Thiel Owners

JA - regarding PowerPlanes, there’s a short and a longer answer. The short is that the PowerPlanes were intended for home theater surround channels. The longer answer is hearsay from insiders, that wall or ceiling plane speakers never seem to generate 3-D imaging cues and their directional nature is strong. Especially in a ceiling application it is obvious that the sound source is from above, firing down. I don’t know which of the PowerDriver products came first or whether they were all introduced simultaneously, but I have heard that the PowerPoint with its 45° launch plane is considered the performance winner. The unique launch allows 3D characteristics. For the PowerPlanes, I suggest front wall mounting as the best chance for a good stereo image. That recommendation is based on knowledge that we find directional information unsettling when it comes from behind, overhead, or is ambiguous, such as front speakers firing inward from side walls. The PowerPoint floats the wave in the room with less source specificity.

tomthiel

Thank You for the PP information.  Hope that you are well and having fun in your Hot Rod garage and Studio.

Happy Listening!

I do enjoy the time I get in the studio. But there isn’t enough. I am comparing the wire configurations, but won’t be able to run all the permutations. I am comparing single and double runs of SW Octave II against Morrow 4 against OCOS without Zobels. Eventually I’ll break those out to individual runs for each driver as suggested by Unsound.
Beetle - can you report on parallel vs bundled runs? Your reports are a treat.

tomthiel

Such is life- we strive to make time for certain events. I am looking forward in reading about the outcome comparing Wire configurations.
There is tremendous support here via our DIY members of the Panel.

Happy Listening!

@tomthiel Right, I switched back to the “normal” configuration one week ago Tuesday and listened over the weekend. It sounded similar: open, clear and relaxed. One conclusion is that my DAC must have needed >500 hours to fully break in. But I do think the parallel configuration sounds just a bit more more relaxed and open. I had the thought to compare side by side in mono like I did during the XO work but haven’t been motivated enough to do that. One issue with the parallel configuration is that the cables are more elevated off the floor and for more of their run. My right channel is near the back door and house guests occasionally kick the cables off their risers even in the normal configuration. 

But, hey, no house guests during a pandemic! I’ll probably try the parallel configuration one more time. It did seem magical even if I’m now uncertain it made more than a small difference.