Looking to upgrade my Thiel speakers - What should I get / look for?
Back in 1988 (when I was 23) I was looking to upgrade my Polk Audio floor standers, the Polks had plenty of bass and treble but lacked detail. I made my way over to a small audio store in Cambridge, MA (Q Audio - still in business after all these years) and saw a pair of used Thiel 03s. I listened to the Thiel’s briefly, was impressed but the setup in the store was less than ideal to make any sort of sound judgement. The salesperson very kindly told me “take them home and try them out for a few weeks, if you don’t like them, bring them back and i’ll happily give you your money back no problem!” I took them home and have now been delighted by them for 34 years! What I noticed right away was their uncanny ability to reproduce the human voice so naturally. The Thiels are not just “speakers” but really fine instruments that come alive with the right recordings. After many years of use I had the foam around the woofers expertly replaced. A few years ago I also added a subwoofer to the 03s, extending the bass but more impressively adding more 3-dimensionality to the sound stage.
After 34 years, I’m feeling the itch to upgrade:) I need some help. I want to buy a more modern/advanced pair of Thiels (used of course) in the $2K range. I have a few questions If anyone has some input:
1) When evaluating a used pair, what should I look for a far as defects, things that might to be fixed? Ideally I don’t want to fix/restore too much.
2) My current listening room is narrower than ideal but my 03s work just fine in the space. Do all the models require the same space or are some better suited to narrower L to R walls? I can sit as far back/away as needed.
3) Is there a particular model in my price range that stands out?
My idea is to look at any that come up for sale within 100 miles away to check them out in person. It may take a while for the right ones to appear.
Any thoughts are much appreciated, I found this wonderful forum a few days ago!
~ Jeff
