Anything happening at the new Thiel?

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/

I think the CS3.7 + twin SS2.2 subs is going to be tough to beat if they are designing a brand new flagship speaker. I have heard speakers in that price range and (sometimes even higher) and still end up preferring the 3.7 combo.

FWIW I don't really see the 2.7 as a cut and paste. The coax driver, while derived from the 3.7 is unique to the 2.7 and the cabinet is IMHO better than the 2.4SE I had previously which should reduce standing waves a fair bit. If we are being honest, isn't the 2.3 a lot closer to the 2.4 than the 2.4 is to the 2.7?

That said, the speakers that were launched in the last few years were apparently designs Jim Thiel was working on before he passed. How well the new guy understands Jim's design is anyone's guess?

FWIW I am still enamoured by my 3.7/SS2.2 combo.