Help: Thiel CS6 vs CS 2.3

Will a 10 year old Thiel 2 2 sound significantly different than it did after it was broken in 9 years ago?

In other words does speaker performance degrade over time?

(No visible deterioration of the cone or the surrounds).

Check out the 2.4 if you are looking for that size speaker.

CS6 and 2.3/2.4 are very different sizes. 6 needs a lot more current but goes way deeper in the bass. 2.3 and 2.4 are way newer designs, probably more coherent, but when push comes to shove if you have the power and current for the 6 I bet you'd be better off.

I have never found traditional solid state geat to be a great match for Thiels bot others do. if you make that match be sure to try Cardas Golden Cross speaker cable. This is mandatory with Thiels and solid state in my view and sounds wonderful.

If you get a used 2.3 make sure it has the midrange upgrade.

Art

About the deterioration question on the 2.2 - I don't think so, and this would be true generally for most any recent speaker of this quality. Mine aren't quite as old as yours, and I've replaced some drivers I killed over the years, but there's no reason to suspect you've lost any performance in that time. Like you, I've found this speaker has been able to keep exceeding my expectations of it as I've improved my system and rooms.

I just picked up a brand new pair of 2.3's that were store demos for 3K (they were only on the sales floor for two months!) I could not be happier with these speakers for music as well as great theater performance. I recommend calling around to Thiel dealers to see if they are interested in selling their demos since the 2.4's are arriving in stores this month. The 2.4 has the same driver layout, but Thiel says that the drivers as well as the crossovers are totally new. I cant wait to audition the 2.4s to see if the difference is that great. 2.3s are a good size 42" and the cs6 is way bigger, so if space is an issue, or your wife has some say, the 2.3 may fit better with your surroundings.

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned the 3.6's. Perhaps the best value tin the current line.