Thiel Owners

@Tomthiel - thanks for the trip down memory lane ! The 02 had a rightness about them- paired at the shop with Audionics of Oregon BT-2 and CC2 and a decent Turntable and Grado they would shine !
older brother still has his pair today !!!!

Wow, thank you Tom!

It’s so nice to be able to read a previously hidden history of a pair of speakers that have meant so much to me for decades. And now, given Jim’s disdain, I feel even more guilty liking them so much ;-)

It just goes to show you that even when a talented engineer’s heart isn’t in to it, the talent still comes through.

I’ll be interested in your experiments with the 02!

Wow, what an impressive thread....
I just stopped in because I will always be a huge Thiel fan.  Here's my story.

My first pair were 1.2's.  I loved them for a couple years and couldn't wait for my income to improve until I could upgrade.  Then I bought 2 2's.  Likewise, I loved them and looked forward to being able to climb the Thiel ladder.  Finally, I was able to afford a pair of 3.6's.
Audio Nirvana!  Unquestionably, the best speakers I ever owned.  I paired them with a Krell KSA 200 and Audio Research LS26.  I used to go to RMAF and listen to the uber-priced goods on display.  Then, I'd go home and power up and realize that my system gave no ground to anything I had heard for under $50k.
But I sold my 3.6's, for a couple reasons:  Jim Thiel died, and I began to have concerns about the company's future and availability of parts/service.  Also, as good as the Krell was, it was an enormously inefficient amp....it wasn't noisy, but there were times I thought I could hear the whir of my electric meter when it was running.  So, I jumped and sold the 3.6's.
Next, I bought Revel Studio 2's.  A darn good speaker, but too big and imposing for my room, and they really needed the Krell as much as the Thiels to sound their best.
Meanwhile, I craved simplicity and moved to an integrated amp, an
Ayre AX 5 Twenty.  A great integrated and I don't see myself going back to separates in the future.
The Revels always seemed to need more breathing room than my listening room allowed and I finally decided to let them go.
After a lot of auditioning, I landed on Vandersteen Treo CT's, my present speakers.  It's a really good system and the Vandy's remind me so much of my Thiels....amazing musical and open sound and ability to listen deep into an ensemble.

As happy as I am with my present system, there are plenty of nights when I close my eyes and recall that Thiel/Krell/AR rig.  Taut, fast, deep, transparent, unbelievable sound stage, wide and tall.  Like my present system with an extra gear.
I don't want to disparage either the Revels or the Vandys...wonderful speaks.  But the 3.6's were the BEST speakers I ever owned and among the very best I've ever heard.

@77jovian Thanks for posting. I, too, have an AX-5. I’m quite certain it’s my last amp. Treo CT was the top of my short list for speaker upgrade (I’ve only heard the standard Treo) but the AX-5 pretty well crushed my budget! I ended up with used CS2.4SE. I was quite happy with those. Now, with Tom Thiel’s XO upgrade, I’m quite certain these are my last speakers. 

Funny, the CS2.4SE was on my short list, but I never got to hear a pair.