[KeithA]

Hey James

I found this place so I figured I should hound you here instead of sending emails to you directly

As a long time Bryston user (and one of the BDA-1 pre-orders), my curiosity has been peaked with this Thiel 3.7 "association" I've been seeing. Well, I have an itch to buy something this year (besides the BDA-1) and would consider the 3.7s. My question is what would you consider to be the 'smallest' room (guesstimate) that you would run these buggers in?

My room now is about 16ft x 13ft x 8ft. It may be a bit small but a speaker purchase like that I would be aiming for the future and with a new house in the near future, a bigger room will come my way. Would these things just not sound good in a room of the dimensions I noted above?

As well, would the 6B SST do them justice or would they likely need a bit more juice?

Thanks

Keith
St. John's, NL

[Phil A]

Keith, I have 3.7s along with a 14BSST and an SP1.7.  My room is roughly 16x19 with a 19 ft. ceiling and opens to some other spaces too (I also have sound treatments and an RTA).  I also have a 6BSST on the center and rears and prior to the 3.7s I had 7.2s and before I got the 14BSST I had the 6BSST on the front 3 channels.  It (the 6BSST) is plenty of juice for the 3.7s.  Thiels like space from the side walls.  I have them along with wider side of the room with just under 10 ft. apart from the middle of each speaker and I sit roughly about 11 ft. from them and they are toed in.  Much will depend on where you listening chair is in relation to the speakers.

[KeithA]

Thanks Phil. From the sound of it I'd say I'll leave the 3.7s at Thiel for now! The layout of my room wouldn't do them justice at this point. I'll definitely keep my eye on them in a couple of years when we move into a larger house, though.

Phil, just out of curiosity, I notice you moved to the 14B from the 6B. I have a 6B and SP1.7 and was always the intention to perhaps get a 14B or 7B's for the fronts. I have no access to demo a 14B or 7B (my local dealer does not stock them), did you find much sonic difference in the 14B vs the 6B on the fronts?

Keith

[James Tanner]

Hey James

I found this place so I figured I should hound you here instead of sending emails to you directly

As a long time Bryston user (and one of the BDA-1 pre-orders), my curiosity has been peaked with this Thiel 3.7 "association" I've been seeing. Well, I have an itch to buy something this year (besides the BDA-1) and would consider the 3.7s. My question is what would you consider to be the 'smallest' room (guesstimate) that you would run these buggers in?

My room now is about 16ft x 13ft x 8ft. It may be a bit small but a speaker purchase like that I would be aiming for the future and with a new house in the near future, a bigger room will come my way. Would these things just not sound good in a room of the dimensions I noted above?

As well, would the 6B SST do them justice or would they likely need a bit more juice?

Thanks

Keith
St. John's, NL

Hi Keith,

I have heard the Thiels in 4 different rooms - 20x30x10, 14x14x8, 11x30x8 and 16x23x8.
Their characteristics of great staging and excellent transient response stands up in all cases.  I agree with Phil that wall reflections are going to affect the overall tonal balance in any given room.  My feeling is you need the speaker at least 3 feet from any flat surface and preferably 4 or 5.

Thiels tonal balance leans towards the thin side in the mid bass and low bass so in the small 14x14 room the overall tonal balance was in fact very good. In the bigger room 20x30  they could have used some subs. Generall big speakers tend to overload a small room because the room modes are fairly high up in frequency(80-120Hz). I find the Thiels much easier to use in small rooms than most speakers their size because they do not tend to excite the room modes to the same degree as most speakers.

james

[KeithA]

Thanks James

I don't guess you guys will be at the Montreal Festival du Son in April, hey?

Getting to hear a set of these buggers in my neck of the woods is a problem.

Keith

[James Tanner]

Thanks James

I don't guess you guys will be at the Montreal Festival du Son in April, hey?

Getting to hear a set of these buggers in my neck of the woods is a problem.

Keith

Hi Keith,

Thiel just appointed a new Canadian distributor and from what I hear they will be in Montreal.

james

[Phil A]

Thanks Phil. From the sound of it I'd say I'll leave the 3.7s at Thiel for now! The layout of my room wouldn't do them justice at this point. I'll definitely keep my eye on them in a couple of years when we move into a larger house, though.

Phil, just out of curiosity, I notice you moved to the 14B from the 6B. I have a 6B and SP1.7 and was always the intention to perhaps get a 14B or 7B's for the fronts. I have no access to demo a 14B or 7B (my local dealer does not stock them), did you find much sonic difference in the 14B vs the 6B on the fronts?

Keith

Keith, I did not have the opportunity to demo either amp and bought both of them lightly used.  I owned the 4BST many moons ago and I was fortunate that I did most of the deliveries/installs with a friend who worked at a high end shop and I heard enough from the 4BSST to go for the 6BSST.  After living with that for a few months I sold what I was using in the rear channels (Proceed) and picked up a 14BSST.  The 14BSST seems a bit more relaxed and also controls the bass better.  I had a friend come over (and I had Thiel 7.2s at that time) and I use 2 Rel subs and he didn't believe I had them turned off as the bass control was easily noticed.  I have the 14BSST plugged into its own circuit (one receptacle on its own circuit - had the house done that way).  The did put a 20 amp circuit in (I just specified a separate circuit) but used 14 gauge wire vs. 12.  If I was to do it again I'd have the 20 amp circuit done with 12 gauge wire and opt for the 20 amp version of the 14BSST which would be better for lower impedence speakers like the Thiels.  The 14BSST got hot to the point (using the 7.2s - combination of the impedence, efficiency and room size) where a channel would shut off during an action movie or if I played demanding music (the 6BSST never got that hot - biased differently).  I built a custom amp stand with fans.  With the 3.7s I've played a bunch of movies and not had that problem and playing something really demanding the amp can get hot enough on one side to burn your hand but has not shut off.  So if you are planning on the 3.7s and a 14BSST and are doing an electrical cirucit opt for a 20 amp circuit feeding a single receptacle with 12 gauge wire just for the 14BSST.

[KeithA]

Hi Keith,

Thiel just appointed a new Canadian distributor and from what I hear they will be in Montreal.

james

[/quote]

Thanks James.

I've sent an email to Thiel to see if they can give me any indication. As well, I've asked them if any dealer in Canada will stock the 3.7s (maybe) in Toronto or east of there so I could manage a listen.

Right now I'm likely to pick up a pair of 7B SSTs in few months. But if I can get the speakers, the 7B's could always wait 'til next year!

Keith