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Solving the THIEL CS 5i's - vs- CS 7.2 Debate

Well I have been a huge THIEL fan for years. I have owned the CS 7.2's for 4 plus years and the CS 5i's for 3 years. In that time I have been begging for the correct room / source / amplification setup to host an ultimate drag out and shoot out. The stars aligned post new year and I had the extra help to move these monsters around and begin the process to initiate a formal showdown of these extraordinary components and literal masterpieces of speaker construction and design.

To address the weary on what I leveraged to orchestrate this debate, the amplification stage was handled by twin KRELL FPB 650m's, piped through the KRELL KCT, AudioQuest interconnects and woeful Denon CD section. All other things being equal the downside on the CD and speaker cabling should balance the field between the two.

I ran a battery of CD,s and moved the speakers forward and backward, toe in and straight up and I now have what is my ultimate conclusion. At this point I am looking for supporting evidence from the community or welcome an additional party to sit and listen to the setup.

At some point in this thread I can discuss the nuances between the two speakers, however, I will come out and say that the CS 7.2's are pure illustrated magic and profoundly demonstrated a by far greater representation of what I would expect from the original source.

At the end of the day they were the better sounding speakers to my ears in that room, given this setup.

Were the CS 5i's able to bring tears to my eyes? = yes.

Did the CS 7.2's do a better job of handling the soundstage? = yes

I would love to hear feedback if folks have any regarding a direct speaker to speaker comparison.

I will also state that by themselves the CS 5i's sound brilliant.

Thank you,
David
davidstingray
stevecham
3,340 posts
 
The CS6s were reported to be Jim's favorite speakers I can hear why. I have owned a pair now for ten years, and reluctantly have to offer them for sale due to a downsize. They are dynamic, smooth and extended, but beyond that, they conveyed all the detail inherent in the source. I previsouly had a pre-owned pair of CS7s and the CS6s were by far the outperformers. In some ways, comparing the CS5i to the CS7.2 is a little misalinged only because the CS7.2's driver were manufactured entirely by Thiel, as were the CS6, which were the first model where all the drivers were Thiels own.

And yes, the FPB series of Krell amps were the perfect partner to the big Thiels because they were optimal current sources to drive the <3 Ohm impedances at soem frequencies. That combination was never harsh, nor bright, as some would claim misguidely and misinformed.
michaeljbrown
146 posts
 
I would love to hear that comparison. I have a pair of CS 5's, with a Krell FPB 300 powering them. The 5's replaced 2.4's. I am enjoying them immensely. Will upgrade cables first, have Transparent mw plus now. Will trade up to a FPB 600 when I can.
Am also trying to dial in the bass. Soundstage is terrific. Imaging does not beat the 2.4, but neither does anything else.
Great post!
davidstingray OP
17 posts
 
@unsound given your passion to the capabilities of the 5's I am going to go back and modify the setup a little and change the location of the 5's to be independent of what I had for the 7.2s. Perhaps there is a comfort zone that can be achieved that is unrecognized with my symmetrical spacing to the side and rear walls. The 5's are dramatically larger and might need unique spacing to bring out the proper imaging and staging.

I will say this however, the setup I have with the 7.2's is spot on dialed in. The vocals hang in the room as if there is a live body sitting on a stool in the room. My little boy walked into my room for the first time a while back and you could see him looking for the vocalist in the room not understanding that a system was so capable as to produce next to live music. He is under two, but the magic of the experience will never be lost on me!
unsound
7,329 posts
 
Like what you like. It's about pleasing your ears. With that said, I wouldn't be surprised if different placement might change your perspective. Of course the 7's just might work better in your room, or just press your buttons better.
davidstingray OP
17 posts
 
I am inspired to keep trying. I welcome any experienced enthusiasts from the D.C metro area to gauge and listen.

My desire is to resolve and conclude the debate based on real listening and insightful discovery!
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