Thiel cs2.4 upgrade to cs 2.4 se


I'm currently using thiel cs2.4. Any master can advise on how to upgrade to cs2.4se by changing its capacity? May i know the value and specs of the capacitors? What is the sound difference between cs2.4 vs dc2.4se? Tq
desmond888
Early on, Tom and I considered outboard and I canvassed the Thiel Owners thread to gauge demand. Plusses include heat management, vibration control, and freedom to use large parts. Minuses include reduced WAF and added cost. I have no regrets with my configuration.
Beetle regardding outboard xo's didn't Tom say something about the length of the wire to the drivers form the xo being significant to the design? Maybe not. If there is no adjustments for design criteria going to an outboard xo I would rather get outboard if it has the most sound advantages.
Beetle regardding outboard xo's didn't Tom say something about the length of the wire to the drivers form the xo being significant to the design? Maybe not. If there is no adjustments for design criteria going to an outboard xo I would rather get outboard if it has the most sound advantages.

That is true that given the same configuration, having an outboard xo will require a slightly longer wire run from the outboard outputs to the driver inputs.

But if you're going outboard, you will have to modify the binding posts to bi-wire anyway.  And if you're brave enough, you could place the bind posts on the back panel right behind the drivers (by drilling a few holes) which will shorten the wire run to the point which it will not be an issue.
didn't Tom say something about the length of the wire to the drivers form the xo being significant to the design?

I don’t recall that. He monitors the Thiel Owner’s thread if you want to ask him. I *do* remember he is a fan of short speaker cables. I haven’t told him my cables are 2 m!

Tom *is* concerned with heat management because of possible drift as resistors get hot. An outboard solution allows for this heat to be directly vented to the room. One iteration of my build had the resistors in stainless clips, mounted on aluminum bars. This really worked well for heat dissipation. I ran the speakers overnight, then at SPLs I use for rock recordings for one hour. Even a 30 ohm resistor was barely warmer than my skin. The bars, however, introduced a subtle sonic anomaly and I preferred the SQ without the bars. I did not run the same heat test after I removed the bars. That said, I don’t have experience regarding SQ degradation resulting from hot resistors.

As for vibration control, I also lack experience in if/how cabinet/XO vibrations degrade SQ. My build has the boards mounted with rubber feet against the cabinet and between the boards and screw heads.

I think it’s instructional to note how very few speakers have outboard XOs, even $$$ designs. The only outboard design I’ve heard (might be the only one I can even think of) is the Avalon Ascent. This was a fantastic sounding speaker and remains one of my “best ever”. But I heard it >25 years ago so I don’t know how it compares to newer uber designs such as Vandersteen 7, TAD Ref One, etc.

Regardless, I am over-the-moon happy with the SQ of my in-cabinet build.


But if you're going outboard, you will have to modify the binding posts to bi-wire anyway.
I don't follow this. Why would you not be able to choose either single *or* dual binding posts? Why would outboard eliminate a solution with a single BP?

I intend, in the coming weeks, to compare biwire using identical runs of cables to single cable plus jumpers.