What Happened to Thiel?


I've been trying to reach Thiel Audio. Their web site is down and their phone is always busy. Anybody have any idea what's going on?
coyolxauhqui
Don't ya just love manufactures specs. Just like EPA fuel comsuption for cars - YMMV.

Heard 3.7 at RMAF. There are stiff ompetition at $10k. Yes I think they are butt ugly in a "danger Will Robinson, danger Will Robinson" way.
CS 3.7 is not exactly a full range speaker is it? I mean -3dB at 32Hz means you kiss goodbye to your entire first octave. Moreover, in the 2nd Octave Low C on a standard piano is about 32Hz. What is Thiel thinking a 10 grand speaker that needs a sub-woofer?
Gee, I thought the first ocatave was from 20 to 40 Hz? Thiel's measurements are done in an anechoic chamber, so in real practice most will have some in room bass reinforcement.
I do agree that $10K seems a bit much for the this level of bass output.
While I don't dare challange Jim Thiel on technical issues, I do question Thiel's decisions and trends. First of all, I have trouble understanding why Thiel would abandon sealed boxes for passive radiators and ports. I don't understand how passive radiators and ports can possibly be time and phase coherent, something of a Thiel trademark. I doubt the size and corresponding construction costs and transport challanges associated with a larger sealed box would matter that much to people shopping at the upper end of Thiel's range. In as much as equalizers are a red flag to many audiophiles, Thiel has used them sucessfully in the past to offer full range sealed boxed, relatively easy steady 4 Ohm impedance, 89 dB, modestly sized speakers in the past. Heck, the original CS 3 cost $2K 25 years ago and offered all of the above. Now that Thiel has garned experience with digital amps for their subwoofers, I would have imagined using some sort of digital technology for a modern digitaly updated eq'd CS 3-3.5 would have allowed Thiel to cost effectively offer a product with better performance than the current 3 series. This might be especially true now that Thiel develops all their drivers in house. As Thiel has increased the sensitivity of their speakers the impedance have become lower with time. I would imagine that finding higher powered amps into higher impedances would be less difficult and less expensive than finding lower powered amps that can handle lower impedances. Of course many audiophiles wouldn't even consider a product that has the words "equalizer" and "digital" in their description, even if they offered smaller dimensions, better time and phase coherency, more extended bass response, easier amplification requirements, and built in room tailoring. Damn shame.
Kiwi_1282001,
it seems that the Thiels are not alone in there rated bass production on high end, high priced speakers. (Kharma, Eggleston, Focal, Merlin, Sonas Faber, and on and on) Offer similar rated speakers in this price range.
The bass on the 3.7s is really quite nice. Not as pronounced as on my 7.2s but still good. I think if I got the 3.7s I would add a smart sub. But then again i am saving for one to go with my 7.2s and they sound great without one. i like the way the depth of soundstage improves when adding the subs with the Thiels I have heard. Anyway the 3.7s are very good speakers and as good and balanced a speaker as I have heard in that price range.
Unsound,

My understanding (but i'm not an authority on the subject) is the 1st Octave frequency range is 16-32 Hz. Low C on a pipe organ, bottom C on most other keyboards and the large orchestral bass drum live here.

I take your point about bass reinforcement but unless care is taken the room can also diminish the bass effect as well.

I respect Thiel as a designer but i feel speakers of this price range should reach into the 1st Octave so not to lose the enhanced experience the low end can provide.

The employment of speaker ports is probably motivated by consumer demand for smaller speakers. I like you prefer sealed designs.

Thiel has lots of competitors. The latest to join is Le Contourne a French sister company of Lavardin. Their new Stabile 160 is prefered by some to the 3.7. Its cheaper (but not much) and enjoys 17Hz-30KHz range with similar physical dimensions. Side by side you quickly apprecriate how impotent the bass of the CS3.7 really is.