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New amp? Thiel...

Bought a pair of Thiel CS2.4's about 6 months ago and they are just as amazing as the reviews say. I'm driving them with a Krell KAV-250a, which has plenty of power but somehow I'm wondering if there's not a better amp for the Thiels...

The rest of the system includes a Krell HTS7.1 (need to maintain the HT/2-ch in one room, so not much of an option there... besides the analog pre of the HTS7.1 is pretty darn good), a Clearaudio Champion with Benz Silver MC, Graham Slee phono stage, Oppo BDP-95 (xlr analog) and all Cardas cables. The room is pretty much a concrete bunker... basement with carpeted concrete floor, concrete walls with drapes on the walls (basically thickish cotton/synthetic blackout curtains), so it's a pretty bright room. I know I need to add some acoustic panels to it, that's on the list.

I've heard the Thiel CS2.4's with a very large (and out of my price range) McIntosh (MC1.2k) and that's an amazing combination.

I would sell my Krell (seems to go for $1100-1600 depending on condition lately) and I would add another $500-1000 to that...

Any recommendations where to start looking?
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Showing 1 response by cal3713

cal3713's avatar
cal3713
1,421 posts
 
If you read some of my recent threads (which are all really about this same issue), you'll see me engaging in a similar hunt (although my budget was more around 4k for an amp). So far I've heard the following on my 2.4s:

Classe CAP-151 (leftover from before the upgrade)
Pass Labs XA-30.5
McIntosh MC-402
Pass Labs X-250.5

I'm still in the middle of comparing the two Pass amps, but so far my favorite has been the XA-30.5. It runs out of steam a bit on bass, but I've addressed that by adding a subwoofer. It may be the lowest powered of the bunch, but it has the best imaging, soundstaging, and the most natural vocals of the bunch. Although others (including the previous owners of my 2.4s) have loved the Mac, I did not... and honestly don't know how anyone else could if comparing it to the Pass models. It obscured details in the music and added grain and harshness.
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