Thiel Owners

Rosami - Good question about who installs what how and where. At this point the situation is more like a stew simmering on the stove than a clearly delineated plan. It is probable that we will develop a bag of tricks, some of which can be implemented by the user, or perhaps regionally certified technicians. As upgrades become higher in complexity, cost and expectation, it is probable that process testing will become relevant, such as right-left matching or actual driver performance to tweak xo values. So, there will probably be various solutions, and probability that consultation will be part of the mix to determine an upgrade strategy for your particular vision.
Regarding cabinet bracing: Thiel cabinets are very rigid, but there are always weak spots in any outcome. I will address those weak spots and devise fixes which must be retrofittable, because we'll be working through driver openings, and possibly be removing a bottom. My emerging method of promise is to use wooden sticks to join adjacent panels in critical places. Since Thiel panels are braced with MDF cross shelves, the Modulus of Elasticity, deformation characteristics, damping, etc. is simple. Dissimilar materials introduce desired complexity. Long-grain solid spruce possesses relevant engineering properties about 10x greater than MDF. Adjacent panel connection introduces differing geometric forces (from shelves) which serves to mechanically damp resonances without introducing mass, as viscous damping strategies do.

All this is to say that I have been working on this cabinet problem, since the cabinets were my work to begin with. Among the tools I have applied is a digital stethoscope which allows me to listen to the cabinet with my ears simultaneously to exporting data for real-time visual (SpectraFoo) analysis along with storage for further FFT based processing.

This Thiel project is encouraging me to develop such methods which will also apply to my musical instrument development work. I love synergy.

well all i can say is that Mr.  Tom Thiel,  you are really one smart man.  Since i have 3.7's  I doubt i will benefit from  your knowledge,  but it sure is good to have you here.  Thank you so much for all you are doing.

Ron - It's good to be here. This project wouldn't be  happening without you guys.

The 3.7 is perhaps at the end of the timeline, since it is a very well optimized design and not in danger of cap failure. Especially, the cabinet is pretty quiet, but not totally - gains could be made. However, the crossover can benefit from passive component improvements. By the time we get to 3.7s we'll know more than we do now.

In the WayBack Machine - Cabinets and their materials. The 01 and 02 were particle board, which is stiffer than MDF, but less well damped - and it doesn't like to be machined. MDF was a new material in the late 70s and we adopted it for consistency, damping and machinability. BUT the 03 and 03a remained multi-ply Finland Birch plywood which was superior in every way except the lack of predictability of its resonances. In the development of what became the CS3, I experimented with making curved plywood panels, which were magic. But we lacked the resources to develop and incorporate that solution into our products. CurvedPly became one of many "somedays" in the dream sequence. I smile that Thiel eventually came back to that solution and pulled it off very well.

Many thanks Tom and to all others who have graciously commented thus far!  I figured the 2.2 tweeters might be compatible matches for the 3.6s given the same manufacturing year (1993).  I've already been in a dialogue with Rob and he informed me that he could probably repair  them if necessary.  Currently mine are in good working order however, my 16 year old son and I kid around about NOT blowing the them; often referring to Jim Thiel who apparently was prone to blowing his on the 3.7s during shows in the day, lol.  Glad to be on board the forum guys.  I currently have my 3.6s powered by ARC DS 450Ms and loving the sound!  Just recently added Signal Magic power cords (replacing the stock cords) and found the center mid-band to have more presence as well as more pronouced bass and soundstage imaging.  Looking forward to more as they continue to burn in; so far about 100 hours or so. Eventually, I might look to refurbishing/upgrading the crossovers and I'm sure I'll have many questions for you all along the way. I'll keep you posted.

bumpin around on youtube, thought this might be of interest. Rob Gillum being interviewed. You don’t have to wonder if he's a believer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55tQUNsE7GA