Thiel CS3.7 and CS2.4 comparisons?

Larry,

I enjoy them and it is really that simple for me.

Do they sound like a piano... I have no idea, pianos all sound different, what one do you want it to sound like and in what setting? The question for me is, does the recording sound like a real piano? I play piano for what it is worth.

As for the price question it is a grey area. Would I pay double, triple, or more for better sound? Yes and I will sooner than later. I was just very disappointed with many high-end speakers in the $15000 price range. Where I was most disappointed is I felt many companies just throw money at their designs and get the fundamentals wrong. More money does not fix design issues.

The 2.4 do have some issues but they are not that offensive to me because I feel for the most part they are deductive. The bass could be lower and the highs could be more extended. I am sure a better box would help too but I never listen above 75-80db so it might be less of an issue for me than others. My only real issue with them is I feel voices are thinner than they should be. Sometimes I also like unrealistically larger than life bass and wish I had bigger speakers but just sometimes. Other times the Thiels are just right.

02-07-11: James63
Anyway I am done shopping for now and will look again when I have a bigger house. I will most likely move up to the 3.7 (or go for broke with a good deal on something used), it sounded a lot like the 2.4 but with more bass, a more detailed/warmer mid, and had cleaners highs. But all in all more of a refinement over the 2.4 than a giant leap.

i have a pair of cs2.3 speakers and when i listened to the cs3.7 i didn't find the bass to be any stronger than the cs2.3. to me the biggest difference seemed to be in the midrange where the cs3.7 seemed to have a bit more definition. but for my part i like the sound of my cs2.3 speakers and i think that they look better than the cs3.7 also (let's face it, there is an aspect to which audio equipment is sold as an article of furniture). that said, i thought that the cs3.7 is a nice sounding speaker although i probably tend to lean toward thiel; in part because i don't have a lot of motivation to "audition" lots of equipment since what i have sounds fine to me (my ears don't detect strong night and day differences in general).

James,
When you decide to move on to a 'better speaker', you might consider the Sound Lab. They are really, really uncolored in their presentation. Fast as lightning, great bass and nowadays, great dynamic transfer.

Definitely worth looking in to.

Best,
Larry

James,
As a side note to the comment about Sound Labs...some people know this, others may not--Jim Thiel was actually a serious fan of Electrostatics--and once told me that he felt that that was the optimal way to build a speaker.
Crossoverless in the truest sense, no cabinet, perfect time alignment.
However, in his start-up days of THIEL Audio, the limitations of this technology were too significant.
Now, in the year 2011--with dynamics not the issue that it was in 1976--better materials for the panel, greater efficiency, it would be interesting to see what an engineer of Jim's ability could/would do...wait, maybe we already know...Dr. West of Sound Labs...step forward!
lol

Larry

Larry,

I will try and hear the Sound Labs some day. The only electrostatic speakers I have demoed is the Martin Logan line, I thought the CLX was pretty nice but out of my price range. It did many things better than any speaker I have heard but they needed more low-end extension. The mix and match drivers of the lower models turned me off. Ultimately though the panel life of electrostatic speakers bothered me. How long is the panel life on Sound Lab speakers?

I also demoed the entire Magnepan line too. I also liked them but could not get over the build quality. Other panel brands are just a little too exotic and hard to come by.