Anything happening at the new Thiel?

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.

It just looked cut and past because they did not update the bass driver. Why not design an 8" version of the 3.7's driver for the 2.7.

The 3.7 has always sounded pretty good but their price has crept up to $15,000 now while speakers like Revel Studio 2 has held their price in the same time frame. Add the duel subs and they are no longer budget.

Anyway nothing takes away from the 3.7 or other thiel speakers of the past but the new speakers did not spark my interest.

I have 2 expensive hobbies - wine and audio, plus golf, but that is another story. In my early days, I chased the "absolute best", based on reviews and image. Now days I favor a fine wine or a fine audio component from someone I identify with. I am loyal to companies who I admire. I buy wines from producers I know personally or identify with. The same is true of audio products. The quality has to be there, of course, but it also goes beyond that.

My home theater is Thiel. I went that way after meeting Jim and Kathy several times and liking both them and their products.

My 2 channel (in multiple rooms) is Sonus Faber because I loved the sound and loved Franco's approach to music.

Cary electronics because of their sound and Denis Had.

Levinson electronics because of their sound and their original approach.

Oppo, for their quality and their attention to detail and their customer support.

Pathos, because of their sound and their design aesthetics.

Totem because of their sound and who does not love Vince.

I will still buy quality products from companies with little personality if the quality is there and there is no real product from friendly companies I know. But my first thought is always to companies and people I admire.

I am still waiting to see how the new Thiel measures up.

Sorry for the long soliloquy. But we all have choices in our purchases, especially in a market like high end audio. I will always favor the people I know and the companies I admire.