Thiel 2.3 vs 2.4 the real difference

I actually had a pair of 2.4s in my room to see if they were much better than my 2.3s(with upgraded drivers). While the 2.4 had a bit better bass they were nearly identical. The dealer insisted on coming over as he remembers the 2.3s as being no where close to the 2.4s. I sat there using the A/B switch from my NAD remote, the speakers were side by side, not the best arrangement but both were equally handicapped, and he was gobsmacked. At one point he said "now that's the 2.4, right?" to which I replied..uh, no, that's the 2.3. Once I pointed out it was easy to tell them apart as the 2.4 was a bit more efficient and, thus, a little louder he started making comments such as "more liquid" for the 2.4. He did, however, agree that they were REALLY close and that I must have a special pair of 2.3s! Right. Anyway, I finally did come across a pair I like better, the Linkwitz Orions so will finally be moving away from Thiel but I will never say a bad thing about them. Great speaker and great company.

Tim McTeague

My Thiel 2.3's were early model, and I know that there was one major change early in the life of that model: an upgrade to the midrange driver that was reputed to smooth out the upper midrange. I can't say for certain that I ever heard a 2.3 with that upgrade.

So, the difference between 2.3 and 2.4 MAY depend substantially on whether the 2.3 has the newer midrange driver.

Art

2.3s started production in early '98 and the woofer was changed after about 400 units were built. The coax driver was changed (small tweaks to reduce resonances and a peak) sometime in 2000, along with a crossover modification to accomodate this. Both these changes are user-upgradeable, though many (most?) of the 2.3s out there came from the factory this way.

The 2.4 coax is quite a bit different than either the original or newer 2.3 coax (or PCS coax for that matter): more open basket due to a much smaller, more powerful magnet structure yielding more power handling and the more open-sounding mids. Apparently more attention paid to further reducing cone resonances, though it looks identical to the 2.3 from outside. Thiel won't allow any 2.4 coaxes to be installed in 2.3s, the 2.4 crossover is set up specifically for the 2.4's new drivers. Though one would think a 2.4 woofer, coax and crossover in a 2.3 would get you 90% of the way to a 2.4...

As I typed, I had both Thiels, side by side, in my room and the 2.3 is already 90% of a 2.4. Maybe 98%. Few people really do side by side listening. We all know how erratic sound memory can be when the element of time is involved.

Tim McTeague

Tim, care to tell us a little about the Linkwitz Orions?