bright" sound attributed to the Thiels by listeners who had their speakers underpowered or paired with inferior electronics. Krell eptiomizes high current amplification, and has an outstanding service department. I have high Regard for Classe as well; my humongous CAT 660 was humiliated by a pair of 300 wpc Classe monos in an A-B test conducted by my friend and Classe/B&W dealer in Lubbock. 
I have heard the grainy/imaging complaint as voiced by Larry; however, I have not observed that with the 2.4's. I don't claim to have golden ears, not at my age, but I will share my experience with the CS6's.
Cheers, as they say up north!