Mjaudio: That's a great story, glad it had a happy ending. I used to own Klipsch KG4's not too much more expensive than your brother's center (shyeah, I wish they'd sounded like an MCS!), and also auditioned VS VR4's at the time I bought my Thiel 2.2's, which I've owned for 9 sufficiently-contented years now :-) |
Rustler has said he knows he "love(s) the Thiel sound". I haven't listened to VS recently enough to know how they compare, but they'll obviously differ from that sound. What I don't know is how well they'll appeal to a Thiel fan.
In any case, the two Thiel floorstanding models that fall within his stated budget are the 1.6 and the 2.4, and despite the reputation alluded to above, neither of these models are terrible bears to drive, particularly the 1.6, which is fairly easy to drive and the one I'd choose for a smaller room. The 2.4 will work in up to generous mid-sized rooms, the kind where you'd want some beefier power anyway (at least 100w or more).
As usual though, quality power will be rewarded with quality results. The corollary to the unspoken inference of the cautionary comments would seem to be that if your amp's not really great you'll be better off with Von Schweikerts. I don't know if that's actually true, but Rustler appears to have Adcom amplification, so this might apply, at least in the case of the more demanding and revealing 2.4. |
Bartokfan, in his inimitable way, writes: "I knida see it as an even call. Half like the T's half like the VS sound." Brilliant analysis, so glad you shared. "ach side hates the others choice.
Who's right , who's wrong?" We're right. You're wrong. Hope that clears things up. |
Yes, as I posted on 8/6, demanding and revealing speakers are going to show 'mid-fi' amps like Adcom in a somewhat less than flattering light. But that's mostly in comparison with something better, and if I were Rustler, I wouldn't for a minute let that fact stop me from getting the speakers I want first, then using those speakers to help choose a higher end amp in the future as budget allows. |
I guess you mean SLI 80? (There is no SP81 AFAIK.) I used to power my Thiel 2.2's with a 45w tube amp, and that actually worked quite well compared with the 70w-100w mid-fi SS amps I'd had before. But the combination was only suitable for a small space -- a space technically too small for the speakers themselves -- and that amp quickly ran out of steam in a larger room. Though the sound was enjoyable in the previous room, the speakers definitely thrived when given both the bigger space and several times the power. Moral? For best results choose speakers appropriate to the room, then power them accordingly. |
Tom: We don't know if that applies as a blanket statement. Say Rustler's room is on the smaller side, he listens mostly to small-group acoustic music, and he gets a pair of 1.6 -- in that case a nice tube integrated may be all he would ever want or need. But if his room is bigger, he listens mostly to rock or symphonic music, and he gets the 2.4, then yes, making the investment in that same amp might not be the route to go. Rustler, please let us know about your room and tastes, and also what is your amplifier now... |
Mjaudio wrote: "Thiel makes a quality speaker but make sure you realize they really are high maintenance and don't like to be fed anything other than the best sound quality CD's" Everyone's entitled to their opinion, but: A) As an owner I certainly don't find Thiels to be particularly "high maintenance" (whatever exactly that's supposed to indicate -- I'll assume it refers to set-up and system requirements and wasn't meant literally), or at least not any more so than other wide-range, low-coloration speakers tend to be if you want optimum performance. B) I'm a music lover first, record collector second, and an audiophile last, and believe me when I say I play material that isn't "the best sound quality" (often by a long shot) through my Thiels every day and enjoy it. But then again I've never shared the philosophy of some audiophiles that the better your system gets, the less material sounds good enough to play through it. If I thought that were true I wouldn't even be an audiophile at all, but thankfully I've learned just the opposite to be the case, having consistently found that material which is less than well-recorded from an techno-weenie standpoint has always been rendered more listenable and communicative, not less, as my system has improved. |
Larry, your room is exactly the size of mine, but my erstwhile small tube amp used a pair of EL34's per channel (in ultralinear, for a rated 45wpc) and my speakers are 2.2's. I agree the sound can be very nice, but in my experience some detail did go wanting, and the bass could have been better controlled. The acid test for me was that I could no longer play back solo acoustic piano at a lifelike volume without incurring midrange breakup, although programs with less-concentrated frequency response and more compressed dynamics, such as most pop group recordings, could actually go somewhat louder before apparent strain set in. I suspect that in a situation like ours the Cary could probably be expected to work better than the Manley based on their power ratings, though I hasten to add that I haven't heard either amp myself. Another possibility -- which I have heard, paired with 1.6's in a large showroom, with quite impressive results -- is the VTL IT-85. |
Glad you're thrilled with your new purchase Rustler, what speakers were you able to audition the Soliloquy against, and what do you like about these better? |
