Thiel Owners

Tomthiel, Because Thiel; I expected a technical explanation. I completely understand the dynamics of business and personal decisions. I didn't mean to pry, but your candor is appreciated.

Tom I love reading the back stories keep them coming!!! Glad you’re on this forum!! David

fitter468

good to see you again. Happy Listening!

Happy Black Friday- All

Hope everyone had a fine Thanksgiving (for all those here who celebrated that day yesterday or at all). ...

Here's another back story question: Early on, Thiel and Classé Audio seemed to have a close, if informal, relation in marketing and in-house systems (Classé and Thiel were marketed together mid-1990s at my local high-end salon, tomthiel still has legendary DR-era Classé amps). OTOH, the good fit between Thiel & Bryston has been well covered in recent posts. Over time, I heard fewer mentions from Thiel of pairings with Classé and more of pairings with Bryston (the two brands competed in roughly the same market niche). I speculated that this had something to do with Bowers & Wilkins purchase of Classé and their pairing at Abby Road Studios.

Question: How much was this shift at Thiel due to the B&W acquisition vs. technical differences in the evolution of the Classé and Bryston lines.

Side note: The Classé brand was eventually shut down by the conglomerate that purchased B&W. An attempt to resurrect Classé within the Sound United conglomerate is currently underway. In contrast to newThiel, new Classé is trying to retain most of its design team and culture. It will be interesting to see if the Classé reboot succeeds.