Thiel Loudspeakers - Looking for your opinions and comments

jackman · « **on:** 18 Aug 2012, 04:14 pm »

Hi Guys,

A friend who is looking to purchase new speakers recently asked me for my opinion on Thiel loudspeakers and I honestly can't recall the last time I've heard Thiel. I know lots of AC people attend shows and get togetherd and have exposure to lots if different speakers.

Can you please give me your frank opinions of Thiel speakers? Also, let me know the model and general system you heard them on, solid state, tubes, vinyl, etc.

General comments are welcome but I'm really looking for specifics of what you may have liked or disliked about the sound an the
Odel if possible.

Thanks!

Jack

Austin08 · « **Reply #1 on:** 18 Aug 2012, 04:58 pm »

I used to owned Thiel 3.6 and CS6. They are power hungry, very revealing and coherence. They do well in dynamic transition and detail. Some said Thiel speaker are bright harsh. That is not fair. It is all depend on the sources. "Gabages in gabages out", simple is that.

During 6 years of ownership, I had a chance to listen to them with various components. I must said that the best sound combo to maid with Thiel is my CJ LS16 and a pair of McComark mono block DNA1 delux edition rev.A mod.

David C · « **Reply #2 on:** 18 Aug 2012, 05:19 pm »

I listened to the 3.6 at RMAF last yr. dont remember the source equipment but I did find them bright and a tad bit harsh. I bought speakers at the show and narrowed it down to the Wilson sophia (they only had the Wattpuppy at the show, the Revel Studio and PMC PB1i). I ended up with the PMCs and have loved them

jackman · « **Reply #3 on:** 18 Aug 2012, 05:45 pm »

Thanks guys, th is very helpful. I hope we get more comments.

Cheers

J

SoCalWJS · « **Reply #4 on:** 18 Aug 2012, 07:53 pm »

I own old Thiel 3's which are currently not in use - they were replaced by AV123/GR LS-6'es a few years back. They were my primary speakers for a good 15+ years before that.

They are known to be fairly revealing speakers that work hard to have "coherence" using a midrange/tweeter combo that are mounted coaxially. They also feature 1st order crossovers that can be a mixed blessing. They are not necessarily "power hungry", but do require a high quality amp in that they have a load that can drop to the 2-3 ohm level at certain frequencies (depending on the model). Usually, a higher power amp has less difficulty driving this type of load.

The current replacement for the Model 3 I own is the 3.7 and is priced around $10k. I heard them at RMAF, and they were outstanding, albeit in a room that was a bit too small. I heard them again at the OC Show and was driven right out of the room - can you say "bright"?. They are extremely revealing of what is upstream. As has been said, GIGO. You'd better have good equipment upstream.

They excel at jazz, chamber music, some rock - they will be pushed when you go after it real hard with heavy rock/metal.

Excellent quality and service/support.

TONEPUB · « **Reply #5 on:** 18 Aug 2012, 08:01 pm »

Reviewing 3.7s right now. Very revealing, but I wouldn't say harsh unless your amp is that way. Heard them with a few amps that I consider a bit too on the bright side (Krell and Levinson) and they were too much of a good thing for me. Using them with my Pass XA200.5 mono blocks or the Burmester 911, they've been great. As I like things a little on the warm side, they've been a really good match with my CJ MV-50 amp and a pair of BAT VK-60 monos I picked up recently.

Thanks to the 6db/octave crossover and 90db sensitivity, they play really well with tube amps. Even 20wpc is enough to get very enjoyable sound.

And, they are very easy to set up in your room, one of the easier speakers I've had the pleasure to work with in this regard.

I've noticed they don't do quite the degree of "pinpoint imaging" that some speakers do, they almost produce a more diffuse sound field like the magnepans do, but again, very enjoyable to listen to.

Last but not least, after visiting the Thiel factory last month, I found out that you can custom order your speakers in nearly any finish you can come up with, so that's a nice touch. The people at the Thiel factory have been there a long time and take a great deal of pride in the construction of their products. They even build all of their own drivers in house, another nice touch.

We'll have a full review in about a month, but I've been highly impressed with the 3.7s so far.

jackman · « **Reply #6 on:** 18 Aug 2012, 08:19 pm »

This is great! Tha is again guys for helping me out!!!

Phil A · « **Reply #7 on:** 18 Aug 2012, 08:26 pm »

Own 3.7s right now (since they came out). Had 7.2s before that and 2.3s before that in the main system. Have old SCS2s in the secondary bedroom system I've also set up many pair of different Thiel models. About a decade back and for five or so years before that, I had a friend who worked at a high end shop. The bad- well it's been noted the impdendence is not for all amps. My old Bryston 14BSST (900W into 4 ohms) could not w/o fans drive my old 7.2s properly in all situations. It was better with the 3.7s but one side of the amp would get very hot (and I had Bryston check it once with each pair of speakers and they found nothing wrong with it). Thiels, for the most part, are the poster child for everything in the chain (electronics, cabling, etc. - also requires good attention be paid to the room too) needing to be good. They are not forgiving otherwise. I have an old pair of B&W P6s in the basement system and a pair of Mobile Fidelity bookshelves in the office system and they are not nearly as picky.

The good - well with the right stuff in front of it they are excellent and perform better than many more expensive things. It kind of becomes a trade off to a degree as I'm sure there are speakers that are more or less that are not as picky. Right now I have a Modwright KWA150SE and a Modwright LS36.5DM for an amp and preamp and a Bryston DAC with various sources hooked to it. The system sounds really good. I can honestly say having set-up hundreds of systems (including $100k+ 2-channel systems) and going to shows and stores over the past decade, I've not been impressed by many things vs. what I have. I have heard things I liked a bit better (speakers were $35k and the electronics were more expensive).

