Thiel Owners

Bose has always been active on the litigation front -  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bose_Corporation  I'm not even sure that they were the first with direct reflecting technology in speakers.  Many moons ago I worked in Center City Philadelphia.  There was an older gentleman who had a small but nice audio shop.  He had speakers that had good drivers in them (not cheap ones) and had them near the wall with a piece of plexi-glass reflecting them into the wall.  For that type of sound, it was outstanding.  There were music celebrities who would visit the store.  I believe (to the best of my memory) Bose threatened legal action (and he probably was selling them years before they came out with it) and he just didn't have resources to fight it.  Bose is not alone.  Many companies with lots of resources flex their muscle.  I remember having some brick work done on an old house and the company name was 'Bricks R Us' withe the 'R' backwards and he got a nasty letter from Toys R Us (with the threat of legal action) and on the invoice he went over the backwards R by hand and changed it to a B.  Smaller companies, whether it's Thiel or others, are not going to be able to match resources.  It's just the way the system works (it's not perfect is necessarily right).  I don't like it either and all I can do is not personally buy products from such companies (that's all anyone can do).

Cascade - I can't remember his or his shop's name, but I remember playing the first-tier Thiel speakers for him in his shop in 1977. He was complimentary and said he wished he were younger because a new world was unfolding for the young. He showed me his reflective speakers, which pre-dated Bose by many years. Bose had threatened him (cease and desist) and he responded that he would not sue to invalidate Bose's patent if Bose left him alone. And so it was.

Tom - I worked in Center City Philadelphia from late 1985 through late 1996.  There were two hifi shops nearby.  One was Nathan Muchnick which was on a main street and the old guy's store (Greenfields???) was on a side street.  Been over 23 years.  I really enjoyed hearing his speakers.  I have multiple systems today (just don't like selling stuff so most often it gets rotated to a back-up systems) and would really have enjoyed having something like that.

I could be wrong but I believe this is the older gentleman I was talking about mentioned in this case -  https://casetext.com/case/warren-v-greenfield

Satisfaction...

Just spent the last few hours listening to Tidal MQA streams of Dexter Gordon, John Coltrane, Kenny Burrell, Thelonius Monk and others...and I didn't listen to the equipment so much anymore, I just listened to the music.  And that music was so right...timbre, pace, rhythm, tone, timing, nuance and brilliance...that I suddenly realized I had built something that I am completely satisfied with.  That I was more in a place where making any change would worry me that it could be one that detracts or worsens...that here, right now, I was truly happy in this space.  A realization that the dream I had when I was 15 years old of one day, owning a real "audiophile" system had finally come true.  

Or, it could be just stir craziness creeping in during these crazy times we live in...who knows?  But damn...the music is so, so good and it sounds incredible coming out of this thing I put together!  Satisfaction indeed...

Hope you are all well and are staying safe!

Arvin