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Thiel Owners

Guys-

I just scored a sweet pair of CS 2.4SE loudspeakers. Anyone else currently or previously owned this model?
Owners of the CS 2.4 or CS 2.7 are free to chime in as well. Thiel are excellent w/ both tubed or solid-state gear!

Keep me posted & Happy Listening!
128x128jafant
beetlemania
839 posts
 
Danged tricky to respond to negative reviews if you're a manufacturer. Best just to cut your losses especially with someone like JGH. IIRC, Holt gave a tepid review to one of John Curl's designs (which was other wise widely praised) and it pretty much took the legs out from his company.

That said, Atkinson gave a rave review of the CS 2 2, so that might have canceled the negative press by Holt.

For myself, I use the magazines to help form a short list then rely my ears thereafter. The reviewers are wrong too often! And they rarely have much to say about value. There are many "mid-priced" (it's all relative in this hobby!) products that sound nearly as good, if not outright better, than the $$$ designs. Too many reviewers (Fremer and everyone at TAS) start with the price tag . . .
boilers1
2 posts
 
Hi, guys.

Running a lovely pair of 2.4s with a Rega Elicit R (105w/8ohms, 162/4ohms).

I really like the accuracy and rather flat response of the 2.4s but finding I need to turn up the volume to get a decent ‘clarity’ from them. 

I prefer running at lower volumes as I live in a flat, but I find they sound quite
muddled at lower volumes, but not always. For instance, midbass is just nonexistent below 11 o’clock volume level. 

my question being- would they sound any clearer with a more robust amplifier or is that only an issue at higher SPLs? Just not understanding the relationship between ‘high current’ amplification and listening volume. 
beetlemania
839 posts
 
I need to turn up the volume to get a decent ‘clarity’ from them.

Could be many things including your listening preferences. Could be that is the sweet spot for your gear. I’m running an Ayre AX-5 which has the same signal/noise ratio regardless of volume setting. But most preamps have a "best" sounding volume. Regardless, I’m reluctant to ascribe the effect to the Thiels.

BTW, stay tuned to this thread over the coming months. Tom Thiel is working on upgrades for legacy Thiel crossovers. The cs2.4 will be among the first tackled. The idea is to have DIY kits and/or upgrade service available through Coherent Source Service (Rob Gillum’s Theil service company). I expect these will bring sonic performance to a new level.
jafant's avatar
jafant OP
19,833 posts
 

Welcome! boilers1


I have had the pleasure of listening to the Rega Elicit -R integrated on different speakers that sounded pretty good. Thiel speakers crave high-current. I am interested to learn the current output of your Rega?

It could be that the volume has to increase to gain a certain output level?


My first CS 2.4 listening experience was with a Creek integrated that did not have the power of your Rega. Remembering back, I did adjust the volume to musical taste.  Hope this has been helpful.


Happy Listening!

unsound
7,329 posts
 

Gee, I thought J. Gordon Holt and Stereophile in general have been quite flattering of Thiel's products. Here is the review of the previously mentioned CS 3's:

https://www.stereophile.com/floorloudspeakers/684cs3/index.html

Larry Archibald had used first the CS 3.5's and then the CS 5's as his reference for what seemed to be quite an extensive time, first as editor and then as owner, before selling Stereophile to a major magazine conglomerate.

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