Thiel Owners

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

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

AudioSpace is a Hong Kong company owned by Peter Lau. I purchased his CD8 cd player in 2010 from Underwood Hifi. It had a Phillips drawer and Burr-Brown PCM 1732 chip. There were two output stages so you could listen via transistors or three 12AX7 tubes.

I used it as I moved through the Magnepan line to their 3.6's. I could never particularly tell a big difference between the transistor or tube output stages.

After I moved to Theil CS3.6's, and then to the CS5i's, I started to play with DACs and used the CD8 as a transport only. I tried the PS Audio PWT as a dedicated transport and it brought much more detail and resolution to the sound.

I listed the CD8 on Audiomart and was surprised when I had three different offers and sold it within a week. Probably let it go with too good a deal! The new owner said he loved it and was rolling tubes. Different strokes I guess.

Thanks for listening,

Scott

Dsper- remove the screws and the xo slides out like a drawer. Unsolder all wires from the post lugs and find the drivers with a 6v lantern battery. Install a second pair of posts for the new input.

Mixing amps is treacherous. Gain and other characteristics must match and blend well. Can you conjure two volume controls?