Thiel Owners

Sandy - thank you for your remembrances. The 03a was the real beginning of it all. It upgraded the 03, which was Thiel's shortest run in history: one year. The 03 was our first product to address time / phase with first order slopes. We struggled nearly two years to minimize all the problems which coherence made glaringly obvious, but which melted into obscurity with higher-order crossovers. We launched the 03 in early 1978 to an encouraging audience at the Winter CES in Chicago. But back home, we were still working around the clock to identify and solve "problems".

A root problem turned out to be diffraction, which wasn't much on the radar in 1978. We nested the drivers in heavy wool felt, and brought them closer together, virtually transforming the speaker, without changing the drivers or the crossover. By the end of the year we had the 'a' iteration which we introduced at January CES 1979. The illustrious Harry Pearson, editor of Absolute Sound and to many minds the founder of "high-end", gave the 03a a glowing review, citing its many unique strengths and only its ultimate power handling capability and his unease about the equalizer as his mild reservations. He finished with something like "Thiel's 03a is a tour de force; I expect to hear more from this emerging designer." That is a paraphrase from memory.

I suspect you're right about the early 80s at Havens and Hardesty because the CS3 was introduced January 1983. Here's a quiz for the group. Has anyone ever heard of the 03b?

Correction: the CS3 was introduced at the Chicago Summer CES in June 1983, which is part of the 03b story.

Hi,

I follow this thread now and again and have a question that is a reality check. Bear with me.

There is another current thread about the differences that can be heard between a $1,500 and $10,000 DAC. Of course, the conversation got around to needing to have the equipment to hear the difference; the consensus seemed to be the difference would be primarily in the high frequencies.

I have Thiel CS5's and think they are good enough to hear these types of differences; as any time I change out gear I can tell a difference.

My question to other thread followers here would be: Would you agree with me?

I am asking because I have not heard that many different speakers in my home and was fortunate early on to acquire the CS5's at a good price so sometimes I wonder if that is all clouding my judgement.

Thanks for listening,

Dsper

Shite.  

I almost returned to Thieland a week or so ago when I offered $500 for a pair of CS3.5 from a seller within driving distance.  I had just sold off the Meadowlark Kestrels to another member here and couldn’t believe my good fortune finding a LOCAL pair of Thiel. We arranged a pick up time, agreed to cash, all set.  He even had the original cartons.  

The following morning I called the seller to tell him I was on my way, that the trip would take about 45 minutes.  He said, “I sold speakers.”  I replied, “yes I know, we spoke yesterday about picking them up today, remember me, Bill?”  Silence.  “Yes, yes, I remember, but I sold them.”  I asked him if he still had the speakers thinking that, hoping that there was something neither one of us was clear about. 

Nope. He sold the out from under me. 

C’est la vie.  

I had also also sold off my Bluesound Powernode 2i to help offset my purchase of an Audio Research DSi200 Integrated. Received it from TMR, perfect shape.  Original carton, all the desired usual suspects.  Couldn’t wait. Wouldn’t you know it that a pair of new Maggie MMGi’s came to bear within shirt order. NOS, still wrapped in the shipping carton.  Used price - hard to beat. 

I hook up the integrated, hook up the Maggies, take my usual spot in the living room, toss on Ani Difranco’s “Evolve” album and await goodness.  

Now I’ve had, including this pair, 5 pairs of Maggies. I’ve had ARC separates, too - I have a pretty good idea of what either is capable of providing sonically.
I’m listenin’ but I ain’t hearin’.  The sound is...lacking. No depth, no space. I turn it up a tad believing that maybe the amp likes to flex a muscle every now and again, kinda like my pair of 3.6’s that showed best at levels I don’t normally listen at. Nope.  I put the disc on infinite repeat believing the amp, as I’d read about, likes a long burn.  Nope.  Still...lifeless. I’m flummoxed.  

I spy in the A’gon classifieds a Belles 250i integrated for less than half of what the ARC cost me.  It’s in Joisey, close enough, so I make an offer. It’s accepted. I deal with one of the nicest guys I’ve met here on Audiogon - The integrated arrives the next day.  

Voila!  The Maggies are being profoundly Maggie. Except for the rather anemic bass I was hearing the kind of clarity I had been anticipating.  The Belles is a truly remarkable integrated.  It’s a hybrid, employing a tubed pre - which I’ve pretty much done me-self over the years with various setups.  

This is is the best integrated I’ve ever owned. 

Now...I’m watching the ads again for Thiel.  There’s a few 2.3’s around at acceptable asking prices. 

Almost back...it’s been painful. 

oblgny,

Many of us are familiar with the sometimes odd and painful realm of selling and buying equipment.

I sold whole bunch of equipment over the last year (much of it shedding components I haven't been using).  


When I was selling my Thiel 3.7s I had a guy who said he absolutely wanted them, we had a deal, he was going to the bank for the money, had rented a van to pick them up.  Had the date set for him arriving to pick them up.

Then...radio silence.  Completely awol.

Lots of puzzling behavior out there.

Fortunately I ended up selling my Thiels to an absolute "pro" buyer - great communication, did everything he said he'd do on time, a painless sale.  


I always seek to be one of those buyers as well. As forthright as possible.