Thiel Owners

dsper

Thank You for the follow up. That is quite a collection of gear.
Conrad Johnson/McCormack will become a lively, sonic, match for the CS5i loudspeaker. Good to read that your employing Synergistic Research (SR) cabling. Are you using a full loom?
A Don Sachs pre-amp is highly regarded. I did not know that he was still in business?

Happy Listening!

dsper

I am not familiar with AudioSpace CD player? Tell me more.

Happy Listening!

dsper - among my blue-sky imaginings for the CS5, you picked the one that is actually feasible. Bi-wiring is not only feasible, but easily reversible if desired. And it's quite simple; the wires from each circuit go all the way to the single binding posts. So, adding a pair of posts  simply requires unsoldering and resoldering 3 pairs of wires at the input terminals.

@jafant 

Good to read that your employing Synergistic Research (SR) cabling. Are you using a full loom?
A Don Sachs pre-amp is highly regarded. I did not know that he was still in business?

You will have to educate me about full loom. I know hardly anything about interconnects! The Alphas are probably about twenty years old and I tried them based on a suggestion made by a C6 owner. I purchased one pair for the DAC/preamp and felt they made a slight improvement. I added a second pair between the preamp/amp and that definitely made an improvement. I think going all Alpha was the key versus different brands. My old interconnects were Cullen Cable.

As of three weeks ago, Don was in still in business because I have an email from him confirming my order. Great guy! He is knowledgeable, straight forward, and passionate. He patiently answered all of my questions and was willing to tell me what I might not want to hear. Our email string has covered a number of weeks and Don shared his take on speakers, solid state versus tubes, and DACs. I am looking forward to the arrival of the preamp because if it lifts a veil, I expect that will move me closer to a live presence.

I am retired and listening to a remastered Fleetwod Mac cd "Tusk" while I write this. Can't do this all day though as I have dead shrub to remove from the garden. Anyway, sounds pretty darn good!  Very resolving cd that clearly sorts the vocals in the soundstage, which is extending outside the speakers. Wow! Good ambience. The solidness of the CS5i's comes though in spades!

Thanks for listening!

Dsper

@tomthiel ...Bi-wiring is not only feasible, but easily reversible if desired...

Hi Tom,
Now you really have me thinking. I set one of the CS5i's on its side (laying it on a throw pillow so I had purchase to stand it back up again. Heavy buggers!)

It looks like I can access the existing speaker terminals by removing the plate that is held in place by the eight screws. Assuming that is correct, I should be able to see the wires coming to the existing terminal.

If I can sort the wires out, I should be able to separate the woofers from the rest of the drivers.

Without actually looking at it (not exactly ready for that yet), then there must be some way to repace the existing terminal with a "two way" terminal so that the woofers go to one terminal and the rest of the drivers to the second  terminal.

Am I on the right track with all of this?

At that point, I could keep the DNA-500 for the bass drivers and utilize, say, a tube amp for the mids and highs, correct?

Just changed out Fleetwood Mac for Heart. Hearing vocal nuances I have never heard before. Sounds like the Sorekris DAC is an improvement!

Thanks for listening!

Dsper