Comparison of Thiel CS2.4 vs. Vandersteen 3A Sig.

Over the holidays my audio and music loving friends came up for the weekend and we listened at relatively high levels to my CS6s for hours on end playing much vinyl and enjoying the wonder of great music and sound. They have Vandersteen 5As and I do the same with them whenever I go to visit them. Neither speaker type, Thiel nor Vandersteen is harsh. I power mine with Krell, yes with the "harshest" of amps through the "harshest" of speakers. Can you imagine? Oh the humanity! And it all sounds so damn good, warm and detailed. Man, I must be doing something wrong.

If Thiels ever sound severe, harsh and analytical, it is not the speakers but the source components first (the main "problem" in most systems) and the amplification a close second, followed by the room itself if there are untamed phase cancellations/additions.

I wonder through all of this great discussion if we all agree that sufficient break in time is absolutely required of Thiels (and possible of Vandersteens too).

I know that my CS6s continue to "settle in" even after almost four years of 3 of 7 day a week play.