Attention Thiel CS3.7 owners

I just bought Thiel CS 3.7s last week. I auditioned them at my local dealer with a 100 watt Macintosh tube amp and a Mac pre, which reproduced wonderful sound and were at least somewhat comparable to the performance of my VAC gear at home.

I also auditioned the CS2.7s, which sounded great in so many ways... but when we hooked up the 3.7s and played the same reference track... well, after the first three seconds of listening, I knew I was done for. I had to spend the money, as I've never heard anything like what these speakers pulled out of my records. I believe this speaker is a true breakthrough in high end loudspeaker design and will come to be known as the best value because to get this quality of sound, you could spend three or four times the $15k these cost. Which of course, means that matching amps is critical. 100 watts of high current tube power is the starting point.

I thought i had an idea what they would sound like at home, but i wasnt prepared...what I'm hearing with the 3.7s being driven by my VAC gear (Signature 2a pre and Phi 200 amp) is breathtaking. it's actually hard to describe the magic coming out of them. The sound is just gorgeous! And that's right out of the box. They will continue to improve for the next 400 hours of use.

Paired with my amps, these are the most natural sounding speakers I've ever heard. Powerful, articulate, revealing micro details without brightness or edge, a midrange to die for, excellent feel in your bones bass, incredible soundstage and holographic imaging... I know, you've heard all that before, but when you hear what they can do with strong tube amps like VAC, well, like I said, impossible to describe the experience fully...like mailing a haircut.

As for reports of being bright or lean -- well, everyone's ears and systems are different. In my home, right now, listening... I'm blown away by how alive and real my rig sounds. The bass is musical, effortless and taut, with absolutely no bloat. 

Been doing this crazy hobby (read "obsession") for forty years and I've never been more excited about my sound system.

I think that aside from some tweaks here and there, my system has reached a level that is completely satisfying. I know, audiophile heresy, right? I am now going to rediscover hundreds of my albums. So my recommendation, the VAC Phi 200 or any other VAC component you can get your hands on... They will make your Thiels sing.

James,
My musical tastes are very eclectic, so I need a speaker that can load my 23X23 room for listening to all my musical genres. In my reference collection that I use to audition sources, components, cables and speakers, you'll find some amazing tracks from superb classical recordings, old jazz, as well as brilliant cuts like ZZ Top's La Grange, Ted Nugent's Stranglehold, Jeff Beck's Goodbye PorkPie Hat and other well recorded uncompressed rock. When I demonstrate my system, I use every genre, and invariably, my guests are stunned, especially by the sheer power of the hard rock tunes. The room just lights up with music that sounds live and sweeps you out of the room and to the recording venue. I usually have to clean up the drool on the carpet after the demo.

The Thiels replaced Von Schweikert Audio Unifield 3 and a pair of REL subs. The U3s are amazing in near-field listening, and with the subs they really rocked, but they don't compare with the ridiculously good performance of the 3.7s in my open plan living space. I still have the subs and will audition them with the 3.7s after the break in period. I believe that most, if not all systems benefit greatly from correctly set-up subs. I'll keep you posted on that.

Vhiner,
My next upgrade is adding another VAC Phi 200 so I get all 200Watts for each channel... I just don't have a place for another amp right now due to WAF considerations. VAC amps are known by fans as being able to control and drive excellent bass from power-hungry speakers. The 100W per channel they put out doesn't sound like much until you realize the massive amount of current they generate. There are no wimpy amps in the VAC line-up. Current is king for bass impact. I fantasize about the VAC flagship amp that puts out 450 per channel, but the monoblocks are about $80,000.

Vhiner,

The specs are good, but they don't do justice to the sound. The Phi 200 is one of those special amps (it was just reviewed in the UK's HiFi Critic) that those who have heard it become part of this weird club of crazed enthusiasts (or maybe that's just me...?). Kevin Hayes doesn't design for specs (like low distortion as an example)... they hand make and hand wire each amp point to point and then he personally voices each amp against their reference before it is packed for shipment. Even repairs and upgrades get the same treatment.

Ah, the pleasure of dealing with a small company who knows your name... VAC's customer service is legendary. Once you've experienced it, there's nothing like it.

As for tube life... the amp is so stable that I've not exhausted tubes in less than 18 months, and I have my amps on every day for hours. I've biased the tube set once in the last year and found that it didn't even need it.

Steve Hoffman (the recording engineer) just got a pair of Phi 200 mono blocks and he's amazed (that says a lot!). To think that this is VAC's entry-level amp...

Don't despair, Vhiner,

If you're fast on the draw, you can sometimes find a used VAC Phi 200 on A'gon for about $5000. Not chump change, but better than $10,000! But you do have to ready to pull the trigger right away, as it's rare that someone will part with their amp unless they're upgrading to a bigger VAC.

If you find yourself in San Francisco, come over for a listen. But don't blame me if you sell your car...

Alón

Cal3713: "And dammit, I don't usually fall prey to people talking up components, but I'm going to have to add a VAC amp to the list of interest. That was effective effusement."

Thanks. I've been told I may have potential as a door to door religious cult rep. Tempting as that may be, the audio cult is more than enough for me, and I've been paying dues ( in the $thousands every year ) for a long time! I'm sure others on this thread can relate.

Anyway, I loved your use of "effective effusement," a term I have not heard before. Thanks for recognizing my effective effusement efforts! Gotta love alliteration!

I looked at it... I would jump on that one, it seems in good shape and it will certainly drive the 3.7s! It's rare to see that model for sale, it won't last long.

Congratulations Vhiner!

Feels so good to arrive at a decision with all that excitement and no regrets, doesn't it?

Wish I could hear your system, it "sounds" wonderful.

Enjoy your Teflon-induced aural bliss. These are the moments we live for as audio nut cases! Well, I do anyway.

Alón