I was always a Thiel fan until I tried to get help with a problem. I emailed them 20 or so times and never heard back. Now I have a piece that sits in a closet with equally dead AV receivers.
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I've been following the new Thiel store on eBay for sh*ts and giggles and their most current offerings indicate the smarmy direction the new ownership has taken. The description on the new model is utterly void of any technical information, offering only bad marketing copy that resonates best in mass market publications or cheesey websites. *Sigh* Can we get together a crowd-funded takeover attempt and preserve the legacy? All Thiel owners MUST crank it up this weekend! |
It's times like these, when you need to revisit Louis Rossman's rant on YouTube for some giggles. https://youtu.be/SkR5lAl22kk |
Oblgny, the 2.4's will be smoother, more refined in the upper midrange/treble, the 3.5's are more coherent throughout, have deeper bass and is much easier to drive. http://www.stereophile.com/content/thiel-cs24-loudspeaker-measurements#koJxkckLClGEdits.97 Many, if not most would choose the 2.4's, I much prefer the sealed box 3.5's. |
I was waiting to hear what unsound would say... For me, going from the CS2 to the CS2.4 was a no-brainer. There was enough bass extension and tightness to make the jump. The 3.5 (or 3.6) is tricker because of their aforementioned attributes. I'm not convinced I'd hear the difference at the top end, so it'd come down to the aesthetics of the slimmer design, smaller footprint, and refined craftsmanship. Oh, and having the cable connections at the back, instead of the bottom! |
@jafant As mentioned in Stereophile, Kathy Gornik sold to VC interests led by CEO Bill Thomas. Bill was succeeded by John Wittman, who was replaced this year by Thomas Malatesta(reportedly from Proctor & Gamble.) The current designs were done by Mark Mason(formerly of PSB), who is no longer on board. Ouch! It appears that at least final assembly is done in Nashville. Googling Mr. Malatesta, it appears that he is an investor and founder of a number of start-ups in audio streaming, smart phone, and cybersecurity technologies. With respect to Thiel, it's possible that he was taken on as a turnaround specialist. |
Tomic601,,,,I would advise to be careful of the tilt. Floors are generally not level, and the difference accurate alignment is ...especially on phase correct speakers... is very noticeable. Get a laser pen, put it on top of the left speaker, move it left/right to shine on the opposite wall. Put a post-it on that wall, mark an X where the laser is.....do the other side and raise/lower one speaker to match the X on the wall. |
Laughing... decisions, decisions oblgny. I for one, am very interested in your upcoming demo of the CS 2.4 speakers. Specifically, I am curious to read about your session and impression(s) compared to the 3.5s that you already own. Take your fave tracks or LP/CD/SACD for your demo. Pieces of music that you are intimately familiar, know upside and downside, to ease your experience. Keep me posted and Happy Listening! |
I was tortured by NY/NJ traffic to get to the place where the speakers were, but that's typical. Physically speaking they were as expected for their age with no deal-killer imperfections to be concerned about. We listened through an amp with a similar power rating to my current one, 300 watts per channel. The biggest difference I found was in the mids and highs which were different, not necessarily better nor inferior to my 3.5's. No mistaking they were Thiel; if my 3.5's were ailing or unrepairable I would have scoffed them up immediately. I could not justify replacing my 3.5's for what I can at best describe as a nuanced or subtle improvement. The bass was equally good, albeit not as deep as my 3.5's - that would not have factored in whatsoever given the aforementioned scenario. They were beautiful sonically. I cannot help but feel a little bummed by the fact that Thiel is no longer what it was as I write this. Knowing there is a "guy" with his name on the equipment is a reassuring aspect of owning good stuff. Thiel is great stuff |
Jafant... I'd say 30-45 minutes overall. I believe the cabling was Cardas. I brought along my Astell & Kern AK100 portable player simply because it sounds excellent. Being so familiar and impressed by Thiel in general simply didn't warrant the expenditure at this point in time. There is no need for me to replace my 3.5's just because an opportunity to "move up" was geographically desirable. They are so damn good I'll require a true "wow" moment to pry them away from me. I've learned from past audio experience that I'm more curious than sensible sometimes, a trait that has me regretting letting go of my Pass X150.5 amp for...I forget what! Aaaargh! I will however continue to explore more Thiel as opportunity and disposable income make possible; I'm hooked. For now my 3.5's will carry on. Extraordinarily difficult speakers to beat. |