Thiel Owners

Happy Listening!

jafant,

I went into lots of detail about the Thiels and (my) tube amps in this thread a while back:

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/thiel-with-quot-warmest-quot-midrange-2-7-vs-3-7-vs-older?hig...

My speaker cables are still 10 awg Belden cable ;-)

golferboy...

I'm awaiting delivery on a pair of 3.6's after having two pairs,  at different junctures,  of 3.5's which as some folks here already know,  became my reference point for loudspeakers in general.  (I gifted my first pair to my nephew.)  I've just sold my 3.5's to make room for the 3.6's.  I'm literally watching the calendar daily waiting for the truck to arrive.  Hell,  I've even purchased a hand truck/dolly to get them into the house.  

And to think I have said that moving my 3.5's around once in a while is a pain in the ass...

SInce many of us suffer the same fate of having so few bricks and mortar high fidelity retailers around now,  I have purchased all of my Thiels used,  without audition.  The first time I hooked up my 2.3's I was so impressed that I literally stopped in my tracks.  Then the first pair of 3.5's became available - involving a 400 mile round trip to fetch them - and I was doubly impressed.  I sold those to get a pair of Maggies - which I also happen to hold in very high regard - eventually deciding that Thiels,  in general,  are Maggies with bass.  And not just any old bass, PROPER bass.  Musical bass,  with all the mids and high definition that Thiel and Magnepan excel in.  I am a zealot,  a Thielist,  I've drunk the kool-aid and can't help myself.

Recently I came to the conclusion that all of my purchasing/selling of associated equipment was detracting from my enjoyment of music,  or at least the simple act of tossing something on and enjoying it without nitpicking my system.  (Until a week or so ago it was a Pass Labs X150.5 SS amplifier,  a Balanced Audio Technology VK3i tubed preamplifier,  a Primare phono stage...and a few things I had lying about,  a CJ amp,  a Threshold amp...)  IMHO Pass Labs is a sweet match for Thiels.   Even though I doubt I ever came even remotely close to flexing the amp's 300 watt into 4 ohm capability,  the sound was incredible.  Clean,  articulate,  just like the Thiels.

I am expecting much of the same from the 3.6's.  I'll be driving them with a Simaudio Neo 340i integrated,  capable of 200 watts per channel into 4 ohms which,  methinks,  will be sufficient for appreciating the 3.6's.  I listen at VERY conservative levels.  The meter on the Pass rarely,  if ever,  even budged a smidgen.  Thus far the Neo has proven to be a pretty damn good amp with the 3.5's, perhaps not as "analytical" as the Pass but still within the parameters that I've come to gauge my equipment by.  

For the record,  and thanks to Jafant and unsound for their input on everything Thiel,  I went to all Transparent cabling a while back and have found that to be a great match.  ("Synergy", as jafant likes to term it.)  Hopefully I will settle down for a while and let the 3.6's earn their keep with the Neo - although,  as the past has taught me,  THAT's pretty unlikely.  The one thing I AM certain of is that the 3.6's will become my new reference for loudspeakers.  Whether or not I embark on an integrated amplfier shoot-out in the coming months is perhaps another post's story.

Besides,  that could be fun in this thread.

Any comments to care to share with your 3.6's is very welcome.

Happy listening  -  Thiels Reveal!

oblgny,

I thoroughly agree about Thiel's and bass.  I've enthused about this often.  It is the most tonally controlled bass I've ever experienced.
When a stand up bass plays there is none of that added bit of blur/bloom at the bottom that you hear with most speakers.  You hear that vibrating string and soundboard resonating - and only that - all the way to the floor as it were.  And all the bass energy remains focused right where the instrument is coming from, making even low bass just as holographically placed as any other part of the spectrum.  They are such an achievement!

I have really enjoyed following this discussion over the last year. I have been more passive with opinions because I recognize that all of our senses are clearly subjective.

oblgny...

I'm reflecting back on our exchange on this discussion 8/31/16. Since I have owned 3.6s for over 6 years and have never heard the 3.5s, I will be waiting in anticipation about your opinions regarding the comparison. The only change that I have made the last couple of years is selling my Audio Research Ref 5 and buying a preowned 5SE in December here on Audiogon. I'm still very content with my current setup.

prof...

I also followed your discussion with the change from 3.6s to 3.7s, since we have a lot in common. I also have a fairly small listening room and sit about 7-8 feet from my 3.6s. I have been contemplating moving to the 3.7s myself if I can find a pair close-by and affordable. Prof, are there any attributes of the 3.6s you miss that you're not getting with the 3.7s?

Thanks, Jon

p.s By the way, there is a pair of 3.6s for sale locally here on Craigslist in Birmingham allegedly from an original owner, but without the boxes. https://bham.craigslist.org/ele/6053373347.html