2. speakers
  3. 119616-87

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
ronkent's avatar
ronkent
371 posts
 
arvincastro,   you can never have too much power.  almost all damage is  done by over driving an amp and causing it to go into "clipping".  so do not worry as more power is better power.  cleaner and less distortion. 
unsound
7,329 posts
 

ronkent is right on!

The 3.5’s recommended power was 40-50* (depending on vintage) to 250 (and even 300 in some circumstances) Watts per channel. Those recommendations were based upon standard 8 Ohm amplifier ratings, with the understanding that with quality ss amplifiers those power numbers would double with the halving of speaker impedances.

So with the Thiel 3.5’s 4 Ohm nominal/ 4 Ohm minimum rating, you’d be well within Thiel’s recommendations for the 3.5’s. With the extra demands the 3.5’s eq makes on amplifiers, I think the extra power would be more welcome with the 3.5’s than with most other speakers with similar sensitivity and impedance loads.

*Interestingly enough the early models had a sensitivity rating of 88 dB and a minimum recommended power of 40 Watts per channel, and with later models Thiel spec’d the sensitivity to 89 dB but also increased the recommended minimum power to 50 Watts per channel.



tomthiel's avatar
tomthiel
1,683 posts
 
Power recommendations are really sketchy, since the manufacturer doesn't know your loudness requirements or room size which are the largest factors in the equation. Regarding the sensitivity increase, I remember that driver refinements allowed lowering of series resistors in all 3 drivers to gain the 1dB increase. The minimum requirement was increased because all driver failures were caused by overheating voice coils (mostly midrange), which is invariably caused by clipping.

I would expect all sonic characteristics to improve with doubling your amplification. Your challenge will be self-control. The cleanliness of the response might tempt you to crank up the volume. The equalizer boost does make serious demands on the midrange driver, so keep it modest, or keep the EQ at 40Hz or off if you're gonna rock.

Let us know how it shakes out.
thielrules
160 posts
 
My recommendation would be
1. Carefully check your mid-range drivers with the willingness to discover cracks in the surround ring. It is common after 10 years of regular use with the equalizer that signs of deterioration develop, according to Rob G.. if you are fortunate and your mid range are fine, consider extending the lifetime by coating the surround ring with glue.
2. Get the second amp for Bi amping. Decoupling the woofer from the rest protects the mid-range from the eq that is applied to the bass. The sloop of the filler is only 6db, so the mid-range is getting some of the extra bass. This decoupling also increases the impedance and an easier load on the amp. The biamping is vertical, so you can place the amp near each speaker, have short cables and the amp can compensate for a higher load in the base channel by the lower load from the mid-high range.
This is an easy and affordable improvement that increases the lifetime and Sonic qualities of the 3.5.
3. Check the eq carefully. Static electricity can blow out some transistors although for later eq this was fixed. You need the eq to get the best out of the 3.5. If your eq is needing repair or your mid-range needs replacement, it makes sense to switch to digital crossovers as I did and shape the mid-range to your system and compensate for differences in sensitivity of the speakers. You also create the opportunity to mitigate room effects. I have successfully done this with a minih dsp opendrc da8. The specs are only average but as far as I can tell, no Sonic weaknesses in the audible range.
unsound
7,329 posts
 

I've been using my 3.5's with eq on full boost in a moderately large room (15' ceiling peak) and play music at the volumes which were intended, scaled back for domestic room size, in other words; fairly loud on peaks, with an amp capable of 500 Watts (and double that for a couple of minutes at a time) per channel into their 4 Ohm load for many years now, without a hint of problems. Though, I do wish they could play even louder on dynamic peaks with less strain. My 3.5 midranges drivers were rebuilt by Thiel shortly after I purchased them. The previous owner used what IMHO was an underpowered receiver to drive them. Again, no problems since.

Not using the eq would be an anathema for me. Even on steadily loud rock music, I would use the eq at least on the 40 Hz setting. With more lowered tuned 5 string basses and synthesizers being used, there's too much music below 70 Hz where the eq kicks in to compromise without it . That coherent sealed box deep bass is part of the reason I like the 3.5's so much. Without it, I might have kept my old CS 2's. I still prefer the 3.5's  to the later Thiel offerings, except of course for the only other sealed box Thiel's; the CS 5i's. The amplifier requirements for which are the only obstacle towards my ownership.

That  up to 12 dB eq boost might seem a bit extreme, but it is mitigated somewhat but the concurrent rise in impedance.



More to discover