Thiel CS3.7 and CS2.4 comparisons?

Soulbrotherjoachim,

Thanks for your comment, I was starting to wonder if I was losing it by thinking my $10,000ish system was out performing $30,000+ systems. I understand that people like different things but sometimes different is not better.

I was listening to the song "Lacrymosa" by Evenanesence on the Sophia 3. This song has a very low rolling bass note from a base guitar throughout the song and on the Sophia 3 I was not even sure I could hear it. But at home it is very defined and clear, down to where I can hear the individual string move. Also on the song "Layla" off Eric Clapton's unplugged album the bass drum lacks some impact on the initial hit of the head (bass is pretty low on this album too) when played through the Sophia.

After many demos of different types of speakers I have come to think passive radiators have real advantages over ports. They simple have a more pistonic movement (air flow) and seem to have more definition over a ports.

Anyway I am done shopping for now and will look again when I have a bigger house. I will most likely move up to the 3.7 (or go for broke with a good deal on something used), it sounded a lot like the 2.4 but with more bass, a more detailed/warmer mid, and had cleaners highs. But all in all more of a refinement over the 2.4 than a giant leap.

Also a huge Thiel fan here. One thing you may want to consider before upgrading to the 3.7 is demoing a Thiel sub with your 2.4's. I am not generally a proponent of subwoofer's in 2 channel systems however Thiel is an exception. It's one of the very few subs that I have heard seamlessly blend...Thiel speakers+Thiel sub. I own JL and have had Velo and it amazes me how big of a difference there are between them and Thiel. The 2.4 + Thiel sub combo could give you much more than the 3.7.

Regarding the powered sub integration in a system... The low tones if properly crossed over will be sent to the sub, therefore freeing your amp to drive a much easier load on the mids and highs. Therefore, the whole audio spectrum is improved. Actually, using multiple subs is good as well to smooth out the lows.

"I am enjoying them now and they sound great for the price I paid!"

But do they sound 'great' emperically?
When one equivocates based on 'price alone' I'm always wondering--at what point, 'one hundred', 'two hundred'dollars more, would they sound, just really good, then good, then OK, then not so great?

To paraphrase Freud, "Sometimes a piano is just a piano".
Do they make 'piano-like noises', with a sense of realism?

Just wondering.

Larry

Larry,

I enjoy them and it is really that simple for me.

Do they sound like a piano... I have no idea, pianos all sound different, what one do you want it to sound like and in what setting? The question for me is, does the recording sound like a real piano? I play piano for what it is worth.

As for the price question it is a grey area. Would I pay double, triple, or more for better sound? Yes and I will sooner than later. I was just very disappointed with many high-end speakers in the $15000 price range. Where I was most disappointed is I felt many companies just throw money at their designs and get the fundamentals wrong. More money does not fix design issues.

The 2.4 do have some issues but they are not that offensive to me because I feel for the most part they are deductive. The bass could be lower and the highs could be more extended. I am sure a better box would help too but I never listen above 75-80db so it might be less of an issue for me than others. My only real issue with them is I feel voices are thinner than they should be. Sometimes I also like unrealistically larger than life bass and wish I had bigger speakers but just sometimes. Other times the Thiels are just right.