Thiel Owners

ronkent, jafant,

I've long been familiar with REL and their approach.  I've had REL subs in my home before.  But I want to try doing subs using a crossover, which have some advantages if done right to the REL system.

thanks Prof.   i am a bit intimidated by the crossovers so opted for REL.  Plus the fact that Paul at PS Audio swears by them

hi guys,  well i went and heard the Magicos (the ones that sell for right at 30K) and they were very very impressive.  they were driven by VTL electronics and they were streaming using a Berkeley DAC.  the sound was amazingly clear,  like a set of quads but with upper and lower frequency extension.  the level of detail and articulation was amazing and i had to ask if the REL subs were on (they were not),  as the bass was so good.  truthfully if money was not an issue,  i think i would prefer them over the Thiels but not 100% sure about that.   there is something about the way the 3.7's do music that is captivating in a way that these were not.  But i think we get used to a certain sound and we have to retrain our ears.  Kind of like driving a new car as they all feel and handle differently.  The thing is,  i did not come home and find my system lacking or disappointing.  In fact,  i enjoyed it just as much so there you have it.  if i were looking for new speakers,  Magico along with Joseph Audio,  would be on my  short list, along with the upcoming speakers from PS Audio,   but for right now and for years to come,  i will still be a Thiel guy.

@ronkent Thanks for the report. I'm not surprised. I don't consider Thiels the best available but I do consider them the best at their price points. They "punch well above their weight class". IMO, models like the CS3.7 and 7.2 just miss the ultimate tier of performance. If Tom Thiel is able to design hot rod kits for the CS3.7 (it's on his radar but he is working on older models first) I expect the performance to rise to that next tier. I suspect a 3.7 with an upgraded crossover will be sonically competitive with models costing ~$50+K (I'm thinking stuff like the Vandersteen 7 and Vivid Giya).

@beetlemania  you are welcome.   this sure is a fun but challenging hobby.  I agree with your statements about punching above their weight class.   The Magicos are so well designed with one of the most rigid cabinets on the market and   I think one reason they sound so clean is that there are no colorations imparted to the sound by the cabinets.  The Thiels i am thinking,  have more cabinet resonances and nothing will change that.  Changing speakers is such a pain (selling and shipping the old ones for example) that i probably will be keeping these for many years.  the crossover upgrade sounds awesome but i for one am not qualified to go in and change everything so i guess that it is not in my future.  thanks.