Thiel 2.3 amplification

Thiel 2.3s are between 2 and 4 ohms between 100 and 1000 Hz. This makes for a real current demand on any SS amp. You should use be looking at amps with a power rating into 2ohms, and preferably a doubling of power into 8-4-2 ohms. They are reasonably efficient watts vs spl (>87dB/W/m) but lesser amps will suffer at higher volumes and just not sound as good overall. Thiel tells me they use Krell 600W monoblocks to drive their 2.3s.

I'm using what I think is the minimum, a McCormack DNA 0.5 deluxe (SMC rev C), in a moderately large (and acoustically dead) room and sometimes like to crank rock music up. The amp starts compressing at much over 100dB, with 106dB peaks. Granted, this isn't the ideal pairing for loud rock. My amp makes 120Wpc into 8ohms, 220 into 4 and 330 into 2, and is rated for 25A current. A more powerful amp would likely enhance the speaker performance at somewhat lower volumes too.

I'm also using a tubed preamp and generally 'cool' audioquest interconnects - this plus the dead room keeps the treble energy well in check. But as those above have already suggested, you simply can't skimp on the quantity and quality of power for these speakers. I would think you could do fine for $3K used.

I love my Thiel 2.3's with my pass x-350, Harm Tech Pro-9's and Pro-Silway's. These speakers do very well away from the side walls. The Pass Labs complement these speakers very well.

I auditioned the Transparent Cables and liked the pro-9's over the Transparent Cable. The only Transparent Cable model that bettered the pro-9's was the Opus model (25k). Not worth the 25k paid.

I'm using a McCormack DNA-1 (and a tube BAT VK-3i pre) to drive 2 2's.

For normal volumes, it sounds great! But either the amp or the speakers get rough at higher volumes. In other respects, I feel like I run out of gas with 185 respectable wpc in the McCormack long before the speakers are having difficulty.

By the way, the tube preamp REALLY helped tame the tweeter, but that probably isn't as much of an issue with the 2.3's.

I have 2.3's that I power with the MF A308cr separates, an upgrade of 450W>4 ohms from the MF A308 Integrated I had for about 5 months, rated at 300W>4 ohms. I had to do the upgrade; no matter what I listened to, classical to jazz to rock to electronica to whatever, the ease and fluidity of this combination made me constantly want a little more volume. By the time it'd get where I wanted it, peaks would cause the A308 Integrated to break up with a very loud TICK sound from one or both channels. I have to have music loud enough to cause a physical reaction from me to really submerse myself in it, and it took more than the Integrated's 300 watts to do it. But I have to tell you -- the combo of the MF A308cr separates and the 2.3's (with my Velodyne HGS-II 12" sub) is a remarkable experience to listen to, no matter the genre. If you get enough juice to your 2.3's, they can and will improve the quality of your life!