Anything happening at the new Thiel?

"September 10, 2013 – THIEL Audio, winner of over 60 prestigious awards for loudspeaker design and performance since 1978, has appointed Mark Mason as the company’s new Director of Product Development. Mason represents the first in-house engineering presence for the brand since the passing of Jim Thiel in 2009.

Mark Mason brings a depth of engineering experience combined with a broad range of technical capabilities to THIEL after nearly a decade as Design Team Manager at PSB. Mason’s expertise includes critical applications such as driver design (the term “driver” refers to the woofer, midrange and tweeter components that make up most dynamic loudspeakers), Class D amplifier design and high performance acoustic systems design (referring to a completed loudspeaker including drivers, crossover networks and enclosures). “I heard about THIEL quite a long time ago and I have tremendous respect for what the brand has achieved in the three decades plus since it was founded,” explained Mason. “I am honored that I have an opportunity to be a part of THIEL’s future and help evolve this storied organization,” Mason added."

http://www.thielaudio.com/thiel-appoints-mark-mason-as-director-of-product-development/

If you read the Thiel website there is no mention that I can find of Jim Thiel. There is a nice history of the accomplishments of the company, but nothing about Jim. The new group also fired Kathy shortly after taking over, after saying they would keep her on. I was a big fan of the old Thiel, but the new Thiel just does not seem to have the human touch that Jim and Kathy brought to the company. Time will tell, but I think the company may have seen its best days. Hopefully Mason will prove me wrong.

I'd like to see a return to some sealed box designs.
Also, in as much as the active bass eq's were a raised flag for some customers, I thought they were quite clever and permitted extended bass response from speakers that were easier to fit into many households. With newer digital approaches, a more room individualized room tailoring might even be more successful.

Wow you are right not one word about Jim Thiel?!? Then firing Kathy a big part of the company I am sure. In the past I have been on the fence about buying 3.7s but honesty other brands have now surpassed their sound (in the 15k range) and the company heritage (and support?) is gone.

Their last few products have been a joke. They took a bookshelf (SCS4) and just added it to a stand (scs4t) and did not even taking advantage of the extra box volume. Not to mention the SCS4 has terable box noise. Then the 2.7 was just a cut and paste project...

As a current thiel owner and potential future owner thiel maybe off my list for good.

http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/some-thoughts-on-jim-thiel-1/