New Thiel Speakers - Post Jim Thiel Era

As much as I'll miss Gary, I really miss Shari.

And I was just wondering why someone called Tim answered the support e-mail when I asked for a new tweeter/midrange assembly for my one of current 2.4s. Glad I didn't open with the usual, "Hey Gary,"

Thiels ARE Thiels BECAUSE of the front sloping baffleless cabinets, driver placement, thick sturdy materials, coherence, diffraction control etc. This new Magico-wannabe TM3, Sonus Faber CAD/CAM 2.5 way clone thing is hideous. The other ghastly TT3 thing is a Mordaunt-Short cabinet copy with some dual-driver oval goodie via Wharfedale Jade stuck in the cabinet ala Canton. YIKES. Jim Thiel was replaced by Mark Mason; but was not replaced at all.

Apparently the sc4ts are gone, no longer on website though. If Thiel Co is smart they will at least re-release the sc4t with the 3.7 coax driver. Cheap to make, generate some awesome buzz and another bonafide hit.

Lots of promises are made by new owners of companies. History shows that in reality the old is almost always forgotten quickly by new owners and new designers. The old almost becomes the enemy of new designers and management after a while, as they tire of hearing about how great the old products are. Everyone wants to put their stamp on the company and almost nobody wants to live in the shadow of what was done before when they were not part of it at all.

This likely won't be like Audio Research under new ownership. The new broom at ARC did not sweep all the personnel away like it did at Thiel.