Thiel Owners

Thank you for sharing.  Using subs adds a lot of flexibility to tuning the system to the room.  I also experimented with speaker/sub placement.  I like the Thiel's well away from the back wall to create a deep and wide soundstage but that does lean out the bass a bit.  So the subs ended up close to the back wall and toed in just a bit.  I wouldn't think that toeing in subs would matter but it seems to help.  The bass is very satisfactory, very good now in my system.  I happened to take a CD by Stanley Clark titled East River Drive, with me last summer when auditioning the Alexia's.  I played the first track and I could hear the skin of the bass drums on the Alexia's.  The Alexia's bass is very fast and crisp.  That sound was very apparent.  I now have my system to the point that playing this same track sounds really close to that of the Alexia's but I listen for the skin of the bass drums and that detail it is almost there but not as obvious.  This is the difference that I'm talking about.  And that difference could be due to the D'Augustino amps driving the Alexia's vs. my Pass Labs Amps at home- or the DCS DAC at the store vs my Ayon DAC or a hundred other things.  Think of the bitter disappointment were I to bring the Alexia's home just to learn that I need different amps.  This is the thing about Thiel speakers.  It will be very expensive to find a speaker that can surpass the Thiels in every way.  And then I heard the new Vandersteen Model 7 XTRM speakers in August.  They sound better to me than the Alexia's...

tonywinga

Thank You for sharing your Thiel vs. Wilson story. Our tastes are similar in Music reproduction. We strive for that last Nth of information. I am striving for hearing the skin of a Bass drum or finish of a Brass instrument as well. No doubt that top-tier gear will retrieve the inner detail must of us crave. Reference cabling is the last link of any Audio chain that binds the Aural capabilities.
Good to read that all of your efforts are paying off,  sonically.

Happy Listening!

2nd Note;

as above, it does indeed take a super-loudspeaker such as a Vandersteen Model 7 Series or Wilson Alexia (or higher)  to give any Thiel Audio a proper foot race.

There is something to be said for Jim's historic designs. And our beloved loudspeakers. Enjoy the Music.

Happy Listening!

tonywinga

I concur about Stanley Clarke discs being excellent tools for system evaluation. His CD/SACD titles are well-produced, well- recorded.
Have fun!


Happy Listening!

tonywinga, 

I understand now what you meant by bass improvement. Most people just mean more or harder impact and subs will do both for you. 

I am listening to the Stanley Clarke “East River Drive” album now listening for what you describe (new music to me thanks!). It is very subtle and I wonder if that “skin” sound is actually a little higher up in frequency as a secondary sound. 


I turned off my subs and high-passed the mains at 135hz and I feel like I could still hear it. Broke out the digital EQ and it might be in the 200-500k range. Hard to say and the detail is very low level. 


I switched over to a pair of Grado PS500e which I often hear that type of stuff on. I could hear it on the headphones but it did not stand out any more. I expected it too on headphones as they are more detailed in the bass. 


I think this type of detail retrieval is getting into super speaker territory and will cost a lot of money lol. 


Heavy room treatments (I see you have treated a bit already) with wide band absorption on the side walls might help pull that kind of stuff out more. Something like a high number of GIK 244 panels or even something thicker as reflection panels to knock down the bass reverb.