Wilson better than Thiels?

I used to think my Thiel CS6's were bright until I started to feed them properly. Like many of the great speakers they require a lot of care with regards to location, cabling and related equipment. They are unforgiving and will reveal any weakness in your system.

That said, change can be good.

Funny how these threads go. What's better- this or that?

I've salivated waiting to hear $50,000 Wilson's that disappointed me, and I've heard a pair of Dunlavy SC-5's that brought tears to my eyes. But I just can't proclaim one better than the other. Both are capable and very different approaches.

I've concluded that until you can have a speaker for an extended time and work with placement, room problems, etc, you never really know it.

I have thought about a total change of taste and go for Harbeth but there is no dealer in Sydney

Harbeth is an excellent idea - pity you can't hear them locally. Sydney Opera house use ATC - thats another British brand worth hearing if you have the itch to change. I expect they'll have a local dealer in Sydney as bands like INXS and ACDC used ATC. I' d suggest you try to hear as much as possible - you don't sound "100% sold" on the Wilsons...

It's just as everyone is saying- to hear these speakers at their best, you must hear them in someone's home set up properly with time and care. If I had not heard either the Thiels or the Wilsons in my buddies homes, I would not have given them a passing thought. I have heard each brand in a number of different stores in different cities over the years. They sounded good/bad but never to their full potential. Naturally, the stores are going to audition them with their front end equipment- good or bad. At least both brands typically warranted their own dedicated listening room vs. being lined up along the wall with all the usual suspects.

In my heart, what you need is a turntable, but that's for another thread.

Have you access to some other speaker cables to try w/your Thiels, perhaps MIT?

You've got a great preamp, and amps that are often paired with Thiels, so it's tough to nail it down. When you say, "a bit more openness and a better sense of realism", that just begs for analog...Cheers,
Spencer