Thiel Owners

@jafant 
unsound is steering you away from Ayre because it doesn’t vomit 2 ohm watts like a moon rocket on the Stereophile test bench.

The CS2.4 presents a ~3 ohm load from 400-20k cycles. Two speakers need ~ 50 Watts to produce 90 dB at the listening position 9’ away (and that’s with a steady test signal, not music). Your DX-5 gain is a bit different than my QB-9 but not hugely so. In my system, clipping onsets around 97 dB with a typical CD. But I rarely ask for peaks north of 90 dB and most of my listening is 75-85 dB depending on genre and my mood. I’m probably only asking for 2-25 W for 90+% of my listening. The AX-5 is rated at 250 W into a 4 ohm load, Ayre doesn’t give a 2 ohm rating. That said, if you *do* listen at very high SPLs, the AX-5 probably won’t get you there. 
But before you believe me or unsound, listen for yourself, not via Stereophile measurements. 

@jafant 

With my particular combination of gear and assuming a typical CD, clipping will onset at an indicated “40” on the AX-5. I usually listen at about 30 for rock, maybe 35 if I’m extra rowdy. But most of my listening is 20-28 indicated, even less when I’m sharing the house.

The MX-R is far more powerful . . . and expensive. 

I mentioned earlier I was putting my Thiel 2.7s back in my system after having spent quite a while with my new Joseph Audio Perspectives.


I keep several speakers around because I always like some things about one speaker, others about another, and switching them around helps keep the experience feeling fresh.


I never know for sure if I get used to one sound whether it will end up making me appreciate the previous speaker more, or less.


With the Thiel 2.7s back in for the last couple days, if anything I appreciate them more having had a break from them. As usual..wow!..what a speaker!


The Joseph speakers have an airier, more brilliant, more pure sounding high end and a lighter tonal shade. The Joseph speakers also have a rounder, juicier, more punchy bass. They can really create a beautiful combo of "punchy fun sound" in the bottom and gorgeous rainbows of tone from the mids up.


What I’m loving about the Thiel again is that extra thickness and density to the sound, and the tidiness and precision. They just sound more confident and in control top to bottom, making other speakers even the Joseph speakers sound a bit more see-through and diffuse.


The Thiels are darker and richer and more full in my system vs the Josephs. The highs are "very good" and superbly integrated, though the Josephs are more beautiful - strings sound a bit more silky and refined on the Josephs, that kind of thing. On the other hand, the Thiels will give a string section more solidity and presence. In fact over all the Thiels have a more consistent dynamic presence top to bottom and density.This really helps for rock music (I’ve been playing a lot of Rush lately).


The Joseph speakers can be a bit on the "wispy" side in the upper mids when called upon to do crunching, thick electric guitar. The Thiels give electric guitar that grunt and solidity. The Thiels also do that fabulously controlled, yet dense and present bass - so Geddy Lee’s bass sounds tremendous.


On the other hand, the Joseph speakers have, as I said, a bigger, rounder bass - very tight! - but there is a punchy reach-out-to-my-sofa bass effect that makes kick drums, bass guitar etc feel palpable.


So with the Thiels, Neil Peart’s bass drum and Geddy’s bass will be locked right in between and behind the speakers, dense solid objects, but "over there between the speakers." Where on the Joseph speakers each note on the bass or hit of the bass drum punches air out so I feel it, which feels a bit more "real in the room" and is quite involving.


And, where the Thiels are more consistently dynamically enthusiastic from top to bottom - there is something about the bass foundation of the Joseph speakers that feels like they "breath" a bit more realistically, insofar as I hear and feel the emphasis and dynamics a drummer is producing. It feels a bit more real. But then I go back to how the Thiels seem to do more justice to Alex LIfeson’s guitar, and it’s the old 6 or one-half-a-dozen thing between the speakers.


In any case, I’m absolutely loving the Thiels, wallowing in their smooth organic tone, realism of imaging, the way they seem to do so well with any kind of music, etc. Just a great speaker!