Thiel Owners

Unsound
Thank you. Now that I have a better feel for what the 3.5s can do (I am absolutely thrilled) even when underpowered, I'll back off to the 40 hz and play them with an even lighter touch, especially on the bass heavy stuff. I will admit that without the EQ at first I wasn't quite as gentle, but still not at all heavy handed - Jack Bruce, tympani, and the rumble of Mahler and Wagner were still phenomenal. I'd rather not deal with disconnecting everything to take the integrated to a dealer, I'll just disconnect the EQ when I want to play bass heavy music at lower levels or connect the DAP. Still have LPs I haven't played in eons. Everything just sounds so wonderful and musical on the 3.5s, except of course for poor recordings. The 3.5s have spoiled listening to them for me, Disraeli Gears import LP, you know who you are.

harrylavo

With Thiel CS3.5 speakers available now for only $400 or $500, I collect them for their drivers. I think using original drivers is the only way to keeping them sound as they should. One time, I bought a pair of CS3.5 on Ebay, and asked the seller to remove and send ONLY the tweeters and midranges.

The tweeters are stock items, which appear on ebay quite frequently. The midranges were custom made, so totally unavailable now. But they can be re-coned, although a burnt voice coil is not repairable.

The solutions are 1) use an amplifier that has plenty of extra power that you will never use (and will never clip from reaching its power limit) and 2) don’t ever play music loud enough that you hear some dynamic compression or distortion.

3) If you want to follow my advice, don’t play CDs anymore either, Just stick to analog. It sounds better, and it is peak-limited for the very same reason that Thiel CS3.5 like them better: phono cartrdiges have a mechanical excursion limit as do speakers. No strike this suggestion, I was just using this opportunity to push records over CDs. Answer #2 should suffice, no matter what format you play.

tomthiel

Would you mind telling us about each 2-series model, what the differences are, and why you chose one over the others to design your first kit?

Also, why would anyone want a CS2.x, when (to my thinking) a CS3.x model is bigger and better, for about the same used prices? I only ask because I am a fan of the O3a, CS3.5 and CS3.7, but never even heard any 2.x yet (except at a CES).

--Sandy

rwmeditz
Good to see you again. I am a big fan of Disraeli Gears as well!
Happy Listening!

warjarrett
You have touched upon the most popular Thiel models, CS 2.2, CS 3.7 and 3.5/3.6, discussed in heavy rotation here. The general interest in upgrading those XO networks lies within these pages, posts.

Happy Listening!