Thiel Owners

Andy - I second your motion. As car guys say, the least expensive option is the one you have. So if you have 2.4s, then upgrading resistors and caps is a huge bang for the buck.

I concur with the 2 sub solution. The CS2 - 8" woofer just can't move tons of air. Two smaller subs definitely trumps one larger one. I use Thiel SmartSubs . . . just because. But they are noisy and not presently repairable, so I can't recommend them. If you can cross a pair of subs properly, everything gets big.

If you already have CS2.4 the XO upgrade is a no-brainer, IMO. Sure, it’s not the last word in low bass extension and definition but not much music happens below 30 cycles. You’re missing only some organ notes and the left most key or two on a piano. As for the 99% of the musical spectrum, oh my goodness!

If you’re really pining for everything, adding a pair of subs seems sensible. I would probably get the new Vandersteen adjustable versions if I had the funds. Or patiently wait for used Thiel subs and XO to come up on the used market. 

If you’re not yet an owner and wondering what Thiel to buy, there is zero doubt in my mind that the 3.7/2.7 coax is the best Thiel driver ever, and I would put it among the best from any manufacturer. Super low resonance design so you’re hearing music, not distortion. The 2.4 coax is excellent in this regard but the low slope crossover is a real challenge, and the wavy x.7 coax really solves this problem. If Tom Thiel comes up with an upgrade for the 3.7 . . .

Andy - I second your motion. As car guys say, the least expensive option is the one you have. So if you have 2.4s, then upgrading resistors and caps is a huge bang for the buck.

It's just so happen that my current car is a 2004 model so I would agree :-).  

Beetle - a 3.7 upgrade is quite straightforward since the drivers are so well behaved, there is not much circuitry in there. The tweeter caps could be upgraded to CSAs with perhaps an ultra bypass around the 1uF styrene/tin. Electrolytics to film for permanence. Resistors to Mills MRAs. Film feed coil on the woofer. More upgrade for less cost than the more complex 2.4.

You'll see more from me after the Thiel Audio bankruptcy settles.

Tom

Regarding bass extension: I own the 3.7s and 2.2s. The 3.7s have been in my system ever since buying them last year and I'm preparing to sell the 2.2s.  I was noticing some "crackle" in the tweeter of one of the 3.7 speakers and decided to change out the 3.7 for the 2.2 in an effort to narrow down the problem. Turns out I had a frayed speaker cable. Here's the thing. My perception was that the 2.2 actually offered more realistic bass extension. I had one of the Bach cantatas on for reference. Bach uses just one contrabass, but it needs to be heard. I felt the 2.2 did this better. But, the overall texture of the recording was much better with the 3.7. I could hear the lute in the ensemble readily for instance. That was not so clear with the same selection rendered on the 2.2. Totally nuts, or what?
Todd