Thiel 2.3 vs 2.4 the real difference

Thanks David,

They are pretty good, the square cabinet hurts the off axis response a little. They are warm sounding and maybe a little subdued in dynamics when not coupled to a subwoofer. My friend has the upgraded version with rounded baffles and grills and the Vifa Concentric tweeter which fixes many of the little details in the off axis performance and clarity in the highs. But these speakers are flat to 50 hz where I intended to pass the low frequencies off to a subwoofer. They have served me well. I have sold to 3 (5 speakers ea.) sets of these speakers to clients. And no complaints, infact 2 of them have upgraded to complete active systems.

I already sold the "upgraded ones" I mention in my System profile. These are the one pair I didn't upgrade.

There's a reason I carry the speakers I carry for Cinematic Systems. They are much better than what I can build myself considering the price. I figure since I'm a part time amateur, the pro's should be able to be better than me by a good margin. That's how I determine if I'm going to carry a speaker line or not.

I was fortunate enough to demo the current version of the 2.3s and 2.4s in my dedicated listening room for over a week. I am using a ML 27.5 amp which is rated at 100WPC.

I found the Thiel 2.4s rounded off the sharp highs (maintaining accuracy) that the 2.3's had a reputation of. The bass goes deeper and remains tighter than the 2.3 as well. I would say that they still sit on the analytical side of the fence, but not to the same degree as they once did.

Good electronics are still a must.

The 2.4s are also easier to drive than the 2.3. The impedance curve is much nicer on you amp.

My overall assessment I think could be described as, the 2.4 did everything as least well as the 2.3, although on some material the 2.4s were better. The 2.3s never surpassed the 2.4's on any recording that I listened to. I ended up choosing the 2.4 over a nicely priced pair of 2.3's.

I did find that placement of the 2.4s was fussier than the 2.3s. It took me a while to dial in the 2.4s. The 2.3s didn't take as long.

Now that is a decent comment. Thank You a lot. You cleared a lot in my mind.
In my recent set-up I find my 2.3 to be acurate with no sharpness to it. Sometimes I even felt I would like more top-end energy but I think I found it with introduction of new IC. It is still burnig-in so I reserve futher comment.

2.4 is much easier to drive compare to 2.3 that is obvious. Don't you think the sharper highs you noticed on 2.3 could be an indication of not enough juice out of your amp? I am using powerhouse amplifier (SIM W5 LE) and prior to the new IC I could use more sparkle on top. Plese do not get me wrong I am not highs freak and I hate when it is bright - I had my 2.3 bright on some set-ups and it was frustrating.
Some reviews point that 2.4 are a little bass-shy in terms of quantity. Would you say 2.4 produce more or less bass compare to 2.3? I understand you prefer 2.4 bass over 2.3 it terms of quality. But that could also be amp-related. I couldn't think of my 2.3 bass to be any tighter without losing body and mass. I still think it could be more developed esspecially in mid bass. Lower bass is stunning.

Bunkeromantik,

You might be right on the amp power. I have not yet tried a more powerful amp. I am hoping to upgrade that piece some time this year. I also feel it might have to do with my room being somewhat narrow (12 feet), I was forced to use some toe-in which causes the tweeter to beam a little, and I think the 2.4s were a little easier to handle than the 2.3s. If you are pointing straight ahead like Thiel recommends, this may not be an issue for you.

I found that the bass wasn't more, but it went down deeper than the 2.3's, and I think the overall all bass region was more controled (not that I thought the 2.3 was sloppy by any means). I actually had to pull my speakers away from the back wall a little more to calm the bass down. I can't imagine that the 2.4 can't produce enough bass unless you are a big pipe organ fan, or you have a large room to fill.

The biggest thing I found with both speakers is that changing the placement, even slightly, can have a big impact on sound. If you are missing some sparkle, then try a slight toe-in using small adjustments at a time. One other thing that I forgot to mention is that I think it is an absolute must that your listening position is at least 8 feet away from the speakers on the 2.4's. I don't remember if that was the case on the 2.3s

If You will search for a new amp if possible audition SIM AUDIO W5. It did a tremendous job in controlling low end and filling-in the midrange of my 2.3. It does wonders on dynamics and palpability of the sound. To this day I am not sure wich I love more my Thiels or the SIM. Thankfully I got both. One of Audiogoners made me buy it and I am very greatfull to him. Just check it out, pal.