I've gone through several different things in the electronic chain. So when people ask, I usually give a thumbs up with a caveat. My system is to the point that if I was going to make a change (and I'm sure I will at some point), it likely will be a source. I've delivered some pairs way back that just sounded awful in the room with the electronics (like two high glass walls and a stone fireplace as well). The purchaser apparently bought it based on reviews w/o concern for the room and electronics. Was not something I could live with.

Phil A · « **Reply #8 on:** 18 Aug 2012, 08:28 pm »

Current main and bedroom systems with Thiels

jackman · « **Reply #9 on:** 18 Aug 2012, 09:26 pm »

Very impressive system. Thank you so much for sharing. Thiel should get a circle here! I don't know much about the company, only that they are based in Tennesee. I appreciate all of the comments people have provided.

catastrofe · « **Reply #10 on:** 18 Aug 2012, 09:51 pm »

I had 1.6s for several years. Although they didn't go to the deepest levels, everything they did was fantastic. I almost purchased the 3.6s but went for Salk SoundScape 10s instead, primarily for the deep base. IME, they do like lots of power (just like Salks).

borism · « **Reply #11 on:** 18 Aug 2012, 10:25 pm »

I started my audio adventure with Thiels. First 1.2 then 2.2 and most recently 2.4. The best speaker - SS amplifier combination for me was the Classe CA 200 with the 2.4s. I ended up driving them with a McIntosh MC275 and enjoyed the combination though at the expense of some bass extension and control. With another SS amplifier I found the combination to bright and tiring in my room (many windows - untreated glass surfaces). Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity to hear the 3.7.

LadyDog · « **Reply #12 on:** 19 Aug 2012, 01:43 am »

Can't remember which two models I owed, the #'s keep changing.

Somewhat revealing, but as good as your amp. Great amp = great sound. Bad amp, we'll you get the picture.

Many feel they are power hungry. And somewhat true, but think the quality of the amp has much to do with it.

As with much of this craze hobby, synergy is key. Get a good match, and the speakers are very good.

timind · « **Reply #13 on:** 19 Aug 2012, 02:01 am »

I have owned two pairs of Thiels. First up were a pair of the CS1.5s probably more than ten years ago. They always seemed a overly bright to me no matter what amp drove them.
More recently I owned a pair of the CS1.6s. These were much improved, or at least I enjoyed them much more than the 1.5s. Revealing? Yes. But I never found them harsh. I have heard some of the larger models but never lived with them so no opinion worth stating.

Jon L · « **Reply #14 on:** 19 Aug 2012, 02:07 am »

CS3.7's are a large departure from the "classic" Thiels and the ones to get IMO. Using the same material, aluminum, for all drivers, including tweeter, midrange, and bass adds to the coherence which is already high due to the crossover and coaxial design. The fact they are much easier to drive than CS3.6 is a blessing, the latter measured by Stereophile to be "under 3 ohms through most of the range, dropping to a minimum of 2.3 ohms"

Phil A · « **Reply #15 on:** 19 Aug 2012, 03:44 am »

Quote from: Jon L on 19 Aug 2012, 02:07 am

CS3.7's are a large departure from the "classic" Thiels and the ones to get IMO. Using the same material, aluminum, for all drivers, including tweeter, midrange, and bass adds to the coherence which is already high due to the crossover and coaxial design. The fact they are much easier to drive than CS3.6 is a blessing, the latter measured by Stereophile to be "under 3 ohms through most of the range, dropping to a minimum of 2.3 ohms"

There are easier to drive than 3.6s, however, Stereophile also measured the minimum of the 3.7s at 2.4s and also between 2 and 3 ohms over much of the range - http://www.stereophile.com/content/thiel-cs37-loudspeaker-measurements

BPoletti · « **Reply #16 on:** 19 Aug 2012, 04:15 am »

IMO....

Thiel O2As are very good (in the right room). 3.5 and 3.6 are also good, a little less room-dependent and a slight bit below than the O2As (but still very good). The rest of the Thiels that I've heard just don't match up. The ported Thiels have a lot of trouble matching up with rooms. (That's the nice way of saying they don't sound very good in any room.)

Those awful electronic EQs are... well, awful. Best to take them out of the circuit and live without them OR have a really good electronics designer built an EQ that sounds good.

YMMV

nickd · « **Reply #17 on:** 20 Aug 2012, 08:34 pm »

back in the day I used CS 2's. Lots of fond memories with those. Dynaudio soft dome up top made for sweet highs maybe better than the current stuff with digital or at least easier to system match.

I used Audio Research gear at the time, a restored LS 3A preamp and a 100 watt SS AR amp (dont remember the model number). They were quite fun but just didnt have the dynamics of some of the stuff out there with steep crossover slopes. What they did do, was make music.

Jim built the company on the back of those I think.

The 1.6 was an amazing small speaker too from what I remember. I just didn't live with them long enough to give a full endorsement.

thunderbrick · « **Reply #18 on:** 20 Aug 2012, 08:45 pm »

Many years ago I had a vintage pair of Thiel 03As that were as sweet as could be I used to use them to break college kids of the idea that "new" was better, until one guy made me an offer I couldn't refuse. Wish I still had them.

bogiedr · « **Reply #19 on:** 1 Sep 2012, 01:57 am »

In 1986 I got my CS2's matched to an Adcom power amp / pre amp. this was my main set up untill 2005. After the CS2's were stored collecting dust for six or seven years, I matched them to a pair of CS3's (1982 I believe), and a Focal 700 center channel for my surround sound. They are driven by an Emotiva XP 5 power amp and Marantz AVR 6006, simply phenomenal!! Perfect for movies and amazing with music videos, (blue ray especially), I am a Thiel fanatic.