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Good upgrade amp for my Thiel 3.6s

My apologies if this has been pondered already. I did a quick search of the site for 3.6s and didn't find a similar thread.

I'm looking for opinions on what amp would seriously upgrade my sound from where it is currently. I have a KSA-150 driving the 3.6s.

I've heard people say that 3.6s can sound even better with more power and a dealer recommended 200W/channel as a minimum for them.

He was showing me the Classe Cam350s. Are monoblocks the way to go, or is there a killer stereo amp out there that's not in the price leagues of Boulder?

Obviously, I'm sure there's plenty of great choices, but I'd like to keep costs somewhat reasonable. I know the Classes retail for $7K for the pair. I was hoping to stay at $4K or under, but won't rule out the 350s if they really make a noticeable difference.

Thoughts?
justin2468

Showing 1 response by gundam91

gundam91
506 posts
 
I have the Thiels 3.6 in my system for over 4 years now. Prior to that, I had the 2.2s for 5 years. I've had the Krell KST-100, Pass Aleph Os, and now the Levinson #333 mated with the 3.6s. The Thiels are very revealing speakers. What makes or breaks them is often the components in your system. I had the Krell connected to the 3.6s for a week, and took it aside right away. It sounded cold, bright and a bit harsh in my setup. The Pass was only 60 watts and it can actually drive the 3.6s in low volumes quite well. Of all three amps, this one sounded the sweetest, and musical. (Prior to the arrival of the Levinson, this amp stayed in my reference system for a while. It then got moved to the bedroom) The Levinson sounds very refined, detailed, and excellent soundstage width and depth, good control of bass, and instrument placement. This amp is a bit lay back. So you don't get the music "in your face". So if you like to sit in the first three rows in a concert. This is not the amp. But if you typically sit in the center of a theater, the Levinson would be a good choice. Cable is important. I use MIT balanced interconnects throughout my system, and Transparent Ultra speaker cable. I heard a lot of recommendation on the MITs. I had tried the MH-770s, and the sound is a tad darker than using the Transparent.

I bought mine used and the guy threw in the Sound Anchor stand for the Thiels. I think the Sound Anchors works great at controlling the bass!

System:
Michell Orbe SE + SME V + Benz M2 Turntable
Levinson #37 Transport
Genesis Digital Lens
Sonic Frontier SFD 2 Mk II D/A
ARC PH3 SE phonostage
ARC LS2B Mk II preamp
Levinson #333
Thiel 3.6
PS Audio PS300, Electraglide Referenceglide PCs, Marigo Reference PC.

My room is about 18' x 21'. Good luck!
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