Thiel 2.4s vs 2.4 SE sound quality?


Gentlemen,

Just wondering if anyone has been able to compare the two directly. I have a pair of 2 2s that I still enjoy, but was thinking of getting newer Thiels. Aside from the cosmetics, is there a significant improvement in sound quality with the SE and if so, what are the differences?

Thanks for your input.
basis2001
Yes, there are good deals to be had for the older 2.4s. I'd recommend getting the 2.4s if you intend to trade up.

I still kinda miss my old 2.4SEs (I traded them in for the 3.7s) but I think being the last speaker that Jim Thiel launched, it has a special meaning for me.
I was contemplating exactly this when I bought my Thiel's last year. In the end, yes, the SE's are a little better than the standard 2.4's, but only by a very small margin; I just could not justify the additional money.... More than anything else, they look nicer.... sound-wise, you'd be better off spending that extra money on source/amp...
Sorry, I check the forums every few months nowadays, but this may be of interest to some.

I've had 2.4s for years. When the SE came out, I called Thiel and asked them which brand/model 'boutique capacitors' they used where in the crossover. They change out the two capacitors that are in series with the coax driver (27 & 13 uF), from standard issue Axons to Clarity Cap SA. So I one-upped those and got matched-pairs of the next Clarity Cap model up, the ESA, and bypassed them with Vishay MKP 1837 as per the 'humblehomemadehifi' site. Total parts cost from PartsConnexion was ~$130, and accessing the crossover is easy as was soldering them in.

Obviously I couldn't A/B them anymore, esp as it took probably 200hrs for these giant caps to settle in and sound their best. But I can say that the speakers have never sounded better, and it does allow the coax to be all it can be, with far less veiling than the stock caps -- if audio memory serves. I can't swear to it, as these are the only caps inline with a driver, and they're matched to <1%, imaging improves too. Not a bad mod for a couple hours and $130.

Having said that, unless you're a Thiel junkie, I'd certainly buy used 2.4s (with outriggers if you want) and then throw in even better caps than the SE uses for a whole lot less money than getting one of the 150pairs of SE. And if you somehow think the 2.7 is a great deal at $10K, I can assure you it's a far better coax than the 2.3/2.4 units.

TMI
Another vote for the CS 2.4, it has a very rich-sounding presentation to these ears. Should be a nice upgrade from the 2.2 as the OP indicates.

Happy Listening!
A follow up;
The CS 2.4SE is even sweeter than the standard 2.4 (if you can imagine it).
So, I bought a pair earlier this year. Happy Listening!