Thiel Owners

He actually got the $85k list price speakers used for something like $27k with shipping (that was probably about 15+ years ago).  The room was probably about just over 9 feet wide by about 17 feet with metal Boltz LP racks all over.  We took out a pair of $12k list B&W retro looking speakers that sounded better in the room.  Electronics included the Levinson 33H monoblocks ($20k list) and the Levinson reference preamp of the day ($16k list) and the he had an adjacent bigger room with a TV and a pair of Maggie 3.6s on a side wall (adjacent to the small room with the Dynaudio speakers), which I believe were powered by a De Havilland amp or integrated in the same room as the Dynaudio.  When we left my friend said that he would be better off with 7.2s in that room (vs. the Dynaudio).  Did other deliveries where the room was an afterthought. Like 2 story glass walls and a wall with a stone fireplace and Thiel 2.3s (which I owned before the 7.2s) and it sounded so bright it hurt my ears.  That system was bought totally based on review ratings vs. the person listening carefully or obviously considering the room.

Remember his name now - Hugh Campbell - lived in McLean VA.  The article was in June 2001 (and entitled "Sound Crazy").  Could not find the original but did find some comments online about it here -   https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/opinions/2001/06/19/mad-about-music/22cda9eb-b602-46f3-a00b-896c89eec7a6/

Old Rowland gear and Thiels sound great. The Rowland giving some body to the sound through the mids. Thiels like current and the ROWLANDS will do a better job at that than a tube amp. Everyone is spot on with wiring.  You can hear night and day what different speaker cable and IC's sound like. You really have to play around with several types to find the ones you particularly like the best. Almost like a tone control. 

Yes!  I'm using Rowland's best: PSU, DAC & Corus Pre with an enhanced Spectron Class D Musician II Signature amp.  Bybee iQSE V2s for atmosphere treatment and PPT everywhere else.  SR power cables and conditioners, Analysis Plus best interconnects and loudspeaker cables... The 7.2's are so incredibly coherent, transparent, tonally spot on and just plain signing!  Happy listening!

Asturias - I am spitballing for thoughts on cs5i vs cs7. Never heard direct comparison. 5i has older drivers, but with similar motor technologies to 7s. 5 has no coax, so vertical loving is greater. Baffles are similar tech, but 7s are thicker and quieter. 5 has big bucket brigade delays on mid ranges. I haven’t seen 7 schematic, so don’t know its timing mechanism. Generally newer models are superior to older. I imagine the 7 specs better.
BUT the 7 has a sealed bass to under 20 Hz which I know to be glorious IF you can drive it. I consider the 5 as a prime upgrade candidate due to direct upgrades with clear advantages. Physical time alignment is low hanging fruit and biamp capability lessens impedance stress.